Police in Washington found male blood at the campsite and murder scene of three little girls. Meanwhile, a search for the girl's father - the primary suspect in their deaths - continues in the surrounding wilderness.
Travis Decker, 32, is believed by authorities to have killed his daughters during a visitation with them. The girl's mother called the police on May 30 when Decker did not return with the children.
Police launched a search and the girls, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia, were found dead on June 2 near Rock Island Campground by Icicle Road in the vicinity of Decker's vehicle. Decker, an army veteran with survivalist skills, was nowhere to be found.
Since their discovery, an arrest warrant has been issued for Decker, and a massive manhunt has been launched in the wilderness surrounding the camp area.
"We have collected a large amount of evidence, many of the suspect's personal items, from the truck recovered on scene. The suspect's dog was recovered and turned over to the humane society for safe care," the Chelan County Sheriff's office said. "Blood samples taken from the scene have come back positive for belonging to a male, and another was not human blood. Further DNA and fingerprint analyses are still being conducted."
The murders have shocked the community of Wenatchee. This week flags were lowered to half-mast in the community and a townhall was scheduled focused on navigating grief and death, with an emphasis on how to talk to children about such topics.
An autopsy confirmed that the girls were suffocated.
"We understand the frustration many citizens have in not having all of the details of this investigation. During any criminal investigation, including this one, there is law enforcement sensitive information that is not shared with the public in order to protect the integrity of the investigation," police said.
