A cause of death has been determined for three young sisters found dead near a Washington campground.
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, died from suffocation, according to June 9 press release from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. Their manner of death has been ruled as homicide following an autopsy on June 6.
Authorities were first alerted to the missing girls on May 30, when their mom filed a civil complaint saying that they had not returned home after a planned visitation with their dad, per the CCSO.
On June 2, deputies located the sisters’ bodies in a pickup truck belonging to their father, Travis Decker, parked near Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, Wash. Though investigators “collected a large amount of evidence,” including Travis’ personal belongings from the vehicle, they could not locate the 32-year-old at the scene, according to CCSO.
Travis remains missing and is wanted on first-degree charges of murder and kidnapping.
Having been trained with the military, Travis is “well versed in wilderness survival and capable of spending days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little equipment,” per authorities.
“It is unknown whether Decker is currently armed,” the CCSO shared in a June 4 statement, “but he may pose a significant risk, if approached.”
Travis is described as a 5’8″ man with black hair and brown eyes. According to the CCSO, he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
In a June 6 affidavit obtained by NBC News affiliate KNDO, U.S. Deputy Marshal Keegan Stanley said Travis made suspicious searches on his Google account prior to his disappearance, including “‘how does a person move to canada,’ ‘how to relocate to canada,’ ‘jobs canada’ and ‘jobs canada.’”
The affidavit noted that the location where his daughters’ bodies were found is roughly 11 miles overland from the Pacific Crest Trail, which joins the U.S. to Canada and Mexico.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Keep reading for everything know about the search for Travis Decker.
Who is Travis Decker?
Travis Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping after allegedly killing his daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5.
Authorities revealed that Travis—who shared his daughters with ex-wife Whitney Decker—was believed to have been living out of a white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck, various motels and local campgrounds.
The former Army soldier has a history of mental health struggles, which he was expected to manage in order to spend time with his daughters. In a September 2024 temporary parenting plan obtained by NBC News, he was court-ordered to complete an anger management program and attend individual counseling sessions at least biweekly.
Per the plan, Travis was given visitation opportunities every other weekend, where he was expected to drop off his daughters at 8 p.m. on Fridays, 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 5 p.m. on Sundays to his ex-wife.
When Did Travis Decker and Whitney Decker’s 3 Daughters Go Missing?
Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia were last seen May 30 when Travis had picked them up at Whitney’s home for a planned visitation, according to an affidavit filed June 3 in Chelan County Superior Court.
Whitney alleged, per the docs, that the exchange had “occurred without issues,” but Travis—who Whitney noted had been experiencing mental health issues—was “quieter than usual, which was out of character.”
After Travis failed to return the girls at 8 p.m., Whitney attempted to contact her ex multiple times before calling the police.
What Happened to Travis Decker and Whitney Decker’s 3 Daughters?
The Wenatchee Police Department shared May 31 that they were searching for Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia. However, just three days later, the department confirmed Travis and Whitney’s three daughters were found deceased at the Rock Island Campground near Travis’ abandoned car, which had two bloody handprints.
Autopsies performed by the Chelan County Medical Examiner found that the girls’ cause of death was suffocation and the manner of death was homicide.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office revealed in an August press release that “two of the victims each had two separate bags over their heads and the third victim had three separate bags over their head. In addition, several cable ties were located on the ground in the immediate area of the bodies.”
After examincation, the Washington State Crime Lab determined that DNA profiles matching Travis’ were found on both the plastic bags and cable ties, leading authorities to believe that he is “the only suspect involved in committing these homicides.”
Has Travis Decker Been Found?
Local authorities, the US Marshal Service and the WA Army National Guard are searching for Travis, who disappeared into the forest near the Rock Island campground, according to Chelan County officials. While the efforts continue, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office shared in a June 23 press release that “there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area.”
“Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching,” the statement continued. “Still, we can’t and won’t quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice. And Decker remains a danger to the public as long as he’s at large.”
In their August statement, the sheriff’s office noted that “Decker’s whereabouts remain unknown,” though they are continuing with their search.
What Has Whitney Decker Said About the Deaths of Her Daughters?
Whitney shared an emotional tribute honoring her daughters, who she said came “into the world with open hearts and kindness.”
She told the crowd at the June 20 memorial service, “You all look beautiful, and I know Evy would have loved to ooh and ah over all your outfits,” adding that Paityn would’ve complimented “each and every one of you … She did that for everyone, whether it was at a grocery store or at school or with me.”
Whitney shared how, following her and Travis’ divorce, she would often ask her girls what three emotions they felt each day.
“For Paityn, she always had more than three, consistently eager to tell me about every minute of her day,” Whitney shared. “She was always interrupting her sisters to make sure I knew every single one. For Ev, we would talk about her feelings one-on-one right at bedtime because she wasn’t always ready to share them with her sisters.”
Meanwhile, she and Olivia were “still working on how to describe her feelings,” but that “one was always ‘happy.'”
What Are the Next Steps In the Search For Travis Decker?
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office shared that they are shifting their strategy.
The office announced in a June 23 press release that as they continue to search for the fugitive, they are also directing some efforts to recover Travis’ body if he died in the wilderness. Meanwhile, the office added that the US Marshals have “turned their fugitive-finding resources to the task of finding Decker if he’s left our area.”
