WENATCHEE, Wash. — Authorities have launched a manhunt for a father after the bodies of his three young daughters were discovered near a campground in Chelan County. The girls, aged 9, 8, and 5, had been reported missing after failing to return home from a visit with their father, Travis Decker.
Decker is facing serious charges, including three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping. The girls — Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia — were last seen during a scheduled visit with Decker on Friday evening. When the girls did not return to their mother, local law enforcement initiated a missing persons investigation that quickly escalated.
In the course of the investigation, authorities utilized cellphone records and license plate readers, enabling them to trace Decker’s truck to a location near the Rock Island Campground. As the search intensified, investigators made a grim discovery on Monday, finding the girls’ bodies approximately 75 to 100 yards from the vehicle down a small embankment.
Each girl had a plastic bag placed over her head, and investigators noted signs that their wrists had been restrained, suggesting they may have been zip-tied. Further examination revealed additional zip ties and plastic bags in the vicinity, and there were evident bloodstains on the tailgate of Decker’s truck, raising serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding the girls’ deaths.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about Decker’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement immediately, emphasizing that he should not be approached due to the ongoing investigation.
The heartbreaking case has drawn attention to issues of domestic violence and child safety, prompting community members to express their outrage and sorrow over the tragic loss. Many are left grappling with the senselessness of the situation and the devastating impact it has on all involved, especially the victims’ mother, who has been thrust into unimaginable grief.
As the search for Decker continues, local authorities are offering support services for those affected by this tragic event, as the community mourns the loss of three innocent lives.