The search for a Washington man who police say asphyxiated his three daughters continues, even though some believe he may not be alive.
The bodies of Olivia, 5, Evelyn, 8, and Paityn, 9, were discovered on June 2. Police began looking for the girls after they failed to return home with their father, Travis Decker, 32, from a visitation on May 30.
According to police, the girls were asphyxiated. They were discovered near the Rock Island Campground, and since then, a massive manhunt has been launched to locate Decker, a US Army veteran with survivalist skills.
The search had become increasingly concentrated in Kittitas County. The sheriff’s statement on Monday questioned whether Decker was present.
“At this time, there is no definitive evidence that Decker is still alive or in this area. Over the last two weeks of searching, what appeared to be strong early leads gave way to less convincing evidence,” the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We can not and will not give up this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice. And Decker continues to endanger the public as long as he is at large.”
Arianna Cozart, an attorney who represents the girls’ mother Whitney Decker, told PEOPLE via email that she believed Travis Decker was dead.
“[Travis] probably killed himself up there somewhere,” Cozart stated in an email to PEOPLE. “Everybody cares that Travis is found for peace of mind if nothing else.”
Cozart told PEOPLE that the couple divorced in 2022 as Decker’s mental health deteriorated, including “his feelings of isolation, paranoia, and Borderline Personality Disorder.”
“Although Travis was struggling with his own mental health, he was a good co-parent, always communicating frequently with Whitney up until Friday evening, when the girls went missing,” Cozart told PEOPLE, adding that Decker had never physically abused his wife or children.
She also stated that Decker attempted to obtain mental health services from the military but was unsuccessful. Furthermore, as his mental health deteriorated, so did his parenting ability, prompting the court to limit Decker’s time with the girls in 2024.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said it was redeploying some resources to find and recover Decker in case he died in the wilderness during the intense manhunt. The sheriff said they are still deploying extra patrols and that the US Marshals Service is deploying resources in case Decker has left the area.
“We still believe public awareness and help is our best tool—whether it comes from a cabin owner who finds something out of place, a hiker in the Enchantments who discovers evidence our searches missed, or anyone else,” the deputy said.
