Three young sisters have been found dead in Washington state after a tense weekend of searching.
The sisters – Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5 – failed to return from a “planned visitation” with their father on Friday, sparking a police canvass involving local detectives, federal officers and a Homeland Security helicopter in Chelan County, Washington.
Authorities found their bodies near their father’s car on Monday at 3:45 p.m. around the Rock Island State Park campground in western Washington. The girls’ father, 32-year-old Travis Decker, remains missing and is wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping, the Wenatchee Police Department said in a press release.
Police have determined that the likely cause of death was asphyxiation after the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and their hands zip-tied, The New York Times reported.
Authorities have asked the public for information but cautioned people against contacting or approaching Decker due to safety concerns. Decker is a former member of the military with extensive training, and it’s not clear if he’s armed, they warned. He was described as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, and he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
