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Travis Decker update: 100 specialists from FBI, other agencies to swarm Washington campground where murders took place
The FBI and other local agencies will conduct a massive grid search near the Rock Island Campground amid a manhunt for triple-murder suspect Travis Decker.
Federal and local authorities are set to swarm the Washington campground where Travis Decker, a triple-murder suspect, allegedly killed his three minor daughters, the New York Post reported. This targeted search will be carried out nearly three months after Decker went missing.
About 100 specialists from the FBI and other local agencies will be conducting the massive grid search near the Rock Island Campground, the FBI’s Seattle office and the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in a news conference. Decker is accused of killing his three daughters – Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5. The three children were found murdered in Washington after being last seen leaving to be with Decker on a "planned visitation.”
Through Wednesday, August 27, the Rock Island Campground and some local roads and trails will be closed to the public. Several groups will be searching the quarter-mile radius around the crime scene, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and local authorities.
Read More | Is Travis Decker the sole suspect in daughters' murders? Chilling new details about crime scene released
At present, there is no evidence suggesting Decker is either dead or alive, Peter Orth, a supervisory senior resident at the FBI Seattle Field Office, said. The area around the crime scene was initially searched. However, this time, several federal and local officials specializing in grid searches and armed with sniffing dogs and electronics will again search the “thick and dense” area with “vast dirt roads” and minimal cell service, Orth said.
‘We’re not going to give up’
The latest search will let authorities to document the crime scene just in case Decker is not located for some time. Authorities are also concerned that the rugged terrain and natural elements may have “eroded” evidence.
“We understand the girls would not want us to give up,” Chelan County Sheriff Michael Morrison told reporters. “We don’t get frustrated, we’re not going to give up, we understand this could take years, and we’ll be here. If it’s not me wearing this uniform, it’ll be another Chelan County Sheriff’s Deputy, another FBI agent, another marshal. This is not going to go away until Travis is located.”
Morrison promised that the search for the alleged killer will not be rushed. He also assured that the grid search is not going to be deterred by the upcoming Labor Day Weekend if authorities believe they need more time.
“This case is a priority to the FBI, that is why were are here today. This is a beautiful area in which a heinous crime occurred,” Orth said. “We are here to seek justice for Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia. We are here to get answers for their family, friends, and the community, and we are here to hopefully provide some sense of closure.”
