WENATCHEE, Wash. — The Wenatchee Police Department has reported the tragic discovery of three young girls from Wenatchee who were earlier reported missing; their father is being sought in relation to their deaths.

The girls, Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker, aged 9, 8, and 5, were declared missing last weekend when their father, Travis Decker, didn’t bring them back from a planned visitation.

On June 2, Chelan County deputies located Travis Decker’s unoccupied 2017 white GMC truck near the Rock Island campground close to Leavenworth. A thorough search of the region led investigators to the grim finding of the girls’ bodies.

A large-scale search began immediately on Monday for Travis Decker, involving multiple local, state and federal agencies, but at this point, he has not been found. Decker is wanted by law enforcement for three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. 

According to the Wenatchee Police Department, Decker is a military veteran with extensive training, and he may pose a significant threat if approached. It’s unknown if Decker is armed. Any member of the public who believed they may have seen him since Friday, May 30, or knows his current whereabouts, is asked to call 911 immediately. 

Police describe Decker as 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. 

On Friday, police requested an AMBER Alert through Washington State Patrol, but it didn’t meet the criteria. An Endangered Missing Person Alert was issued Saturday after Wenatchee detectives provided WSP with additional information, the police department said in a release.

Wenatchee police said Decker was believed to be living out of his truck. Their search over the weekend included a number of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee hotels. 

Vehicle information was entered in the Flock database as part of the investigation, which showed that the vehicle had left Wenatchee traveling westbound on Highway 2 on Friday.  

Decker was still believed to be in Chelan County, and on Monday the search narrowed to an area between Icicle and Chumstick roads near Leavenworth. Police obtained a warrant for Decker’s arrest for custodial interference and began searching the area. 

Around 3:45 p.m. on Monday, a Chelan County deputy found his vehicle unoccupied near the campground. The vehicle was located in a remote area 17 miles up the road by a Chelan County Forest Service deputy who was patrolling the area by motorcycle. 

A number of agencies assisted with the case and search on Monday, including the FBI, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management, a Homeland Security helicopter, the East Cascade SWAT Team, and the WSP Crime Scene Response Team, Wenatchee police said.

By Tuesday afternoon, tributes to the three girls began circulating. 

The Wenatchee School District issued a statement on Tuesday confirming that all three girls were students at Lincoln Elementary School. 

“This is an absolutely heartbreaking day for the Wenatchee School District,” said Wenatchee Superintendent Kory Kalahar. “Our hearts are shattered by the confirmed loss of Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia Decker. Our focus right now is entirely on supporting their family and our Lincoln School community through this unimaginable pain.” 

Counseling services will be available to assist students and staff at school. 

The girls were also members of the Short Shakespeareans program at the Music Theatre of Wenatchee. 

“We are heartbroken by the loss of three of our shining stars from the Short Shakespeareans family,” the theatre wrote on Facebook. “Their joy, creativity and spirit lit up our stage and our hearts. Though their time with us was far too short, their impact will forever be part of our story. May their light continue to shine in every performance we give. We carry them with us — always.”