Topline: Investigators are back at the crime scene months later, still unsure whether the fugitive father is alive or dead.
Published: August 28, 2025 8:30 am ET
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LEAVENWORTH, WA — Nearly three months after the bodies of three young sisters were found in a remote Washington forest, authorities have returned to the scene, continuing a manhunt that has gripped the nation.
Travis Decker, a former military service member and the girls’ father, remains missing — and law enforcement officials say they still don’t know if he’s dead or alive.
Decker, 32, is the sole suspect in the suffocation deaths of his daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia. His abandoned truck and the girls’ bodies were discovered on June 2 near the Rock Island Campground in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, prompting a sprawling, multi-agency search effort across Washington’s rugged terrain.
On Monday, the FBI returned to the campground area, leading new search teams through a dense quarter-mile radius. As CBS News first reported, authorities stressed that the renewed effort was not based on any new break in the case.
“Currently, we have no evidence that Travis Decker is alive or dead,” said FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Peter Orth. “You can’t be too thorough in a search like this. It is such incredibly dense vegetation that anybody who walks down one of these trails could walk 10 meters off the trail and no one would ever know they’re there.”
According to KING 5, the Rock Island Campground was closed to the public as teams from the FBI, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies combed the wilderness in what Orth described as a “boots on the ground” operation. Nearly 100 personnel participated, including SWAT officers, intelligence analysts, and electronics specialists. The area is being searched using GPS grid assignments to avoid overlap and ensure complete coverage.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison acknowledged that authorities are prepared for a long search.
“We don’t get frustrated though, we’re not gonna give up,” Morrison told WTVR. “We understand this could take years.”
The FBI believes the area near the crime scene is still significant. According to Morrison, data from similar cases suggests that suspects — dead or alive — are often found within a short distance of where the crime occurred.
KING 5 law enforcement analyst and former King County Sheriff John Urquhart emphasized the urgency of the timing. “They need to do it now,” he said, noting that snow, overgrowth, and wildlife could soon obscure vital evidence.
Travis Decker was last seen on May 30, the day he picked up his daughters for a court-ordered visitation. The girls were reported missing later that day, and their bodies were found two days later near his truck. Investigators say they’ve recovered significant physical evidence — including plastic bags and zip ties containing Decker’s DNA — linking him to the crime.
Authorities also noted that two of the girls had two plastic bags over their heads, while the third had three. DNA belonging to all three girls was also found on the items.
Despite exhaustive searches — including recent efforts near Blewett Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, and the Enchantments — Decker has evaded capture. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
“This is a beautiful area in which a heinous crime occurred. We are here to seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia,” said Orth.
Officials urge anyone venturing into the area to remain vigilant and report anything unusual.
“This is not going to go away until Travis is located,” Morrison said. “We will find him in one fashion or another.”
A full timeline of the case can be found here, courtesy of ABC News.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Is Travis Decker Still Alive? Here’s Everything We Know on the Current Investigation
Investigators are back at the crime scene months later, still unsure whether the fugitive father is alive or dead.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 28, 2025 8:30 am ET
LEAVENWORTH, WA — Nearly three months after the bodies of three young sisters were found in a remote Washington forest, authorities have returned to the scene, continuing a manhunt that has gripped the nation.
Travis Decker, a former military service member and the girls’ father, remains missing — and law enforcement officials say they still don’t know if he’s dead or alive.
Decker, 32, is the sole suspect in the suffocation deaths of his daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia. His abandoned truck and the girls’ bodies were discovered on June 2 near the Rock Island Campground in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, prompting a sprawling, multi-agency search effort across Washington’s rugged terrain.
On Monday, the FBI returned to the campground area, leading new search teams through a dense quarter-mile radius. As CBS News first reported, authorities stressed that the renewed effort was not based on any new break in the case.
“Currently, we have no evidence that Travis Decker is alive or dead,” said FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Peter Orth. “You can’t be too thorough in a search like this. It is such incredibly dense vegetation that anybody who walks down one of these trails could walk 10 meters off the trail and no one would ever know they’re there.”
According to KING 5, the Rock Island Campground was closed to the public as teams from the FBI, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies combed the wilderness in what Orth described as a “boots on the ground” operation. Nearly 100 personnel participated, including SWAT officers, intelligence analysts, and electronics specialists. The area is being searched using GPS grid assignments to avoid overlap and ensure complete coverage.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison acknowledged that authorities are prepared for a long search.
“We don’t get frustrated though, we’re not gonna give up,” Morrison told WTVR. “We understand this could take years.”
The FBI believes the area near the crime scene is still significant. According to Morrison, data from similar cases suggests that suspects — dead or alive — are often found within a short distance of where the crime occurred.
KING 5 law enforcement analyst and former King County Sheriff John Urquhart emphasized the urgency of the timing. “They need to do it now,” he said, noting that snow, overgrowth, and wildlife could soon obscure vital evidence.
Travis Decker was last seen on May 30, the day he picked up his daughters for a court-ordered visitation. The girls were reported missing later that day, and their bodies were found two days later near his truck. Investigators say they’ve recovered significant physical evidence — including plastic bags and zip ties containing Decker’s DNA — linking him to the crime.
Authorities also noted that two of the girls had two plastic bags over their heads, while the third had three. DNA belonging to all three girls was also found on the items.
Despite exhaustive searches — including recent efforts near Blewett Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, and the Enchantments — Decker has evaded capture. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
“This is a beautiful area in which a heinous crime occurred. We are here to seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia,” said Orth.
Officials urge anyone venturing into the area to remain vigilant and report anything unusual.
“This is not going to go away until Travis is located,” Morrison said. “We will find him in one fashion or another.”
A full timeline of the case can be found here, courtesy of ABC News.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Is Travis Decker Still Alive? Here’s Everything We Know on the Current Investigation
Investigators are back at the crime scene months later, still unsure whether the fugitive father is alive or dead.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 28, 2025 8:30 am ET
LEAVENWORTH, WA — Nearly three months after the bodies of three young sisters were found in a remote Washington forest, authorities have returned to the scene, continuing a manhunt that has gripped the nation.
Travis Decker, a former military service member and the girls’ father, remains missing — and law enforcement officials say they still don’t know if he’s dead or alive.
Decker, 32, is the sole suspect in the suffocation deaths of his daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia. His abandoned truck and the girls’ bodies were discovered on June 2 near the Rock Island Campground in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, prompting a sprawling, multi-agency search effort across Washington’s rugged terrain.
On Monday, the FBI returned to the campground area, leading new search teams through a dense quarter-mile radius. As CBS News first reported, authorities stressed that the renewed effort was not based on any new break in the case.
“Currently, we have no evidence that Travis Decker is alive or dead,” said FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Peter Orth. “You can’t be too thorough in a search like this. It is such incredibly dense vegetation that anybody who walks down one of these trails could walk 10 meters off the trail and no one would ever know they’re there.”
According to KING 5, the Rock Island Campground was closed to the public as teams from the FBI, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies combed the wilderness in what Orth described as a “boots on the ground” operation. Nearly 100 personnel participated, including SWAT officers, intelligence analysts, and electronics specialists. The area is being searched using GPS grid assignments to avoid overlap and ensure complete coverage.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison acknowledged that authorities are prepared for a long search.
“We don’t get frustrated though, we’re not gonna give up,” Morrison told WTVR. “We understand this could take years.”
The FBI believes the area near the crime scene is still significant. According to Morrison, data from similar cases suggests that suspects — dead or alive — are often found within a short distance of where the crime occurred.
KING 5 law enforcement analyst and former King County Sheriff John Urquhart emphasized the urgency of the timing. “They need to do it now,” he said, noting that snow, overgrowth, and wildlife could soon obscure vital evidence.
Travis Decker was last seen on May 30, the day he picked up his daughters for a court-ordered visitation. The girls were reported missing later that day, and their bodies were found two days later near his truck. Investigators say they’ve recovered significant physical evidence — including plastic bags and zip ties containing Decker’s DNA — linking him to the crime.
Authorities also noted that two of the girls had two plastic bags over their heads, while the third had three. DNA belonging to all three girls was also found on the items.
Despite exhaustive searches — including recent efforts near Blewett Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, and the Enchantments — Decker has evaded capture. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
“This is a beautiful area in which a heinous crime occurred. We are here to seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia,” said Orth.
Officials urge anyone venturing into the area to remain vigilant and report anything unusual.
“This is not going to go away until Travis is located,” Morrison said. “We will find him in one fashion or another.”
A full timeline of the case can be found here, courtesy of ABC News.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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