“As the manhunt continues, the sheriff’s office has advised residents in neighboring counties to lock their doors, including on outbuildings and sheds, and leave their outdoor lights on and their blinds open.” CNN
Whitney Decker
The manhunt continues for Travis Decker, who has been at large since failing to bring his daughters back home after a custody visit. The girl’s mother alerted the police when the girls were not home by an 8 p.m. drop off time on May 30. He could not be reached by phone.
The sisters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn Decker, were found suffocated to death at an abandoned campsite in Washington state on Monday, police said, sparking an intense manhunt for their father, Travis Decker. Authorities are now searching by land and air for him – wanted for three counts each of murder and kidnapping – across the county, sweeping through local forests and wilderness areas, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s office.
The sisters were found about 30 minutes northwest, in the Wenatchee River Ranger district, a remote, mountainous region of Washington that encompasses approximately 696,000 acres. The girls had plastic bags over their heads, and their wrists were zip-tied, according to police.
Meanwhile, a portrait of Travis Decker is emerging: an Army veteran and National Guardsman experiencing homelessness, skilled in wilderness survival, an involved father and, according to his ex-wife, a man struggling with mental health issues. The mother reports their divorce was amicable and she had seen no red flags during the custody exchange.
Decker is “well versed in wilderness survival and capable of spending days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little equipment” which will likely make the search more difficult, the sheriff’s office said in a news release on Wednesday.
The former military member also has “extensive tactical training,” according to the US Marshals, which is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker’s arrest.
Travis Decker is a former US Army infantryman and staff sergeant with eight years of service, including five months in Afghanistan, according to a US Army spokesperson. He is currently a member of the Washington National Guard but is in the midst of a disciplinary process of being discharged because of missed drills, the National Guard confirmed to CNN.
