HAUNTING details have emerged about the campground crime scene where three young girls were found murdered.
Travis Decker, 32, left his dog behind when he went on the run after allegedly killing his daughters on a planned custody visit.
Chelan County Sheriff’s OfficeTravis Decker, 32, who is accused of killing his three daughters[/caption]
The Decker Family/KXLYPaityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker were found dead on June 2[/caption]
Chelan County Sheriff’s OfficeDecker, 32, is a former member of the military who has extensive survival skills[/caption]
The official cause of death for Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, was confirmed to be suffocation in their autopsies, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
They were found at a campground in Washington state on June 2. The girls had plastic bags over their heads and their wrists were zip-tied, cops said.
Decker still hasn’t been found as the manhunt for the suspect has now lasted for over a week.
Police released new details about the case to the public on Monday as they announced they’re handing the search over to the federal authorities.
A man’s blood was found at the crime scene, along with animal blood, cops said.
Officials also said they found Decker’s dog.
“The suspect’s dog was recovered and turned over to the humane society for safe care,” the CCSO said.
It’s unclear where the dog was located.
Police didn’t say whether the non-human blood found at the scene belonged to the pet.
Officials previously said in court documents that they found “two hand prints of blood” on the tailgate of Decker’s truck, which was also recovered at the campground.
Chelan County Sheriff’s Office’s statement
The Chelan County Sheirff’s Office shared the following update in the search for Travis Decker on June 9, 2025:
Crime scene evidence begins to shed more information with hundreds of square miles searched by land, water, and air; search operations have been handed over to federal authorities.
Our investigators have begun to receive more analysis information back from evidence found at the crime scene. While this does assist in the investigation and later prosecution, it also creates more questions and information for investigators to continue to pursue.
We have collected a large amount of evidence, many of the suspect’s personal items, from the truck recovered on scene. The suspect’s dog was recovered and turned over to the humane society for safe care. Blood samples taken from the scene have come back positive for belonging to a male, and another was not human blood. Further DNA and fingerprint analyses are still being conducted.
An autopsy was completed on Friday by the medical examiner. The cause of death was determined to be suffocation and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.
As of approximately 1800 hours last night, CCSO handed over command for search operations to federal authorities. We had reached a point where we need to rest our local resources. Our command staff continues to be engaged with the search command while we give our teams time off to rest and recuperate and be ready to rejoin the search for, and capture of, the suspect.
CCSO remains in command of the criminal investigation. Should our investigation lead to more information regarding the suspect’s location, search teams will be notified.
Lastly, we understand the frustration many citizens have in not having all of the details of this investigation. During any criminal investigation, including this one, there is law enforcement sensitive information that is not shared with the public in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. We appreciate the public’s patience, understanding and cooperation during this complex and emotional investigation.
Source: CCSO
It’s unclear if the handprints were Decker’s, or if the blood samples collected belonged to him.
“We have collected a large amount of evidence, many of the suspect’s personal items, from the truck recovered on scene,” cops said.
Authorities said they’re still testing DNA and fingerprints from the scene.
“Our investigators have begun to receive more analysis information back from evidence found at the crime scene,” CCSO said.
“While this does assist in the investigation and later prosecution, it also creates more questions and information for investigators to continue to pursue.”
DOG REFERENCED IN COURT DOCS
Decker’s dog has been mentioned in court documents before.
The veteran was homeless in the months before the alleged killings, living out of his truck and motel rooms.
His ex-wife, Whitney Decker, said his housing and financial instability led him to consider getting rid of the dog.
She told investigators how important his pet was to him in questioning after she reported her daughters missing.
Whitney called police on May 30 when Decker didn’t return them on time after what was supposed to be a three-hour custody visit. The girls were found dead three days later.
Before their bodies were found, Whitney told cops that Decker’s daughters and his dog “are the two big positives in his life,” she said, according to a police affidavit.
Whitney and Decker were married for seven years before divorcing in 2022, and she told cops he’s been mentally unstable since their divorce.
Facebook/Whitney DeckerOlivia, Evelyn, and Paityn Decker with their mom Whitney Decker[/caption]
Olivia, Evelyn, and Paityn Decker died of suffocation, cops saidFacebook
The girls’ mom told cops Decker has PTSD from his time in the military, as well as diagnosed borderline personality disorder.
In September 2024, Whitney submitted a filing so that the girls could no longer stay with their dad due to his homelessness and mental instability.
The dog came up in those court documents again as she mentioned the girls were often scared when he disciplined his pet on their visits to him.
It’s unclear how Decker disciplined his dog.
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
Monday, May 26
Travis Decker searches online for “how does a person move to Canada,” a Canadian job website, and “how does a person move to Canada.”
Thursday, May 29
Decker’s cell activity shows that he drove to and from the Rock Island Campground.
Friday, May 30
5 pm – The three girls are picked up from their mom’s house by their dad.
8 pm – Decker is supposed to return the girls but doesn’t. Their mom’s calls to him go straight to voicemail.
9:45 pm – Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing.
Decker’s truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn’t match their criteria.
Saturday, May 31
WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
Monday, June 2
3:45 pm – Decker’s truck is found empty with bloody adult-sized hand prints at Rock Island Campground.
5 pm – Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
Tuesday, June 3
9:30 am – WPD notifies the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm – WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Decker is still on the loose.
Friday, June 6
The girls’ autopsy report confirms that they died by suffocation.
Sunday, June 8
6 pm – Chelan County Sheriff’s Office hands the search for Decker to the federal authorities.
Authorities have searched hundreds of square miles around Washington state so far as the manhunt for Decker continues.
Federal authorities are now leading the search as cops previously warned he has extensive military skills due to his years in the Army and the Washington National Guard.
Decker has previously survived for two and a half months in the wilderness alone, leading cops to believe he can stay hidden outside for weeks.
Chelan County Sheriff’s OfficeDecker has tattoos on his arms and ankle[/caption]
Chelan County Sheriff’s OfficeCops released surveillance footage of Decker showing his most recent appearance[/caption]
Facebook/chelancountysheriffsofficeDecker is believed to be wearing a light shirt and dark shorts[/caption]
He’s believed to be hiding near the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes through Canada.
It comes as cops revealed Decker searched “how to relocate to Canada” days before the alleged killing.
Police recently shared new pictures of Decker showing his tattoos and hair, which is kept in a ponytail.
He’s believed to be wearing a light top and dark
Anyone who sees the suspect is asked to immediately call 911 and not approach Decker as he could be dangerous.
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