Travis Decker’s Dog Found as Authorities Test Blood Samples Taken from Pickup Truck

Travis Decker’s dog has been found as authorities continue to search for the man accused of killing his three daughters.

Decker, 32, is suspected of killing Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, whose bodies were found on June 2 near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash., PEOPLE previously reported, citing authorities. The grim discovery was made three days after the girls were last seen with their father during a planned visitation.

He is currently wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping, on top of custodial interference charges.

Though Decker was not at the crime scene, authorities did find his pickup truck with a “large amount of evidence” inside, including his personal items, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release shared with PEOPLE on Monday, June 9. Investigators have also since found his dog.

“The suspect’s dog was recovered and turned over to the Humane Society for safe care,” the CCSO 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.”

Per the press release, an autopsy determined the girls died by suffocation and their deaths were ruled as homicides.

As of 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, June 8, the CCSO handed over the search efforts for Travis to federal authorities but noted they are still leading the criminal investigation.   

“We had reached a point where we need to rest our local resources. Our command staff continues to be engaged with the search command while we give our teams time off to rest and recuperate and be ready to rejoin the search for, and capture of, the suspect,” the release states.

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Authorities have asked the public to come forward with any information about Decker’s whereabouts and have shared several photos of him. He is 5’8″ with black hair and brown eyes, and authorities have described him as posing “a significant risk if approached” due to his prior military experience.

An attorney for the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, told PEOPLE on Friday, June 6 that she believes Decker died by suicide. “Everybody cares that Travis is found for peace of mind if nothing else,” Arianna Cozart noted.

According to Cozart, “Travis was a present and active father up until the end” but was dealing with “mental health struggles that put a strain on the marriage” between him and Whitney.

Authorities are asking anyone who has seen Travis to call 911 immediately. People can also call the CCSO tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit information to the tip line online.