Memorials grow as Travis Decker’s manhunt intensifies
The memorial to three young girls murdered in Chelan County grows as their father, Travis Decker’s manhunt grows on the fifth day.
Fox – Seattle
The man believed to be Travis Decker, a man who wanted the death of his three daughters, was found remotely in Washington, authorities said on September 18.
The body was found in an area south of Leavenworth, a village in the Cascade Mountains in central Washington, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. Several law enforcement agencies were involved in the search, including the former US S Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Border Patrol, the Forest Service and the Washington State Patrol.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that it is currently handling the scene, with the support of the Washington State Patrol’s crime scene response team. The Sheriff’s Office will perform DNA analysis after the scene has been processed.
“While no positive identification has been confirmed, the preliminary findings suggest that the body belongs to Travis Decker,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, adding that more information will be revealed after further investigation and forensic testing.
The discovery of the human body follows a search for Decker, who was 32 years old when he disappeared, for over three months. He was sought for first-degree murder and accusations of temptation in connection with the death of Paichin Decker. Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, of Wenatchee, of Chelan County, about 150 miles east of Seattle.
What happened to Decker’s kids?
The bodies of three Decker’s children were found days after their mother was reported missing on May 30th.
On June 2, the sheriff’s aide spotted an open truck near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, about 148 miles east of Seattle, about 3:45pm local time. According to an affidavit obtained by USA Today, officers quickly found the missing girl’s body down the small bank.
Authorities said the girl’s body was about 75 to 100 yards away from her father’s vacant car near the Rock Island campground. The girls died as a result of murder from asphyxiation, a preliminary report from the inspector said.
Their bodies were found on evidence that their hands were zipped near their father’s truck, as court documents obtained by USA Today showed, with plastic bags above their heads and their hands zipped near their father’s truck. Decker was found nowhere on the scene, and a search for his cell phone revealed that he had visited the same campsite the day before the invitation, according to court documents.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison previously said Decker may have used his extensive military and outdoor survival training to scope out his hidden spot before he left the grid. Investigators said Decker had demonstrated mental health issues prior to the girl’s murder.
Travis Decker Month Search
During the months of manhunt, federal and state agencies searched hundreds of square miles, looking at remote areas and mountainous regions. The search was carried over by former US S-Service, who deployed personnel and oversaw interviews and evaluations.
Authorities say Decker was last alive on May 30 with his three daughters. Morrison previously told USA Today that the decline in hints prevented searching, suggesting that Decker might be dead.
In late August, the FBI said it was working to determine whether recently discovered bones around the Rock Island campground belong to Decker. The agency later confirmed on September 3rd that the body was not human.
At the time, W. Mike Herrington, a special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattlefield office, was called “a broad search,” and one step in the three-month process.”
“In two days, the search team will clear almost 250 acres by carefully covering rough terrain on foot, and the effort can be built on knowledge gained through electronic mapping in the area,” Herrington said.
Contributors: Natalie Nesa Aland, Anthony Robredo, Janine Sancic, USA Today
