FBI gives update on chilling discovery in search for dad accused of killing three daughters
The FBI has issued an update on a discovery made in the ongoing for search for dad Travis Decker, who has been accused of killing his three daughters after they were found dead.
Decker is a prime suspect in the murders of Olivia, five, Evelyn, eight, and Paityn, nine, after he failed to return them to their mom's house from a planned visit in late May.
On June 2, the bodies of the three girls were found at the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, with Decker nowhere to be found.
Authorities in Washington have been searching for the father ever since, and on August 29 the FBI announced it had conducted a detailed search spanning 250 acres around the campsite.
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"We not only accomplished our goal of covering the entire area intended for this operation, but we also searched beyond the primary search perimeter. The electronic mapping of this search effort is being provided to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office and our federal partners," the FBI said.
The agency initially announced that some of the items found in the search included bones, though it was 'inconclusive' at the time as to whether they were animal or human.
In a new update released on September 3, W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office, announced that new information had since come to light about the discovery.
He said: "On August 25 and 26, FBI Seattle and partners participated in a two-day grid search operation within the vicinity of the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth, Washington.
"During the search, personnel recovered multiple bones, including those that required additional examination to determine if they were animal or human. Central Washington University has reviewed the bones and assessed that they are not human."
Herrington went on to admit that the investigators 'do not anticipate further updates related to this specific search', but he assured that the investigation is still ongoing.
"This extensive search was just one step in a three-month process by a variety of agencies to locate Travis Decker, discover signs of his whereabouts, or find any other evidence of the murder of his three daughters," Herrington said.
"In two days, the search team cleared almost 250 acres by carefully covering rough terrain on foot, and further efforts can build on the knowledge we gained through the electronic mapping of the area.
"FBI Seattle is committed to our continued collaboration with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other partners to locate Decker and are committed to bringing every available FBI resource that will advance this case for as long as it takes."
Herrington added that any updates on the case will be shared 'as soon as [investigators] are able'.
The US Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for any information that leads to Decker's arrest, but members of the public are reminded that he is 'considered armed and dangerous'.
"If you see Travis Decker, please call 911 immediately and do not attempt to contact or approach him," the FBI says.
Anyone with information about the father's whereabouts is urged to contact the nearest US Marshals office, the US Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips at usmarshals.gov/tips.
Emily Brown