Manhunt underway for father of three girls found dead

Washington state authorities continued to search Wednesday for Travis Decker, a father suspected of kidnapping and killing his three daughters in the area of Wenatchee in central Washington, about 100 miles east of Seattle. Authorities discovered the bodies of 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 9-year-old Paityn near an Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest campsite, law enforcement said at a Tuesday night news conference.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office described Decker as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Decker is also a former military member with extensive training, the Tuesday release noted. It is unclear whether the suspect is armed, but he should be considered dangerous, authorities added. A $20,000 reward is offered for any information from the public leading to his arrest.

How did this all unfold? The girls’ mother reported them missing on Friday night. The mother shared custodial privileges with Decker, Wenatchee Police Capt. Brian Chance said. Decker had no history of deviating from the pair’s agreed-upon parenting plan, but the mother recently shared concerns about Decker being homeless and financially strained, Chance explained.

Local authorities started searching for Decker on Saturday using Decker’s cellphone location data provided by the FBI. Local law enforcement alerted nearby state police and park rangers of the situation and obtained warrants for Decker’s arrest. Authorities located Decker’s truck Monday afternoon near Rock Island campground, about 20 miles northwest of Wenatchee, where officers located the girls’ bodies nearby, Chance said. The girls’ wrists appeared to be bound with zip ties, with plastic bags placed over their heads, according to a report by Seattle-based KOMO-TV, citing court documents.

A regional SWAT team, Border Patrol, and other Department of Homeland Security personnel closed off areas near the Icicle Gorge for the search. Authorities are asking the public to stay away from that area as the search is underway, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said Tuesday.