
Travis Decker's chilling web searches days before ‘killing daughters' reveals possible escape plan as manhunt continues
Emma Crabtree, Weekend US Editor
Published: Invalid Date,
TRAVIS Decker, the dad accused of kidnapping and murdering his three daughters made chilling web searches days beforehand.
As the manhunt for the war veteran continues, an investigation into his internet history reveals his possible escape plan.
9
9
9
Cops believe Decker killed Olivia, 5, Evelyn, 8, and Paityn Decker, 9, during a court-ordered custody visit before dumping their bodies at a rural campsite in Washington State.
Whitney Decker, the mother of the children and Decker's ex-wife reported the girls missing on May 30 after he failed to drop them home.
They were last seen with their father around 5 pm local time after he picked them up that day.
The bodies of all three siblings were found at Rock Island Campground, about an hour outside of Wenatchee, Washington near Decker's vehicle that had bloody handprints on the tailgate.
It comes as...
The girls' bodies were found on Monday as cops said they likely died of asphyxiation
Travis Decker's truck was found 75 to 100 yards away with two bloody adult-sized handprints on the tailgate
The girls' mom, Whitney Decker, said her ex-husband was unusually quiet when he picked them up
Eerie video of Decker showed his recent appearance
Cops fear Decker could survive in the woods for MONTHS due to extensive military training
Whitney shared the final message Decker gave her before the alleged killings
Officials shot down claims Decker was seen in Idaho
A GoFundMe for Whitney has raised over $1 million
Whitney shared a father's day video saying something 'broke' in Decker and he was a loving dad and husband
Cops believe the three children were suffocated to death as they continue to hunt for Decker who is on the run.
As Governor Bob Ferguson activated the National Guard to support the over 100-strong manhunt for Decker, a look into his internet search history revealed a possible escape plan.
A US Marshals Service affidavit obtained by Fox News affliate KCPQ claims he searched "how to relocate to Canada".
Other searches found on his Google account included a Canadian job website and "how does a person move to Canada".
9
9
9
These were carried out on May 26, just days before Decker failed to return the children to their mother.
Court documents seen by KCPQ also reveal that the 32-year-old's phone records show "he drove to and left the same campground a day prior to the kidnapping."
Officials who are already concerned about how Decker's military training will make him hard to find have highlighted their concerns that he has crossed the border.
There is currently no official port of entry at that part of the border so hikers can freely cross into Canada without detection.
"The location of the victim's remains is relatively close to the Canadian border and approximately 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, a well-established trail that leads directly Canada," the affidavit read.
Authorities have launched a land and air search of the popular tourist spot but nothing has emerged yet.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office involved in the hunt has revealed that Decker's military past means he is "well versed in wilderness survival".
He is "capable of spending days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little equipment".
Court documents highlight that Decker is trained in navigation, mountainous and woodland terrain, long-distance manoeuvers and wilderness survival.
9
"We are searching anywhere and everywhere for him," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said.
Those living in remote cabins and rural areas have been warned to keep their doors locked to all buildings including sheds.
They have also been told to keep their outdoor lights on and window blinds open.
To help with the search, the Sheriff's Office has released some new pictures of Decker.
The updated release continues to warn the public that he is "considered dangerous and may be armed, call 911 immediately".
The pictures taken from a surveillance camera show him walking in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals with facial hair and a pony tail.
Others show close-ups of the distinctive tattoos he has on his arms and ankles.
His grieving ex-wife has said that "something broke in him" after he struggled to get help for his mental health issues, insisting he was a good father and never violent to her or the children.
Decker's arrest warrant charges him with three counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
Monday, May 26
Travis Decker searches online for "how does a person move to Canada", a Canadian job website and "how does a person move to Canada".
Thursday, May 29
Decker's cell activity shows that he drove to and from the Rock Island Campground
Friday, May 30
5 pm - The three girls are picked up from their mom's house by their dad
9:45 pm - Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing
Travis' truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn't match their criteria.
Saturday, May 31
WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
Monday, June 2
3:45 pm - Decker's truck is found empty with bloody hand prints at Rock Island Campground.
5 pm - Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
Tuesday, June 3
9:30 am - WPD notifies the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm - WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Decker is still on the loose.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
19 minutes ago
- Reuters
US team investigating foreign bribery dwindles, sources say
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department's team dedicated to investigating allegations of foreign bribery has dwindled as President Donald Trump's administration reviews its enforcement of a decades-old law aimed at preventing corruption, according to three people familiar with the matter. The DOJ's Fraud Section unit tasked with enforcing the anti-bribery law has shrunk to about 15 prosecutors, according to two of the sources. That number is down from 32 as of a January report published on the department's website. The cuts follow Trump's executive order in February calling for a pause in enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a 1977 law that prohibits companies that operate in the U.S. from bribing foreign officials and has become a cornerstone of federal efforts to combat corruption. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment. The DOJ launched a 180-day review of its enforcement of the FCPA following Trump's order, which kicked off an exodus of staff from the unit. Prosecutors largely moved elsewhere in the Justice Department's Criminal Division, including its Healthcare and Marketplace Fraud units, two of the sources said. New guidance on how prosecutors are to handle FCPA cases is being drafted and expected to be released soon, one of the sources said. Attorney General Pam Bondi in February directed foreign bribery prosecutors to prioritize cases related to drug cartels, a Trump administration emphasis that has not traditionally been a focus of the unit. A memo from the Criminal Division last month listed foreign bribery below issues such as fraud in government programs and tariff evasion as corporate enforcement priorities for the Trump administration. The DOJ has been scaling back its enforcement against white-collar crimes and focusing on different types of cases. It has also dropped other initiatives aimed at preventing corruption.


The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Reaction to Trump's crackdown on LA protests splits sharply on party lines
Unrest in Los Angeles has become a microcosm of America's political divisions on immigration enforcement operations, with political leaders offering vastly different interpretations of the Trump administration's deployment of national guard troops and the mass targeting of undocumented communities. The divide over the same events came into full view when the California Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters was denied entry to an LA detention center over the weekend, with Marjorie Taylor Greene, her Republican colleague from Georgia, mocking her on social media. 'Maxine Waters is big mad she got turned away by ICE when she went to go check on her CRIMINAL ILLEGALS!!' Greene posted on X, comparing Waters' situation to her own denial of access to the DC jail to visit 'AMERICAN CITIZENS being held in solitary confinement.' Greene later added that '2,000 National Guard is not enough for the LA insurrection and Democrat led war on America!!!' The exchange crystallizes the demonstrable split over the politicians: Democratic lawmakers condemn what they characterize as cruelty and federal overreach, while Republicans defend Trump's actions as necessary law enforcement. The California Democratic senator Adam Schiff urged restraint from protesters, warning on social media that 'violence is never the answer' and cautioning that attacking law enforcement officers 'plays directly into the hands of those who seek to antagonize and weaponize the situation for their own gain'. On the other hand, Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, posted 'deportations have never sounded better'. Several thousand protesters have so far gathered around federal facilities and city hall in Los Angeles, with demonstrations spilling on to freeways and disrupting traffic throughout downtown – with instances of law enforcement officers shooting non-lethal bullets at an Australian reporter and a British news photographer, heavy clashes with law enforcement, and setting fire to autonomous vehicles. It is unclear how many national guardsmen have actually been deployed, but the Los Angeles police department declared the downtown area an unlawful assembly zone early on Monday morning. The Florida Democratic congressman Darren Soto criticized the administration's immigration enforcement sweep, arguing that 'American citizens are even getting snatched up just for looking Hispanic' and that 'due process has also been largely ignored'. But Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio branded the demonstrations 'a violent uprising in defense of criminal illegal aliens', declaring that 'President Trump is absolutely right to restore law and order.' Eli Crane, a Republican congressman from Arizona, mocked California's leadership over the chaos, while the California Republican Darrell Issa accused Democrats of believing 'enforcing our immigration laws should incite people to attack Ice agents and riot in the streets'. Democrats fired back with accusations of federal tyranny. Former vice-president Kamala Harris called the national guard deployment 'a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos' and part of a 'cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic'. The California Democrats Sam Liccardo and Lateefah Simon focused on supporting immigrant communities. Liccardo warned that Trump's actions risk 'pushing our nation down a dangerous path toward tyranny', while Simon said that immigrant communities 'are not alone' and vowed to protect community rights. The senior Democratic congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemned 'weaponizing the military against US citizens and immigrants alike'. The enforcement battle in Los Angeles has created an unusual dynamic where state and federal law enforcement agencies operate in the same area with different mandates, contributing to confusion and escalating tensions on the streets. But the confusion, mixed with Trump's heavy-handed approach, is causing some Democrats to echo calls for non-violence. 'If you are protesting please do it peacefully,' the California Democratic congressman Mike Thompson posted on X. 'We do not need to give this President and his administration any excuses to further escalate the situation.'


Reuters
33 minutes ago
- Reuters
Abrego Garcia's return should not end Trump contempt probe, lawyers say
NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - The return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S. last Friday after his wrongful deportation to El Salvador in March should not end a judge's investigation into whether Trump administration officials should be held in contempt for violating a court order, Abrego Garcia's lawyers said. In a court filing on Sunday, Abrego Garcia's lawyers disputed the administration's assertion that it was in compliance with Greenbelt, Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis' order to facilitate his return from El Salvador because it had brought him back to face criminal charges of migrant smuggling in Tennessee. "Until the Government is held accountable for its blatant, willful, and persistent violations of court orders at excruciating cost to Abrego Garcia and his family, this case is not over," Abrego Garcia's lawyers wrote, opens new tab. "The executive branch's wanton disregard for the judicial branch has left a stain on the Constitution." Spokespeople for the White House, the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Abrego Garcia's March 15 deportation to his native El Salvador, despite a 2019 immigration court ruling that he not be sent there because he could be persecuted by gangs, has emerged as a flashpoint for Republican President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration policies. Trump critics say the deportation of Garcia, a 29-year-old who had a work permit and whose wife and young child in Maryland are U.S. citizens, was a sign that the administration was disregarding civil liberties in its push to step up deportations. Critics also said the administration's failure to bring him back, even after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Xinis' order that it facilitate his return, suggested the Trump administration was willing to defy unfavorable court rulings even though the judiciary is a co-equal branch of government under the U.S. Constitution. Xinis on April 15 demanded U.S. officials provide documents and answer questions under oath about what it had done to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, in an investigation that could result in officials being held in contempt. Trump administration officials have accused the judiciary of overstepping and interfering with the executive branch's ability to conduct foreign policy. They also alleged Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, though he had not been charged with a crime at the time of his deportation. Officials on Friday portrayed Abrego Garcia's criminal indictment as vindication for their approach to deportations. A grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 21 indicted him on charges of transporting undocumented migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to locations around the country. Abrego Garcia has not yet entered a plea and is detained pending his next court hearing on Friday. His lawyer has called the criminal charges "fantastical." In their filing on Sunday, Abrego Garcia's lawyers said his immigration case would need to be handled as it would have been if he were not deported in order for the administration to be in compliance with Xinis' order. It was not immediately clear when Xinis would rule.