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WENATCHEE, Wash. - Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison sat down with FOX 13 Seattle Anchor David Rose to look back at the largest manhunt in Chelan County history ahead of the one-year mark of the disappearance and murder of three young sisters.
The disappearance, discovery
Timeline:
On May 30 of last year, Wenatchee police received a civil complaint when Travis Decker failed to return his three daughters, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn and 5-year-old Olivia Decker, from a scheduled visitation. Investigators discovered that Decker was living out of his white GMC pickup truck.
Olivia Evelyn and Paityn Decker (Top) and Travis Decker and his truck, which was traced to the campground where the girls' bodies were found in June (Bottom)
Local police requested an Amber Alert from the Washington State Patrol but were denied because the case did not meet the state's specific criteria. Because Decker had parental visitation rights and was not believed to be an imminent danger to the children at that time, authorities issued an Endangered Missing Person Alert the following day instead.
Three days after the initial report, on June 2 2025, a Chelan County deputy discovered Decker's abandoned truck near the Rock Island Campground, located about 17 miles from Leavenworth. Nearby, searchers found the bodies of the three sisters.
The medical examiner later ruled that the girls died from asphyxiation, and Decker was charged with their murders.
What we don't know:
While authorities know how the girls died, officials still do not know exactly when the children were killed or if an Amber Alert would have altered the tragic timeline. The girls' mother, Whitney Decker, and her attorney have publicly argued that the system failed them during the critical first 48 hours of the investigation.
US Marshals Special Operations Group in the hunt for Travis Decker. (U.S. Marshals Service)
The widespread manhunt, backcountry discovery
What we know:
Following the discovery of the children, a massive four-month manhunt stretched across Washington state and into Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest. The operation drew resources from the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Border Patrol, National Guard and numerous county law enforcement agencies.
In September 2025, investigators discovered Decker's partial remains in the steep backcountry, about three-quarters of a mile away from the original crime scene.
Sheriff Morrison defended his team against public criticism regarding the length of the search, noting that the terrain was exceptionally brutal, featuring no established trails. The conditions were so severe that experienced detectives required two hours just to travel half a mile.
The total cost of the massive multi-agency search is estimated at $10 million. However, Chelan County itself spent just under $200,000, as partner agencies did not bill the county for their assistance.
What we don't know:
Because Decker's partial remains were found in the woods, and he died before facing a courtroom, authorities cannot confirm his exact cause of death or his specific movements during those four months on the run.
A community still healing
What we know:
Sheriff Morrison noted that the investigation has left lasting emotional scars on the first responders who processed the scene, with some deputies requiring trauma treatment and PTSD support services. Despite the trauma, Morrison expressed pride in how the close-knit community came together rather than breaking apart.
The family of the girls continues to grieve and has requested peace and quiet, specifically asking that no major public events take place to mark the upcoming anniversary. Morrison recently met with the girls' grandfather and commended the family for their continued willingness to assist law enforcement while navigating their immense personal grief.
What we don't know:
At this time, the central question of motivation still remains unanswered.
Sheriff Morrison acknowledged that without a trial, the public will never truly know what drove a man previously described as a caring, involved father to murder his own children.
Paityn, 9 (left), Evelyn, 8 (middle), Olivia, 5 (right)
The Source: FOX 13's David Rose conducted an in-depth interview with Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison. Additional information came from archived case files, official statements from the Wenatchee Police Department and Washington State Patrol and legal records detailing the murder charges filed in Chelan County used in original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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