Authorities have released updated images of Travis Decker, the man accused of murdering his three daughters during a scheduled visitation.
Decker, 32, is wanted on three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping after the bodies of Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five, were found on June 2 at a remote campsite near Rock Island Campground - approximately 40 miles from their home in Wenatchee.
Their mother, Whitney Decker, had reported the girls missing three days earlier after they failed to return from a visit with their father on May 30.
According to the Wenatchee Police Department, the girls were zip-tied at the wrists and suffocated using plastic bags.
Their bodies were discovered 75 to 100 yards down an embankment near their father’s abandoned white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck, which contained disturbing personal effects, including food, blankets, car seats, a wallet, and two bloody handprints.
New images released by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office show Decker with his hair tied back, wearing a tan shirt with the number 59 on the sleeve, dark shorts, and flip-flops, while carrying pizza boxes. Close-up photos highlight distinctive tattoos on his arms and ankles.
He is considered “dangerous and possibly armed.” The public is being urged not to approach him and to call 911 immediately if spotted.
“Please review your doorbell cameras and security cameras for signs of Mr. Decker,” the Sheriff’s Office advised. “If you are out in the woods, or recreation areas, and come across something you believe would be beneficial for law enforcement, note the time and location and mark the location on your electronics if possible.”
Whitney is now pushing for reforms to Washington’s Amber Alert system, which was never activated for her daughters. Her attorney, Arianna Cozart, told KING of Seattle: “It’s very important to Whitney to get that fixed.”
Cozart also told The Seattle Times: "Something broke inside of Decker, and that he would not have done what he did if he were himself. He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long, as far as trauma, just won out."
Authorities confirmed that Decker’s cellphone placed him at the campground the day before the girls were reported missing. Investigators also uncovered evidence that he was planning to flee to Canada, the Daily Mail reported.
Search warrants served on Decker’s Google accounts revealed searches including “how does a person move to Canada,” “how to relocate to Canada,” and “jobs Canada.”
He also visited “Find a job - Canada.ca,” and the location where the girls’ bodies were found was relatively close to the Canadian border, just 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, a known route leading into Canada.
Decker previously served in the U.S. Army before joining the Washington National Guard, and his extensive military training is making the search for him especially challenging.
With expertise in navigation, survival tactics, and long-distance travel through rugged terrain, authorities believe he's well-equipped to evade capture.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Keegan Stanley noted in an affidavit that he has lived off the grid in remote wilderness for as long as two and a half months.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison explained: “He could have scoped out this area before [he] put supplies out there and has the ability and the knowledge to survive for a long period of time.”
Despite lifting roadblocks, law enforcement is still combing through structures and remote wooded areas.
Sheriff Morrison also issued a public appeal to the fugitive: “Travis, if you're out there seeing us, we'd like you to turn yourself in. We want a peaceful resolution to this, but we're not going to relinquish our efforts. So, please turn yourself in. Let's wrap this up and do what's right for your kids.”