Travis Decker manhunt: Officials say there's 'no certain evidence' he's still alive
Law enforcement officials hunting for Travis Decker, the father and former U.S. Army member accused of killing his daughters in Washington state, said this week they have shifted resources to accommodate the possibility that the man has died.
Decker, 33, is wanted on murder charges in connection to the deaths of Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, of Wenatchee in Chelan County, Washington about 148 miles east of Seattle.
"At this time, there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area. Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching," the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, an agency assisting in the manhunt wrote in a news release issued Tuesday, June 24. "Still, we can’t and won’t quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice. And Decker remains a danger to the public as long as he’s at large."
On June 25, a spokesperson for the Chelan County Sheriff Office, the agency leading the triple murder case, confirmed Decker remained at large as the multi-jurisdictional search for him continued into week four.
Two days earlier, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told Paste BN a cadaver dog would be deployed into the mountains to join the hunt.
"Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search − a possibility that increases every day," the Kittitas County Sheriff's post reads. "Visible extra patrols continue in the area."
U.S. Marshals have dedicated search resources to the possibility that Decker has left the area, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff.
"Because of the ruggedness, the remoteness of the of that country, and some of the conditions that we've observed, it's clear that the longer he stays out there − the longer anybody stays out there − the greater the chance that something's gonna happen, and whether he intends it or not, that he's gonna die," Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Chris Whitsett told CBS News.
When were Decker sister's reported missing?
The girls' mother reported them missing May 30, after the siblings left their home for a planned custody visit with their father, the Wenatchee Police Department reported.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office reported one if its deputies found the girls' bodies June 2 at Rock Island Campground in Chelan County. The site is south of Grindstone Mountain and part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the slopes of the Cascade Mountain Range.
"They were incredible," mother Whitney Decker said through tears during a June 20 memorial service for her daughters. "I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives on in everyone's heart forever,"
What happened to the Decker sisters?
Morrison said local, state and federal officials had received more than 500 tips and dozens of reported sightings of Decker. Before disappearing, officials said, Decker was homeless and staying primarily in his white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck in the Wenatchee region.Investigators said Travis Decker exhibited mental health issues before the girls' killings, court filings obtained by Paste BN show. Their bodies were found lifeless June 2 with plastic bags over their heads and evidence that their hands had been zip-tied near their father's truck in a campground.
Their at-large father faces charges including three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping.
A motive in the killings remained under investigation.
What does Travis Decker look like?
Police described Travis Decker as a white man with black hair and brown eyes, standing 5'8" and weighing 190 pounds.He was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts.
A former military man with extensive training, officials said Decker "may pose a significant risk, if approached."
Anyone who sees him or with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911. Tipsters can also call the CCSO tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit their information online at https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/sheriff/forms/submit-a-tip.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.