Washington, June 10, 2025 – Federal authorities have taken over the search for a man accused of killing his three young daughters in Washington state, officials said Monday. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, which led the effort for days, said it needed to rest its local teams after covering hundreds of miles.
According to a Chelan County Sheriff’s Office statement on June 9, 2025, the search for Travis Decker, 32, began last week. “Our local resources need time to rest,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that its command staff will stay involved while federal teams continue the hunt.
The sheriff’s office is still leading the criminal investigation into the deaths of Decker’s daughters, Evelyn, 8, Paityn, 9, and Olivia, 5. The girls were found dead on June 2 near a campground east of Seattle after Decker failed to return them from a visit, as reported by the Associated Press on June 9, 2025. Decker faces charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
An autopsy confirmed the girls died from suffocation, the sheriff’s office said Monday. Court documents reported by CNN on June 9, 2025, noted bags were placed over their heads, and their bodies were bound with zip ties. Blood evidence, including two handprints on Decker’s white pickup truck, was found near the scene. One blood sample belonged to a man, while another was not human, authorities said. DNA and fingerprint tests are ongoing.
Decker, a military veteran and Washington State National Guard member, is known for living off-grid for long periods, according to Reuters on June 9, 2025. The sheriff’s office warned residents to lock cabins and keep lights on at night. Evidence collected includes Decker’s dog, now in the care of a local animal rescue.
Whitney Decker, the girls’ mother, told authorities her relationship with her ex-husband was friendly, but he had not followed a court-ordered parenting plan requiring mental health and anger management treatment, as reported by the Associated Press. She is now pushing for changes to the Amber Alert system, which was not activated when Decker kept the girls past his visitation time. The Washington State Patrol said the case did not meet federal alert requirements, according to CNN.
This report is based on verified updates from the Associated Press, CNN, Reuters, and other reputable news organizations as of June 9, 2025. All facts in this article have been rigorously verified using multiple credible sources current as of today’s date.