Authorities hunting for Travis Decker, the fugitive Washington father accused of murdering his three young daughters, believe he may be dead — with cops now bringing in cadaver dogs in the search effort.
Decker, 32, a military veteran, has been on the run since last month after the bodies of his three daughters Evelyn, 8, Olivia, 5, and Paityn, 9, were found with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties around their wrists near their father’s abandoned pickup truck.
“At this time, there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area,” Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Monday night.
“Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs 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,” the statement continued.
Authorities are continuing to search for Decker throughout Blewett Pass, Lauderdale, Liberty and Teenaway Valley, the sheriff’s office added.
Cadaver dogs are now being used by teams in neighboring Chelan County as the search for Decker enters its fourth week, Sheriff Mike Morrison said on Monday.
“(U.S.) Marshals are following up on leads and we continue to conduct joint operations with (nearby) Kittitas County,” Morrison told USA TODAY. “Additional air operations will take place over the next couple of days, inserting specialized search teams into more inaccessible areas.”
A cadaver dog will be deployed this week, Sheriff Morrison added.
“Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search,” the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said in its statement, adding that it is “a possibility that increases every day.”
The update comes after the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, spoke publicly about the loss of her children for the first time last week.
“I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives on in everyone’s heart forever,” she said at a June 20 memorial service. “They were incredible.”