A woman in Idaho believes she spotted Travis Decker - the father accused of murdering his three young daughters in Washington - weeks before authorities shifted the manhunt to Idaho, but says her tip was initially dismissed.
The Manhunt for Travis Decker
Travis Decker, 32, has been on the run since June 2, when the bodies of his daughters -Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5 - were found suffocated at Rock Island Campground outside Wenatchee, Washington, near his abandoned truck.
According to court documents, each child had a plastic bag over her head and wrists zip-tied, with autopsies confirming suffocation as the cause of death, and the deaths were ruled homicides.
Decker had picked the girls up from their mother, Whitney Decker, on May 30 for a court-ordered visitation but failed to return them, prompting Whitney to report them missing that evening.
Concerns had been raised about Decker’s mental health issues, PTSD from military service, and a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder he was reportedly not treating, according to an affidavit and ABC News.
“He Seemed Out of Place”
Jennifer Rice, of Idaho City, told KIVI-TV that on June 18, she saw a man matching Decker’s description outside Gentry's Outpost grocery store — about 500 miles from the crime scene.
“Practically walking up to the center was a random gentleman, but he caught my eye because he seemed out of place,” Rice said, noting he had a bedding roll but no sleeping bag and a backpack too small to carry one.
Rice, aware of Decker’s case from widespread news coverage, reported the sighting to Washington authorities but was told the search was focused on the Washington mountains, where Decker was believed to be surviving using his outdoorsman skills.
“They listened but didn’t seem convinced,” Rice said, frustrated her tip was not taken seriously. “If I remember correctly, the comment was, ‘We know where he is and we know what’s happening, but we’ll write this down.’”
Authorities Shift Search to Idaho
Weeks later, on July 5, the U.S. Marshals announced two sightings of Decker in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest, about 50 miles from Rice’s tip location.
Supervisory Deputy Michael Leigh with the U.S. Marshals Service described the tip as “pretty compelling,” stating a family saw a man matching Decker’s description, down to his tattoos, on an ATV trail where hikers typically do not frequent.
“It was described that he didn’t have hiking boots, he was avoiding eye contact, and was on a trail usually not trafficked by hikers,” Leigh told CBS affiliate KREM.
Other campers reported seeing a similar-looking man, adding credibility to the sightings.
When authorities finally contacted Rice to follow up on her tip, she was overjoyed.
“I was so happy that someone was listening,” she said. “She let me tell my whole story, and then she said, ‘Wow, that’s probably the most detailed information we received so far.’ So that made me feel really nice.”
Decker’s Survival Skills Complicate Capture
Former Massachusetts state trooper and security analyst Todd McGhee told ABC News that cadaver dogs have not found Decker’s remains, suggesting he is still alive.
“Canines are trained to look for cadavers and sniff for those types of odors, so he’s still maybe on the move,” McGhee said.
Decker, an Army veteran with service in Afghanistan, has advanced survival training, including off-grid navigation. McGhee believes Decker could remain hidden for an extended time, but noted: “He’ll eventually have to surface through seeking shelter, seeking food, nutrition—those types of things will require him to come out of hiding.”
A Mother’s Plea for Justice
At a memorial on June 20, Whitney Decker remembered her daughters’ bright spirits, stating: “I’m so thankful for that time I had with the girls. When the world slowed down, it gave me an inside look at their day."
"I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives on in everyone’s heart forever. They were incredible," she added.
Whitney’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, has also told NewsNation Whitney wants Decker found “dead or alive” to find peace.
“That’s a huge, a huge thing that she wants,” Cozart said. “It’s very, very important to her so that she can have peace.”
Cozart added Whitney believes systemic failures, including the handling of Decker’s mental health challenges and PTSD, contributed to the tragedy.
“The courts didn’t fail these girls. It wasn’t the judge and it wasn’t Whitney; it was our system. [Whitney] feels like the system really let Travis down.”
Ongoing Manhunt in Idaho and Beyond
The U.S. Marshals Service has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker’s capture. Authorities warn the public not to approach him as he may be armed and dangerous and urge anyone with information to call 911 immediately.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison reaffirmed the commitment to capture Decker, telling The US Sun: “We can’t and won’t quit this search. Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice.”
Decker is wanted on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping. He is described as 5'8", around 190 lbs, with black hair, brown eyes, black gauged earrings, and tattoos. Before the murders, Decker reportedly searched online for how to move to Canada, and authorities have coordinated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police given the proximity to the border.
Timeline of the Decker Case
- May 30: Decker picks up his daughters for a court-ordered visit but fails to return them.
- June 2: Bodies of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia found at Rock Island Campground.
- June 9: Autopsies confirm suffocation; deaths ruled homicides.
- June 18: Jennifer Rice reports sighting Decker in Idaho City.
- July 5: Family reports seeing Decker in Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho.
- July 8: Authorities expand search efforts in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest.
How You Can Help
Anyone with information on Travis Decker’s whereabouts should immediately call 911 or contact the U.S. Marshals Service. The $20,000 reward remains active as the search intensifies.