PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The hunt for a father accused of killing his three daughters in central Washington has continued into its fifth day, prompting authorities to release new photos and surveillance video of the wanted man.
The video, shared by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in Washington, shows Travis Decker on Friday, the day he picked up his daughters in Wenatchee, which is about 150 miles east of Seattle. The girls were found dead three days later.
Wenatchee police say the girls’ mother called Friday, saying they hadn’t returned from a custodial visit with their father. A search found Decker’s truck near the Rock Island campground, where the girls’ bodies were eventually discovered on 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.
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.
