Latest news with #OkanoganCounty
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Manhunt for killer dad takes grave new turn as police reveal where they think he's hiding
The manhunt for suspected triple murderer Travis Decker has intensified as police reveal they think he's hiding in the woods along the Canadian border. Investigators are now actively searching the Pacific Crest Trail in Okanogan County, Washington for Decker - who is accused of killing his three daughters, Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia Decker, five. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office executed search warrants on properties and electronic devices believed to be linked to him, which 'resulted in new leads and critical information'. Officers urged locals, specifically those in remote areas of Okanogan County, to lock all doors and windows while the 32-year-old remains at large. Decker, a former Army paratrooper, is considered dangerous, given his extensive military training and propensity for violence. He has not been seen since Friday when he picked his daughters up from their mother's home in Wenatchee, roughly 112 miles away from Okanogan County. Their bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth, 20 miles from their home, on Monday. Their wrists had been bound with zip ties and each of them had been suffocated with a plastic bag. Investigators, so far, have found no traces of Decker other than his abandoned truck which was found about 100 yards away from where his daughter's bodies. Okanogan County Sheriff Paul Budrow says law enforcement is patrolling the area around the clock to protect residents. Budrow urged the community - specifically those on the west side of Okanogan County - to 'remain vigilant'. 'Decker is still considered dangerous and potentially armed,' he warned, adding that if anyone spots the suspect they should 'not approach or attempt to make contact'. Decker's case has fascinated true crime obsessed amateur sleuths who are on a mission to locate the suspected killer. Social media trolls are conducting their own deep dives into Decker and have baselessly suggested that a photograph he shared to Facebook in April could be a clue to his whereabouts. Decker's online presence is borderline nonexistent, with the exception of his profile picture, some pictures of a deer skull, and his cover photo which features Bull River Campground in western Montana. 'Maybe they should check the Bull River in Montana while searching for Travis Decker,' one sleuth urged in an X post that has now been viewed more then 17,000 times. 'One of the only things posted on his FB.' The popular wildlife beauty spot is located near the Idaho-Montana border and is roughly 300 miles away from Wenatchee. There is no official evidence to suggest that he is in Montana at this time. Authorities in McCall, Idaho did receive reports of a possible Decker sighting earlier this week, but it was ultimately determined not to be him. Decker joined the US Army in 2012 and served a tour in Afghanistan two years later. But by 2017, he had been removed from the elite Ranger Regiment after he failed to complete Ranger School. By the time he joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade - which is known for conducting specialized airborne operations, including parachute jumps and air assault - he was quiet and a bit of an outcast. Decker never returned to Special Forces, and in 2021 he transferred to the Washington Army National Guard - where he rose to the rank of sergeant. He was listed as a full-time member of the Army National Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time. But he stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard is in the process of a disciplinary discharge. Those who were close with Decker have since said he has suffered from complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder after leaving active military service. His ex-wife Whitney says she knew her daughters were in 'substantial danger' when Decker failed to return them after his visitation on Friday. Whitney, speaking through her lawyer Arianna Cozart on Thursday, said that she begged police to issue an Amber Alert but was told the case did not meet the requirements. But she has now alleged this 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of Decker and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed. '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,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. 'We may never know if it could've meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could've made a huge difference,' Cozart told the newspaper. The father-of-three was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, according to court documents. Whitney stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters. She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times. She also said Decker - was prone to 'outbursts' and would come into her house yelling for the girls - would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so. In one instance, Whitney wrote that her youngest daughter, Olivia, called her crying during a visit with Decker and said she could not find her father - before Evelyn came home with welts between her legs. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney wrote in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship. 'But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters. She said the girls had a, 'good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit. She said when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him. He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles. On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail. Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker's truck. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents state. Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console, police said. The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Manhunt for killer dad takes grave new turn as police reveal where they think he's hiding
The manhunt for suspected triple murderer Travis Decker has intensified as police reveal they think he's hiding along the Canada border. Investigators are now actively searching the Pacific Crest Trail in Okanogan County, Washington for Decker. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office has executed search warrants on properties and electronic devices believed to be linked to Decker Officers urge locals, specifically those in remote areas of Okanogan County, to lock all doors and windows while Decker remains at large. Decker, 32, is accused of killing his three young daughters, Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia Decker, five. Their bodies bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth, 20 miles from their mother's Washington state home, on Monday. Their wrists had been bound with zip ties and each of them had been suffocated with a plastic bag. A massive manhunt is underway for the former Army paratrooper, who has not been seen since he picked the girls up for a scheduled visitation last Friday. Investigators, so far, have found no traces of Decker, whose truck was abandoned near about 100 yards away from where his daughter's bodies were discovered. But true crime obsessed social media users have done their own deep dives into Decker and believe a photo he shared to Facebook in April could be a clue to his whereabouts. Social media users want authorities to search Bull River Campground, which is located in western Montana, roughly 300 miles away from his daughters' home. Decker's online presence is borderline nonexistent with the picture of Bull River being 'one of the only things posted' on his account, amateur sleuth Rose pointed out in a tweet that has now been viewed more then 17,000 times. 'Maybe they should check the Bull River in Montana while searching for Travis Decker,' she added. Decker was reportedly diagnosed with complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder after leaving active military service. His ex-wife Whitney says she knew her daughters were in 'substantial danger' when Decker failed to return them after his visitation on Friday. Whitney, speaking through her lawyer Arianna Cozart on Thursday, said that she begged police to issue an Amber Alert but was told the case did not meet the requirements. But Whitney has now alleged this 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of Decker and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed in a heartbreaking statement early Thursday morning. '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,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. 'We may never know if it could've meant the difference between life and death for those girls … but it could've made a huge difference,' Cozart told the newspaper. Court documents state that when Decker's ex-wife Whitney Decker reported her daughters missing on Friday, she 'expressed concern' over his alleged deteriorating mental state. Whitney told police Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents. The father-of-three was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, the documents show. Whitney stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters. She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times. She also said Decker - was prone to 'outbursts' and would come into her house yelling for the girls - would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so. In one instance, Whitney wrote that her youngest daughter, Olivia, called her crying during a visit with Decker and said she could not find her father - before Evelyn came home with welts between her legs. Authorities also released photos of Decker from before he went missing, showing him with sunglasses that obscured his eyes and tattoos all down his arm 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney wrote in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship. 'But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters. She said the girls had a, 'good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit. She said when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him. He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles. On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail. Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker's truck. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents state. Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console, police said. The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
ABC News
15-05-2025
- ABC News
Three climbers fell 120 metres to their death. One survived and trekked 12 hours to a pay phone
A rock climber who plummeted more than 100 metres down a steep gully in the US North Cascades hiked to his car in the dark and drove to a pay phone to call for help, authorities say. Anton Tselykh, a 38-year-old man, was the sole survivor of the fall between two jagged rock formations, which killed three of his companions on Saturday. Officials said the group of four had been scaling the popular Early Winters Spires in Washington's North Cascade Range, but decided to turn back when they saw a storm approaching. It's believed an anchor they were using, called a piton, became dislodged and all climbers fell at the same time, connected to each other by ropes. They plunged about 200 feet (60 metres) into a slanted gulch and then tumbled another 200 feet before coming to rest, Okanogan County Undersheriff Dave Yarnell said. Despite suffering internal bleeding and head trauma, Mr Tselykh managed to extricate himself from a tangle of ropes, helmets and other equipment and trek more than 12 hours to reach a pay phone. Authorities have so far been unable to interview Mr Tselykh, who remains in a Seattle hospital about 257 kilometres south-west of the range, where he is being treated for internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury. Mr Yarnell told Climbing magazine that the route Mr Tselykh took to call for help suggested he was unfamiliar with the area, because it would have been much faster for him to drive east to a community about 25 kilometres from the trail head. "He took the long route," Yarnell reportedly said. "He spent at least an hour or more driving over the Cascade mountain range." A three-person search and rescue team reached the site of the fall on Sunday, local time, using coordinates from a device the climbers had been carrying. Responders pored over the recovered equipment on Monday to decipher what caused the fall. According to the Okanogan County Coroner Dave Rodriguez, the piton that failed appeared to have been placed by past climbers. The dislodged piton was still clipped into the climbers' ropes. He said when rappelling, all four men would not have been hanging from the same piton at once but taking turns moving down the mountain. Pitons are often left in walls and can remain in place for years but may become less secure over time. "It looked old and weathered, and the rest of their equipment looked newer, so we are making the assumption that it was an old piton," Christina Woodworth, who leads the sheriff's search and rescue team, said. "We eventually, if possible, would like to get more information from [the] surviving party." She added such falls were extremely rare. The three men who died were identified on Tuesday as Vishnu Irigireddy, 48, Tim Nguyen, 63, Oleksander Martynenko, 36. A helicopter was used to remove their bodies one at a time because of the rough terrain. AP
The Independent
14-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
How one rock climber escaped a 400-foot fall that killed three friends
A rock climber has managed to survive and escape a 400-foot fall in Washington's North Cascades mountains that killed his three companions, authorities said on Tuesday. After extricating himself from a tangle of ropes, helmets and other equipment, the climber trekked to his car in the dark and drove to a pay phone to call for help despite suffering internal bleeding and head trauma, Okanogan County Undersheriff Dave Yarnell said. The four climbers were descending a steep gully when the accident occurred. While details remain scarce, the leader of the sheriff's search and rescue team, Cristina Woodworth, said falls like this, leading to three deaths, are extremely rare. The group of four — including the victims, aged 36, 47 and 63 — were scaling the Early Winters Spires, jagged peaks split by a cleft that's popular with climbers in the North Cascade Range, about 160 miles northeast of Seattle. The surviving climber was hospitalized in Seattle. The group of four met with disaster that night when the anchor securing their ropes appeared to have failed as they were descending in a steep gully, trying to reach the spire's base, Yarnell said. They plummeted for about 200 feet into a slanted gulch and then tumbled another 200 feet before coming to rest, he said. Authorities believe the group had been ascending but turned around when they saw a storm approaching. Woodworth said a three-person search and rescue team reached the site on Sunday. The team used coordinates from a device the climbers had been carrying, which had been shared by a friend of the men. Once they found the site, they called in a helicopter to remove the bodies one at a time because of the rough terrain, Woodworth said. On Monday, responders poured over the recovered equipment, trying to decipher what caused the fall, Woodworth said. They found a piton — basically a small metal spike that is driven into rock cracks or ice and used as anchors by climbers — that was still clipped into the climbers' ropes. Pitons are often times left in walls. They can be there for years or even decades, and they may become less secure over time. 'It looked old and weathered, and the rest of their equipment looked newer, so we are making the assumption that it was an old piton,' Woodworth said. Rock climbers secure themselves by ropes to anchors, such as pitons or other climbing equipment. The ropes are intended to arrest their fall if they should slip, and typically climbers use backup anchors, said Joshua Cole, a guide and co-owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, who has been climbing in the area for about 20 years. Generally, it would be unusual to rappel off a single piton, said Cole, adding that it is still unknown exactly what happened on the wall that night. 'We eventually, if possible, would like to get more information from the surviving party,' Woodworth said. The spires are a popular climbing spot. The route the climbers were taking, said Cole, was of moderate difficulty and required moving between ice, snow and rock. But the conditions, the amount of ice versus rock, for example, can change rapidly with the weather, he said, even week to week or day to day, changing the route's risks.
The Guardian
14-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Four US climbers fell 400ft down a ravine. One climbed out to drive to a payphone
A rock climber who fell an estimated 400ft while descending a steep gully in Washington's North Cascades mountains survived the fall that killed his three companions, hiked to his car in the dark and then drove to a payphone to call for help, authorities said on Tuesday. The surviving climber, who has not been publicly identified, extricated himself from a tangle of ropes, helmets and other equipment after the accident and made the trek despite suffering internal bleeding and head trauma, Okanogan county undersheriff Dave Yarnell said. Falls like this leading to three deaths are extremely rare, and many details about what led up to it still aren't known, said Cristina Woodworth, who leads the sheriff's search and rescue team. Seven years ago, two climbers were killed in a fall on El Capitan at Yosemite national park. The group of four – including the victims, aged 36, 47 and 63 – were scaling the Early Winters Spires, jagged peaks split by a cleft that's popular with climbers in the North Cascade range, about 160 miles north-east of Seattle. The surviving climber was hospitalized in Seattle. The group of four met with disaster that night when the anchor securing their ropes appears to have failed as they were descending in a steep gully, trying to reach the spire's base, Yarnell said. They plummeted for about 200ft into a slanted gulch and then tumbled another 200ft before coming to rest, he said. Authorities believe the group had been ascending but turned around when they saw a storm approaching. A three-person search and rescue team reached the site of the fall on Sunday, Woodworth said. The team used coordinates from a device the climbers had been carrying, which had been shared by a friend of the men. Once they found the site, they called in a helicopter to remove the bodies one at a time because of the rough terrain, Woodworth said. On Monday, responders poured over the recovered equipment trying to decipher what caused the fall, Woodworth said. They found a piton – basically a small metal spike that is driven into rock cracks or ice and used as anchors by climbers – that was still clipped into the climbers' ropes. Pitons are oftentimes left in walls. They can be there for years or even decades, and they may become less secure over time. 'It looked old and weathered, and the rest of their equipment looked newer, so we are making the assumption that it was an old piton,' Woodworth said. Rock climbers secure themselves by ropes to anchors, such as pitons or other climbing equipment. The ropes are intended to arrest their fall if they should slip, and typically climbers use backup anchors, said Joshua Cole, a guide and co-owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, who has been climbing in the area for about 20 years. Generally, it would be unusual to rappel off a single piton, said Cole, adding that it is still unknown exactly what happened on the wall that night. 'We eventually, if possible, would like to get more information from surviving party,' Woodworth said. The spires are a popular climbing spot. The route the climbers were taking, said Cole, was of moderate difficulty, and requires moving between ice, snow and rock. But the conditions, the amount of ice versus rock for example, can change rapidly with the weather, he said, even week to week or day-to-day, changing the route's risks.
