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The cause of death for Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5—three sisters found dead near a Washington campground—has been determined as homicidal suffocation.
Manhunt Underway for Dad of 3 Missing Daughters Found Dead in Washington State
A cause of death has been determined for three young sisters found dead near a Washington campground.
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, died from suffocation, according to June 9 press release from the Chelan County Sheriff's Office. Their manner of death has been ruled as homicide following an autopsy on June 6.
Authorities were first alerted to the missing girls on May 30, when their mom filed a civil complaint saying that they had not returned home after a planned visitation with their dad, per the CCSO.
On June 2, deputies located the sisters' bodies in a pickup truck belonging to their father, Travis Decker, parked near Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, Wash. Though investigators "collected a large amount of evidence," including Travis' personal belongings from the vehicle, they could not locate the 32-year-old at the scene, according to CCSO.
Travis remains missing and is wanted on first-degree charges of murder and kidnapping.
Having been trained with the military, Travis is "well versed in wilderness survival and capable of spending days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little equipment," per authorities.
Wenatchee Police Department
"It is unknown whether Decker is currently armed," the CCSO shared in a June 4 statement, "but he may pose a significant risk, if approached."
Travis is described as a 5'8" man with black hair and brown eyes. According to the CCSO, he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
Wenatchee Police Department
In a June 6 affidavit obtained by NBC News affiliate KNDO, U.S. Deputy Marshal Keegan Stanley said Travis made suspicious searches on his Google account prior to his disappearance, including "'how does a person move to canada,’ 'how to relocate to canada,’ 'jobs canada' and 'jobs canada.’”
The affidavit noted that the location where his daughters' bodies were found is roughly 11 miles overland from the Pacific Crest Trail, which joins the U.S. to Canada and Mexico.
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