The sheriff's office leading the search, which has covered hundreds of square miles, said the department reached the point “where we need to rest our local resources.”

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday it has handed over the search for Travis Decker to federal authorities, even as sheriff’s detectives continue to lead the investigation into the killings of Decker’s three young daughters.

The bodies of Paityn, Olivia and Evelyn Decker, ages 9, 5, and 8, were found a week ago near an abandoned campsite outside Leavenworth.