Travis Decker Was Last Seen with His 3 Daughters Before They Were Found Dead. Inside the Manhunt for the Missing Washington Dad
Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker were reported missing on May 30, after a "planned visitation" with their dad, Travis Decker
The young sisters were found dead on June 2
Travis, who is facing charges related to their death, has yet to be foundThe three young sisters who went missing during a visitation with their father, Travis Decker, have been tragically found dead.
The Decker sisters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8 and Olivia, 5 — were found dead on June 2, after vanishing on May 30. Following the news of their deaths, a GoFundMe page was set up for their mother, Whitney Decker, by friend Amy Edwards, who described the tragedy as "heartbreaking."
"We are heartbroken to share that the girls have since passed. Their light touched so many, and the pain of this loss is immeasurable," Edwards wrote, adding in an update that she will "miss seeing their sweet little faces."
While their dad, Travis, has yet to be found, he is facing charges related to his daughters' deaths. According to ABC News, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison had a message for him during a June 3 press conference: "Travis, if you're listening, this is your opportunity to turn yourself in, do the right thing, do what you need to do and take accountability for your actions."
"We're not going to rest, and we're going to make sure we find you," he continued. "You will be brought to justice, those young ladies deserve it."
From what led to their tragic deaths to the charges against him, here's everything to know so far about Travis Decker's case after his three daughters were found dead.
The Decker sisters were last seen on Friday, May 30, after leaving their Washington home for a "planned visitation" with their father, Travis.
The next day, the Wenatchee Police Department released an endangered missing persons alert and said that the young girls were "believed to be missing and unable to return home on their own," explaining that they headed out with their dad around 5 p.m. the day before and hadn't been heard from or seen since then.
The statement also noted that the investigation had "not met AMBER Alert criteria" at the time.
Per The New York Times, they were reported missing by their mother, who is divorced from Travis.
According to Wenatchee Police Department's statement, the "visitation was part of a parenting plan," noting that he had "gone outside the parameters of it which is not normal and cause for alarm."
Per The New York Times, their mother reported them missing on May 30 around 9:45 p.m. Travis was supposed to drop them off back home by 8 p.m. that night, but that didn't happen.
"It was late enough that she felt the need to call police because it was out of the ordinary," Capt. Brian Chance of the Wenatchee Police Department said, per the outlet.
According to the affidavit, his ex-wife told the police she was concerned because Travis was "currently experiencing some mental health issues," per The New York Times.
Per Wenatchee Police Department's statement, Travis is "homeless and living in his vehicle or at various hotels/motels or at campgrounds in the area."
On Monday, June 2, Washington State Patrol announced that they had canceled the endangered missing persons alert. Though officials did not immediately say why the alert was canceled, they announced the next day that the three young girls had been found dead.
In a press release, the Wenatchee Police Department shared that authorities located their father's car near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash., and found Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia dead at 3:45 p.m. on June 2. Travis, however, was not located at the scene.
Fox 13 Seattle reported that his vehicle was found "with two bloody handprints" nearby where the girls' deceased bodies were located. The outlet also reported that various personal items were found inside, including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet "on the center console."
According to court documents obtained by Fox 13 Seattle, Travis' cell phone activity reportedly showed "he drove to and left the same campground a day prior to the kidnapping."
The causes of death for the three sisters is likely to be "asphyxiation," according to a preliminary report seen by Fox 13 Seattle.
Per Cleveland Clinic, asphyxiation happens when a person doesn't get enough oxygen in their body, more commonly known as suffocation.
As of June 4, Travis has yet to be located.
"It is unknown whether Decker is currently armed, but he may pose a significant risk, if approached," police said in their June 2 press release, adding that he has former military experience.
Per The New York Times, Morrison said at a news conference that authorities had no leads on his location and believed "he could be anywhere within the nation."
"We are searching anywhere and everywhere for him," Morrison explained.
According to ABC News, police said during the press conference that there would be a $20,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest.
After the girls' death was announced, police said in their release that Travis had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping, on top of the custodial interference charges he was already facing.
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