Authorities in Washington State say a “lone hiker” seen by a tracking team and tipsters could be the man accused of murdering his three young daughters.
According to law enforcement officials, the search for Travis Decker, 32, may be narrowing. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office issued an update on Tuesday, stating that a hiking party “recently” reported seeing a “lone hiker” who appeared “ill prepared for trail and weather conditions, and appeared to be avoiding others.”
Following the tip, a helicopter tracking team reportedly spotted a “lone, off-trail hiker” near a lake in the same area, who quickly vanished from sight. Additional ground teams were sent out to conduct further investigations.
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The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office urged hikers to send in tips while warning residents and anyone staying in the area to “report any suspicious activity, lock your doors and vehicles, and look out for your neighbor’s property.”
In a previous update, authorities stated that several personal items from Decker’s truck, as well as his dog, had been recovered and turned over to the Humane Society. The blood found on the truck belonged to a male donor; police had previously stated that the bloody handprint on the vehicle was adult-sized. Non-human blood was also discovered at the scene.
The three girls — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia — died of suffocation, according to police. The manner of death was homicide.
Since the discovery of the three girls’ bodies on June 2, more details about the troubled ex-military Decker have emerged. In divorce papers, his former wife and the mother of his late daughters described him as “unstable”. Decker was thought to live a transient lifestyle and was a survivalist who would go out into the wilderness for several months at a time. He was also reportedly diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, but did not seek treatment.
The case against Decker moved to federal court after a criminal complaint was filed in a U.S. District Court in Spokane, Washington, on June 5, accusing the alleged fugitive of fleeing to avoid prosecution. According to a US Marshals affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, Decker allegedly searched Google on May 26 for “how does a person move to canada,” “how to relocate to canada,” and “jobs canada” days before picking up his daughters and allegedly killing them. Decker is also accused of searching a Canadian job site.
According to the affidavit, the bodies of the three girls were discovered on a road in Leavenworth, Washington, on U.S. Forest Service land, “relatively close to the Canadian border” and about 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, which “leads directly” to Canada.
Decker faces federal charges in addition to state and local charges, including three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping.
