The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has reported a potential sighting of Travis Decker, an ex-soldier wanted in connection with the deaths of his three daughters. The sighting occurred near Colchuk Lake in Washington state, after hikers alerted authorities to a lone individual who appeared ill-prepared for the conditions in the area.
Following the tip from the hikers, tracking teams and a helicopter crew were deployed to the location. The hiker, believed to be Decker, ran from sight as the helicopter passed overhead. K-9 teams later tracked the individual to the area of the Ingalls Creek Trailhead, south of Leavenworth.
Decker, 32, has been the subject of a manhunt since June 2, when his truck and the bodies of his three daughters – Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia – were found at a campground outside Leavenworth. He had failed to return the girls to their mother’s home in Wenatchee following a scheduled visit.
A former infantryman in the US Army, Decker deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and has training in navigation, survival, and other skills. He has previously spent extended periods living off the grid in the backwoods. Authorities have conducted an extensive search across hundreds of square miles of rugged terrain, with the US Marshals Service offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his capture.
Last September, Decker’s ex-wife, Whitney Decker, raised concerns about his deteriorating mental health and instability, seeking to restrict his contact with their daughters until he found stable housing. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death for the girls was suffocation, with evidence of them being bound with zip ties and plastic bags placed over their heads.
The community in the area has been urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings or information related to Decker’s whereabouts. The search for him continues as authorities work to apprehend him in connection with this tragic case.
