Travis Decker Manhunt Intensifies as FBI Shuts Down Campsite, Returns to Area Where His 3 Daughters Were Murdered

Travis Decker has been on the run for nearly three months following the alleged murders of his three daughters, and authorities still have no evidence indicating whether he is alive or deceased.

The manhunt for the fugitive father continues, with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation returning to the crime scene this week to conduct further investigations.

According to an order from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, Wash., will remain closed to the public through Wednesday, Aug. 27.

This is the location where Decker took his daughters after the court approved a custody visit on May 30. When he failed to return the girls by 8 p.m., as required, their mother, Whitney Decker, reported them missing.

Authorities later discovered the bodies of Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 2, on June 2. Each girl had plastic bags over her head, and several cable ties were found nearby.

The girls were only discovered after a search party member came across Decker’s truck, which contained his wallet and cellphone. Decker’s dog was also found wandering near the scene, unharmed.

A medical examiner determined that all three sisters died from asphyxiation, and their deaths were ruled homicides. Authorities also confirmed that the only DNA recovered at the scene belonged to Decker and the three girls.

The area closures cover a four-mile radius around the crime scene in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

The search effort is a multi-agency operation that includes the FBI, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, Washington State Department of Corrections, Washington State Patrol, Wenatchee Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force.

If captured, Decker faces three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. The U.S. Marshals have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Decker, 32, is a former military member with advanced tactical training, making him capable of surviving in the wilderness for extended periods. Authorities suspect he may have fled to Canada based on internet searches before his disappearance, and while there have been two reported sightings of men thought to be Decker, both were later dismissed by investigators.

Decker and his wife divorced in 2023. At that time, she petitioned the court for sole custody of their daughters, citing his mental health struggles. Court documents obtained by PEOPLE show that Decker was granted three hours of visitation every Friday and an additional eight hours every other weekend.

Prior to this tragedy, his ex-wife’s lawyer told ABC News that there were no warning signs or red flags regarding his behavior.