Travis Decker manhunt continues amid possibility he may be dead

(The Center Square) – It has been 25 days since Travis Decker picked up his three young daughters for an afternoon visit, then allegedly ended their lives by asphyxiation near a campground in Chelan County.

Since then, dozens of agencies and organizations have searched a wide swath of backcountry, forest, and hiking trails through Chelan and Kittitas counties, hoping to bring Decker to justice.

Decker, 32, has been charged with kidnapping and killing his daughters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn. The girls’ bodies were found at the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth on June 2.

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release Monday on Facebook indicating the focus of the manhunt is shifting: “At this time, there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area. Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proof over the last two weeks of searching. 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.”

KCSO Inspector Chris Whitsett confirmed cadaver dogs are being used.

"Yes, cadaver dogs are part of the search, but they have been used earlier in the search, which is not unusual in a case like this where we knew there was a possibility early on that the suspect could have taken his own life," he said.

About 800 people gathered at Rocky Reach Dam Park on Friday to honor the girls. Their mother, Whitney Decker, spoke publicly for the first time since the loss of her daughters.

“I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives on in everyone’s hearts forever,” she said, sharing that after her divorce, she would have the girls talk about three emotions they felt each day. “Even when I tried to avoid sharing my feelings, which is so easy to do as adults, one of the girls would always say, ‘Wait, Mom, you didn’t tell us what yours were,’ and they’d make me tell them what my three feelings were.”

In a video of the memorial service posted to YouTube by NCWLife Channel, the grieving mother said she hoped those attending the memorial service would attempt to include some version of sharing daily feelings with their loved ones to honor her girls’ lives.

Law enforcement is still asking the public to be alert and to report anything unusual related to the search for Travis Decker.

“We are still asking for and will continue to investigate leads and tips from the public,” KCSO said in its news release. “We remain prepared to deploy our own resources and call on our partners in this search if new evidence points to Decker’s whereabouts. Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search – a possibility that increases every day.

“We still believe public awareness and help is our best tool – whether it comes from a cabin owner who finds something out of place, a hiker in the Enchantments who discovers evidence our searches missed, or anyone else … please continue to be vigilant and aware of anything suspicious and please keep alerting us to what you see by calling Kittcom at 509-925-8534.”