PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The search for a father suspected of murdering his three daughters in central Washington has now entered its fifth day. In response, authorities have released new images and surveillance footage of the fugitive.
The footage, provided by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in Washington, captures Travis Decker on Friday, the day he picked up his daughters in Wenatchee, located roughly 150 miles east of Seattle. Tragically, the girls were found deceased three days following their disappearance.
According to Wenatchee police, the girls’ mother reported on Friday that they had not returned from a visit with their father. Authorities later located Decker’s truck at the Rock Island campground, where the bodies of the girls were discovered on the following Monday.
According to court documents, the likely cause of death for the girls — ages 5, 8, and 9 — was asphyxiation. A preliminary examination reported in the affidavit said the bodies showed signs of being zip-tied before they were asphyxiated with plastic bags.
Decker faces three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, but remains at large. Deputies told KIRO 7 they received notifications that Decker may have been spotted in Idaho, but an investigation found he “was not our suspect.”
Federal agents have joined the search for Decker as of Wednesday. He is described as 5’8″, and authorities have provided a photo to help the public identify him.
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This undated photo provided by the Wenatchee Police Department shows Travis Caleb Decker who the police are asking the public for help in locating the Washington state father who is wanted for murder after his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead. (Wenatchee Police Department via AP) -
Police are searching for Travis Decker after the bodies of his three daughters were found in Washington (Wenatchee Police Department) -
(Chelan County Sheriff’s Office)
The girls’ mother said Decker was previously in the military and struggled with mental health issues. Court documents show that she and Decker were married for about seven years before their divorce.
She also shared that, recently, Decker did not have a stable home and was “considered homeless,” and that he was known to stay in hotels and motels and at campgrounds.
Anyone with information about Decker or his whereabouts is encouraged to contact law enforcement.
