Nearly three months into the investigation of the murders of three young girls in Washington state, the FBI is leading a new search for clues in hopes of finding the girls' father and suspect in their killings, Travis Decker, the local sheriff said Monday.
The search is taking place near Rock Island Campground outside of Leavenworth, Washington, where the bodies of the girls and Decker's truck were found on June 2. Chelan County Sheriff Michael Morrison described the search area as "rugged and heavily forested terrain."
"The areas being searched are extremely challenging with steep hillsides, dense brush, minimal cell service, and unpredictable conditions," he said in a statement.
The search for Decker so far has not produced conclusive evidence to indicate if he is alive or dead, the sheriff said.
DNA testing confirmed earlier this month that Decker, a former Army soldier, is the sole suspect in the murders of 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn and 5-year-old Olivia. He has been wanted since he failed to return them to their mother on time after a planned visitation, prompting her to call police.
The FBI's search is expected to last through Tuesday, the sheriff said. It will include nearly 100 personnel, including special agents, intelligence analysts and experts from the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group, he said.
"These resources demonstrate the seriousness with which every agency is approaching this case," Morrison said.
"You can't be too thorough in a search like this," Peter Orth, the FBI's supervisory senior resident agent in Yakima, told CBS affiliate KIRO-TV. "It is such incredibly dense vegetation that anybody who walks down one of these trails could walk 10 meters off the trail and no one would ever know they're there."
Morrison thanked the public for its cooperation as the search has closed roads, trails and campgrounds. He also acknowledged the pain this case has caused.
"Please know that your sheriff's office and every agency involved has been and remains committed to doing everything in our power to find the person responsible and to deliver justice for Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia," he said.
A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to Decker's arrest.
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