Manhunt for Travis Decker Narrows in on Remote Trail After Tip Off

The search for a father-of-three implicated of killing his children has actually narrowed in on a remote mountain path in Washington State after hikers tipped off police.

Travis Decker, 32, is accused of killing his daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, whose bodies were found at a camping area in Leavenworth, after he stopped working to return them to their mother in Wenatchee following a scheduled three-hour visit.

A pointer from hikers has provided police new hope on discovering Decker alive after witnesses reported an only person who seemed ill-prepared for the conditions.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that tracking groups reacted right away, and a helicopter crew identified an off-trail hiker by themselves near Colchuck Lake, in a popular Cascade Range backpacking location called The Enchantments.

As authorities search for Decker, who is thought to be psychologically unstable, residents have actually been cautioned that he could be dangerous due to his military background.

Late Monday night an alert was provided to citizens in the Ingalls Creek and the Valleyhi neighborhood to lock homes and vehicles and to be on the lookout for Decker.

'Residents and visitors are urged to secure homes and automobiles, stay alert, and report any suspicious activity to 911,' an alert said.

'A heightened law enforcement existence will continue as a precautionary procedure.'

Travis Decker, 32, is implicated of eliminating his children, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, after he stopped working to return them back to their mom following a set up three-hour visit in Washington on Friday

Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies discovered the women' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from Decker's truck at a camping site. Police think the girls passed away from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents said

The vast land surrounding Colchuck Lake is now a location of interest to authorities

Decker signed up with the Army in 2013. He served in Afghanistan before moving to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Karina Shagren, interactions director for the Washington Military Department, confirmed to the Daily Mail.

He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time.

Decker stopped attending compulsory regular monthly drills a little over a year back, and the Guard remained in the procedure of a disciplinary discharge.

He likely has advanced combat training and was an air-borne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of 'Ranger,' suggesting he would have outstanding wilderness and survival abilities, Fox 13 Seattle reported, citing social media posts.

It is unknown if the veteran is presently armed, but regional police warned people from approaching him.

Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after discovering Decker's truck.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the ladies passed away from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court files said.

Decker's truck likewise had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were individual products including blankets, food, safety seat, and a wallet on the center console.

The camping area also revealed signs of current activity, with a tent and a cooler situated a short range away, however Decker was no place to be discovered.

Decker attempted to fix the broken marriage with his ex-wife Whitney (pictured with children) just a week before he apparently suffocated and eliminated their 3 young children in Washington State

The sisters' lifeless bodies were found at a campground in Leavenworth last week, about 20 miles from their home

The girls' mother, Whitney Decker, who is divorced from the veteran, told police that he had chosen the women up around 5pm however had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail, court files stated.

Detectives said she 'expressed issue because Decker apparently has never done this before and ... is presently experiencing some mental health issues.'

She likewise informed law enforcement authorities that Decker was detected with borderline character condition and thinks he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents.

The father-of-three was supposed to look for mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no indication he had followed through with the plan - which he refused to sign, the court documents reveal.

Still, Whitney informed police she did not think her ex was dangerous and said he loved his children.

She said the girls had a 'great relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and kept in mind that he had never stopped working to return the ladies before, according to a police affidavit.

Whitney included that when Decker went to get the ladies for the see on Friday, he was 'quieter than normal' which was 'out of character' for him.

He had also apparently been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles.

When Decker failed to return with the women that night, Whitney reported them missing.

'What triggered her to call us was that ... he was late returning the girls and had actually not communicated to her that he was going to be late, which was his common style and so this was out of the normal,' Captain Brian Chance said.

A helicopter crew identified a rogue hiker off-trail near Colchuck Lake (imagined) in the popular Cascade Range backpacking area called The Enchantments

Snohomish County Sheriff's Special Operations, in coordination with the Snohomish County Region 1 SWAT group and Air Support Unit, have come together in a unified effort to support the Chelan County Sheriff's Office

Her attorney, Arianna Cozart, stated in a statement on her behalf to the Seattle Times that 'something broke inside' her children' daddy.

'He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had actually been living with, whatever that had actually been suppressed within him for so long as far as injury, just triumphed,' the declaration read.

The statement included that Whitney thought an Amber Alert must've been released after the women vanished due to Decker's complicated PTSD and borderline character disorder.

Chilling red flags everyone missed out on before 'killer' father Travis Decker 'killed his three daughters'

Washington State Patrol was called to request an Amber Alert, however it did not meet the required criteria, Wenatchee Police stated.

The lacking requirements were suspected abduction and imminent danger of death or serious injury, stated Chris Loftis, director of public affairs for the state patrol.

'In this case, it was a moms and dad with custodial privileges, and the children had actually not been returned home on time. But that's a rather typical event and not something where you just immediately assume kidnapping,' he said.

He included that there was no indicator Decker would damage them.

'We're individuals too, you understand, so the loss of a kid, the loss of 2 kids, the loss of 3 kids is ... devastating,' Loftis stated. constantly seeks to how we can enhance.'

Wenatchee investigators got in touch with the patrol with extra info that resulted in the issuance of an Endangered Missing Person Alert (EMPA).

State authorities later dropped the EMPA without releasing a public reason. The following day, the Wenatchee Police Department announced the women' deaths.

Whitney likewise specified in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' given that they separated and it was beginning to affect their children.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office warned that Decker could be armed and not to approach him

The look for 32-year-old Decker magnified today, as more than 100 Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) officers scoured hundreds of square miles of the Rock Island Campground in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Park in the Cascade Mountains

She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he remained in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times.

She also stated Decker was vulnerable to 'outbursts' and would enter her house shouting for the girls, whom he would often fail to get after guaranteeing to do so.

In one instance, Whitney composed that her youngest child, Olivia, called her crying throughout a see with Decker and stated she could not discover her dad - before Evelyn came home with welts in between her legs.

'I do not desire to keep Travis from the women at all,' Whitney composed in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to assist in that relationship.

'But I can not have our girls remaining in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with lots of strange men or remaining in a camping tent or living in his truck with him, both in severe temperature levels and unidentified areas for their safety.'

The women' maternal grandma likewise composed that Decker would drop off the girls at inconsistent times, and they would sometimes be upset or sobbing when they returned home.

'They are all pleased, clever, well-adjusted ladies with the exception of when Travis brings them back to me after his visitations,' she wrote, according to the Seattle Times.

On Tuesday recently, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered that he be held without bail.

Decker deals with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping in connection with his child's deaths

A GoFundMe was released for Whitney as she faces the terrible deaths of her children

Decker is referred to as 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, with black hair worn in a ponytail and brown eyes.

He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe established for Whitney had actually raised over $1 million since Tuesday night.

'These ladies were true light in this world and it is a darker location without them. I will miss out on seeing their sweet little faces,' a note on the fundraising page read.

'Send Whitney all of your prayers, love and support. Take a while to today to inform somebody you enjoy them.'