Authorities are intensifying their search for Travis Decker, an ex-US Army soldier, who is the primary suspect in the deaths of his three young daughters. A recent sighting by hikers near a secluded alpine lake in Washington state has reinvigorated the extensive manhunt.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s office reported on Tuesday via Facebook that tracking teams, including a helicopter crew, immediately responded to a tip. A lone individual, believed to be Decker, was spotted near Colchuk Lake in The Enchantments, a popular backpacking area within the Cascade Range. The off-trail hiker reportedly fled from view as the helicopter passed overhead.
Ground teams subsequently discovered a trail, and K-9 units successfully tracked the individual to the vicinity of the Ingalls Creek Trailhead, located south of Leavenworth. While the exact timing of the sighting was not disclosed, an alert was issued late Monday night advising residents in the Ingalls Creek and Valleyhi communities to secure their homes and vehicles and remain vigilant for Decker.
The 32-year-old former infantryman has been the subject of a massive search operation since June 2. On that date, a sheriff’s deputy discovered Decker’s truck and the bodies of his daughters 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia at a campground just outside Leavenworth. He had failed to return the girls to their mother’s home in Wenatchee, approximately 100 miles east of Seattle, following a scheduled visit three days prior.
Decker, who served in the US Army from March 2013 to July 2021, including a four-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014, possesses specialized training in navigation, survival, and other outdoor skills. Authorities noted his past experience of living off-grid in the backwoods for over two months.
Numerous state and federal agencies have dedicated considerable resources to the search, covering hundreds of square miles of challenging, often mountainous and remote, terrain by land, water, and air. The US Marshals Service has offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his apprehension.
Last September, Decker’s ex-wife, Whitney Decker, filed a petition to modify their parenting plan, expressing concerns about his deteriorating mental health and increasing instability, including frequently living out of his truck. She sought to restrict his overnight visits with their daughters until he secured stable housing.
An autopsy conducted on Friday revealed the cause of death for the three girls was suffocation. The sheriff’s office confirmed that the children had been bound with zip ties and had plastic bags placed over their heads.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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