Authorities conduct grid search, prepare for years-long investigation to find Travis Decker

Authorities are prepared to search for years to find Travis Decker—the fugitive who has been the center of a months-long, nationwide manhunt.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Monday, revealing that the FBI is now leading a major search effort near Leavenworth for Decker.

Peter Orth, spokesperson for the FBI Seattle Field Office, said authorities are conducting a detailed grid search in an area that spans about a quarter mile around the campsite, where the bodies of Decker’s three young daughters were found.

“Today, there are nearly 100 FBI and partner agencies personnel on the ground to participate in this search operation. We have specialty teams from the federal government and local partner agencies all deployed here today and tomorrow for this operation,” Orth said.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said federal, state, and local agencies are combing rugged terrain near the scene of the crime at Rock Island Campground.

“We’re going about a quarter-mile radius around the campsite. If we need to expand out further, we will. Based off investigations and follow-up we’ve done with the U.S. Marshals office looking into similar cases, we found that historically and typically, the youth found the homicide suspect and those responsible within a quarter mile of the scene either alive or deceased,” Morrison said.

Morrison said they want to lay the groundwork for future detectives.

“We want to support and provide a solid foundation for our investigation and what areas we have searched, for future investigators, when they come on scene, if we haven’t settled this, or found Travis in the next couple of years,” he explained.

Morrison made it clear that law enforcement is not giving up.

“We will not relent,” he said. “We will not give up until this investigation is concluded and that Travis is accounted for and/or taken into custody.”

Campgrounds, trails closed during search for Travis Decker 

Several campgrounds, roads, and trails are closed during the search around the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The area where the closures will begin is approximately four miles east of the site of the murders.

The three-day campground closures will include the Rock Island, Blackpine Horse, and Chatter Creek campgrounds.

Trailhead closures include the Jack Pine, Icicle Gorge, Icicle Gorge Upper Loop, and Icicle Gorge Upper Loop Tie trailheads.

The closures will last until 6 a.m. Wednesday, and will include forest service roads in the upper Icicle Road area, at the Ida Creek Campground. The Ida Creek campground will remain open.

Chelan County Sheriff dispels rumors of second suspect 

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison recently unveiled crime scene details and information about a new tip that came into his office about a possible sighting of Decker.

The news came just days after Chelan investigators issued a press release that said DNA found on the murder weapons at a remote campsite 18 miles east of Leavenworth, including multiple plastic bags, matched Decker. The release also said DNA found on cable ties used to tie the hands of Decker’s daughters, Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker, matched the fugitive and nobody else.

In a one-on-one interview with KIRO Newsradio, Morrison double-downed on that information to dispel rumors that a second suspect may have also been at the crime scene with Decker at the time of the girls’ deaths or helped him leave the crime scene.

“There was no reason to believe that anyone else was at the crime scene except Travis, Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia, and, of course, the dog. So, we’re going to continue to go based off what we found in the evidence,” Morrison said. “If people do have information, they believe someone else was possibly there or did something, we’d love to see it. We’d love to hear it. So far, it’s been a lot of talk, and nothing has substance behind it. So, Travis is still our suspect. We have probable cause for his arrest, and we look forward to the opportunity to have him standing in front of our courts, or to recover what remains of him.”

During the interview, Morrison gave credit to partnering county law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Marshals and other federal agencies, and Washington State Patrol and Washington State Crime Lab, that’s been working overtime, he said, to test and turn around multiple DNA samples collected at the campground.

Blood found on pickup truck matched Travis Decker

Weeks ago, investigators revealed blood found on Decker’s pickup truck at the crime scene matched Decker. KIRO Newsradio asked whether that blood was from a cut on Decker’s hand after, perhaps, Decker’s dog bit him during the alleged attack.

While Morrison didn’t answer that question directly, he said, “We have some other items of evidence, and again, we’re going to keep those more secure and ready to go to court that would show a possibility of how Travis may have left blood behind.”

When pressed on the question, Morrison replied, “There are so many other pieces of evidence that we’re not going to share publicly. We feel very confident that we’re on the right path. All of our work points to one person, and there is nothing that has come up so far that is showing anyone else was there, anyone else was on scene.”

Investigators said days after the murders, Decker’s dog was rescued and taken to an area humane society.

Travis Decker’s daughters found dead

Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker were found dead on June 2, days after being reported missing during a planned visitation with their dad. Weeks later, Travis Decker was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping.

Multiple tips have led deputies, tactical SWAT teams, and federal rapid response teams on a whirlwind of searches from the Enchantment mountain range in Chelan County to the Teanaway Valley in neighboring Kittitas County, and just last week on a trail near Snoqualmie Pass.

However, while Morrison has said, in all of those searches, investigators found no signs of Decker, dead or alive, he has never given up searching for the fugitive.

Travis Decker sighting in Canada

In his interview, Morrison shared that his deputies received a fresh tip Thursday morning about a possible Decker sighting in Canada. He said his detectives were looking into it now.

“It’s, again, attentive citizens up there in Canada, which we appreciate, being aware of this case and keeping an eye out on the story and information on a possible suspect,” Morrison said. “We’re following up where we can, and we appreciate those agencies that are willing to help us out, and in doing that, just based off the geographical spread at times that we have for follow-up on these tips.”

Morrison said the memory of the three girls who lost their lives is what will continue to keep them on a track to find Decker, bring him to justice, and bring closure to the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, and their extended family.

“I can make it very clear, we have not given up, we will not give up, and we’ll continue to pursue and do what we can to follow up on leads where appropriate and ensure that we did the best work possible to bring closure of this and be a strong voice for Paityn, Evelyn, Olivia, and hopefully bring some closure for the family as well when the time comes,” Morrison said, before explaining he’s confident Decker will make a mistake that will lead to his arrest. “I said it before. We don’t rest. And if Travis is still alive, he’s going to have to be perfect every single day.”

There is currently a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Decker’s arrest. Tips can be submitted on the U.S. Marshals’ website.

This story was originally published on August 21, 2205. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Tom Brock and Heather Bosch, KIRO Newsradio

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