Authorities have revealed that they may have spotted the fugitive dad wanted on suspicion of killing his three daughters.
The bodies of Paityn Decker, nine, Evelyn Decker, eight, and Olivia Decker, five, were found on June 2 near Rock Island Campground, following a three-day search.
According to investigators, each girl had zip ties around their wrists and plastic bags over their heads, with an autopsy confirming suffocation as the cause of death. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office ruled the deaths a homicide.
Their father, Travis Decker, 32, had failed to return them to their mother, Whitney Decker, on May 30 after a court-sanctioned visit. Whitney reported them missing immediately. Despite her pleas, no Amber Alert was issued.
When authorities reached the scene, they found the girls’ bodies 75 to 100 yards down an embankment, near Decker’s abandoned 2017 white GMC Sierra. Inside the truck were food, blankets, car seats, a wallet, and two bloody handprints.
Forensic testing also found male DNA and a second blood sample not believed to be human. Decker’s dog was recovered nearby and turned over to the humane society.
Now, after nearly two weeks on the run, authorities say Decker may have been spotted in the Cascade Range.
A tip from hikers who saw a lone man “ill-prepared for the conditions” triggered a massive response near Colchuk Lake, in an area known as The Enchantments, The New York Post reported.
A helicopter team located a hiker off-trail who ran from view as they passed overhead. Tracking teams and K-9 units later followed footprints to Ingalls Creek Trailhead, south of Leavenworth.
No timestamp was given, but by Monday night (June 9), officials had issued an alert to lock homes and vehicles in the surrounding communities.
Authorities believe the suspect's extensive survival training makes him especially difficult to track in this rugged, mountainous terrain.
Decker previously served as a U.S. Army infantryman from 2013 to 2021, with a tour in Afghanistan in 2014, and later joined the Washington National Guard. He is highly trained in navigation, survival, and long-distance travel.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Keegan Stanley wrote in a federal affidavit that Decker once lived off the grid for 2.5 months and frequently engaged in hiking, hunting, and outdoor survival across the region.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said, “He could have scoped out this area before [he] put supplies out there and has the ability and the knowledge to survive for a long period of time.”
Decker’s mental health had been deteriorating, according to a September court filing by Whitney, who warned that he had become increasingly unstable and was living out of his truck. She sought to limit overnight visits until he found stable housing.
Attorney Arianna Cozart, representing Whitney, told CNN that she had “no reason to suspect anything was wrong," per CNN.
Later, she told The Seattle Times: “Something broke inside of Decker, and that he would not have done what he did if he were himself. He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long, as far as trauma, just won out.”
A supervisor at Decker’s construction job told Whitney he had seemed “on the brink of something extreme” on the day he disappeared.
Investigators believe Decker may be trying to escape to Canada. Search warrants for his Google accounts revealed searches like “how does a person move to Canada,” “how to relocate to Canada,” and visits to “Find a job – Canada.ca,” per Daily Mail.
His cellphone also placed him at the campsite the day before the girls were found. The Rock Island Campground is just 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, which leads into Canada.
As of June 8, federal authorities officially took over the manhunt, with the U.S. Marshals Service offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Local teams remain involved behind the scenes.
New images released by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office show Decker with his hair tied back, wearing a tan shirt with the number 59, dark shorts, and flip-flops, while carrying pizza boxes.
Tattoos on both arms and one ankle are visible. He’s described as 5'8", with black hair and brown eyes, and is considered dangerous and possibly armed.
The public is being urged not to approach him. “Please review your doorbell cameras and security cameras for signs of Mr. Decker,” officials advised. “If you are out in the woods, or recreation areas, and come across something you believe would be beneficial for law enforcement, note the time and location and mark the location on your electronics if possible.”