Washington authorities say there is “no certain” evidence that the father accused of killing his three young daughters is alive or in the area three weeks after the girls’ bodies were discovered.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday that after investigating “dozens and dozens and dozens of potential sightings, tips, and leads provided by the public,” officials have failed to locate 32-year-old Travis Decker.
“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 proofs over the last two weeks of searching,” the sheriff’s office said. “Still, we can’t and won’t quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice.”
The sheriff’s office added that it will continue to investigate leads and tips from the public and that “some resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness.”
Evelyn, 8, Paityn, 9, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead on June 2, several days after their mother reported them missing.
Court documents state that the sisters were found zip-tied with plastic bags over their heads near a campground in a remote part of Washington, roughly 130 miles east of Seattle.
The discovery prompted a manhunt for the girls’ father, Travis Decker. He, who was supposed to return the girls to his ex-wife, the girls’ mother, that week, according to authorities, is now wanted on first-degree murder charges in connection with the killings.
The girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, spoke publicly about her daughters’ killings for the first time on Friday.
“They were incredible,” she told a crowd of thousands of mourners, according to NBC affiliate KING-TV. “I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives in everyone’s heart.”
Travis Decker was previously court-ordered to seek mental health treatment and domestic violence anger management counseling, but refused, according to court documents. The documents also reveal that he declined to sign a parenting plan imposed by the court.
Authorities said that the suspect “remains a danger to the public as long as he’s at large” and that, according to his relatives, he has the skills to survive outdoors for long stretches of time.
Todd Miyazawa contributed.
