Latest news with #TeanawayValley
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Grim new theory about why 'killer dad' Travis Decker still hasn't been tracked down
Washington police have revealed a chilling new theory about alleged killer dad Travis Decker after three weeks of frantically searching for the fugitive. The 33-year-old veteran accused of suffocating his three daughters - Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 - may be dead, according to a Monday night statement from the Kittitas County Sherriff's Office (KCSO). 'At this time, there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area,' the KCSO announced. 'Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching.' However, the office noted that if Decker is alive, he remains a danger to the public, and police have 'preparing to capture and arrest' him if he emerges. 'Still, we can't and won't quit this search; Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker deserve justice,' the press release reads. Authorities are still focusing their efforts in the Teanaway Valley, Liberty, Lauderdale and Blewett Pass areas. But now that they are considering the possibility that Decker died roaming through the unforgiving wilderness while evading arrest, 'search resources are being redirected to find and recover' the man at the center of the convoluted manhunt. These revised strategies include deploying cadaver dogs, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told USA Today. The KCSO's announcement comes just days after the girls' mother, Whitney, spoke out for the first time since they were found dead. She spoke through tears at a memorial service for her girls on Friday, sharing heartbreaking details about their personalities. Decker has been missing since May 30, when he failed to return the three little girls back to Whitney after a visit. Whitney, who is divorced from the veteran, told police that he had picked the girls up around 5pm but had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail, court documents said. Detectives said she 'expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues.' She also told law enforcement officials that Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents. He was court-mandated to seek out mental heath and domestic violence anger management counseling, but refused treatment. At the time of his disappearance and his daughters' deaths, Decker was living out of a white 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck, police said. '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,' Whitney's lawyer, Arianna Cozart, previously told the Seattle Times. Decker has been missing since May 30, when he failed to return the three little girls back to their mother, Whitney, after a visit (pictured: a wanted poster of Decker) On June 2, a search party led to the chilling discovery of the sisters' dead bodies near Rock Island Campground in Chelan County along with Decker's truck. Deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from Decker's truck. An autopsy revealed the girls died from suffocation and police reported their wrists were zip-tied and plastic bags were over their heads when they were found, court documents said. Police collected 'a large amount of evidence' from the truck, including male blood and non-human blood. The alleged-killer's dog was found nearby as well and taken to an animal humane society, Fox 8 reported. Chilling audio from just months before the harrowing murders captured the fugitive father begging for more custody time to go camping with his daughters. In the recording from a September 2024 custody hearing, Decker makes an eerie promise that no harm would come to the girls if he's given more time to take them camping in Washington's wilderness. With an extensive combat background, authorities and locals have been concerned about Decker being on the loose. He joined the Army in 2013 and served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Karina Shagren, communications 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 mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge. He likely has advanced combat training and was an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of 'Ranger,' indicating he would have excellent wilderness and survival skills, Fox 13 Seattle reported, citing social media posts. Decker is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
Fox News
16 hours ago
- Fox News
Military-trained dad accused of killing daughters believed to be alive, evading capture: police
Authorities believe the Washington father accused of killing his three young daughters is still alive and actively evading authorities as federal and state law enforcement officials continue to comb through the dense wilderness in search of the military-trained survivalist. Travis Decker has managed to avoid capture for three weeks and is wanted for allegedly killing his three daughters – Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5 – after their bodies were found near a Washington campsite earlier this month. "We'll eventually get to find him," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told KING 5. "It may be in a week, it may be in a couple of years, but we're not going to go away." The revelation comes after officials announced earlier this week they are combing through the Teanaway Valley and Blewett Pass areas, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office. "If you have trail cameras or doorbell cameras, please check them for suspicious activity," the department said in a statement. "If you have residences in these areas, check them for anything missing – no matter how small or seemingly insignificant." The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Authorities began searching for Decker on the evening of May 30 after his ex-wife notified police that he had not returned the couple's three children from a court-mandated visitation, according to court documents. Three days later, the girls were discovered near Decker's abandoned vehicle with plastic bags over their heads and their hands bound, police said. The update comes one week after the Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) announced a group of hikers reported seeing a lone individual who appeared unprepared for the wilderness near Colchuck Lake. When authorities responded to the tip, they "spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a helicopter," adding the individual "ran from sight as the helicopter passed," CCSO previously said in a press release. The lake is located approximately 40 miles from Blewett Pass and 60 miles from Teanaway Valley by car. A new flyer depicting renderings of ways Decker may have changed his physical appearance was released by authorities on Tuesday. The updated poster includes photos of Decker with and without facial hair and wearing a baseball hat. Officials also quashed a TikTok video reportedly showing CCSO Sheriff Mike Morrison announcing Decker's arrest after a long standoff. "To be clear, Mr. Decker is not in custody and CCSO had no part in making the video," the department wrote in a Facebook post. The U.S. Marshals Service has taken on the role of lead agency in the hunt for Decker, who is a former member of the military with extensive experience in wilderness survival. The Washington National Guard is also assisting local law enforcement with aerial search efforts and surveillance. Officials warn that Decker is considered armed and dangerous but do not have reason to believe he is a threat to public safety. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker's arrest. He is charged with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and kidnapping.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Military-trained dad accused of killing daughters nears 3 weeks living in wilderness amid manhunt
The manhunt for the Washington father accused of killing his three young daughters has expanded as federal and state law enforcement officials continue to comb through the dense wilderness in search of the military-trained survivalist. Authorities said this week that they are combing through the Teanaway Valley and Blewett Pass areas as the search for Travis Decker continues into its third week, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office. "If you have trail cameras or doorbell cameras, please check them for suspicious activity," the department said in a statement. "If you have residences in these areas, check them for anything missing – no matter how small or seemingly insignificant." The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Decker is wanted for allegedly killing his three daughters – Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5 – after their bodies were found near a Washington campsite earlier this month. Authorities began searching for Decker on the evening of May 30 after his ex-wife notified police that he had not returned the couple's three children from a court-mandated visitation, according to court documents. Three days later, the girls were discovered near Decker's abandoned vehicle with plastic bags over their heads and their hands bound, police said. The update comes one week after the Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) announced a group of hikers reported seeing a lone individual who appeared unprepared for the wilderness near Colchuck Lake. When authorities responded to the tip, they "spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a helicopter," adding the individual "ran from sight as the helicopter passed," CCSO previously said in a press release. The lake is located approximately 40 miles from Blewett Pass and 60 miles from Teanaway Valley by car. A new flyer depicting renderings of ways Decker may have changed his physical appearance was released by authorities on Tuesday. The updated poster includes photos of Decker with and without facial hair and wearing a baseball hat. Officials also quashed a TikTok video reportedly showing CCSO Sheriff Mike Morrison announcing Decker's arrest after a long standoff. "To be clear, Mr. Decker is not in custody and CCSO had no part in making the video," the department wrote in a Facebook post. The U.S. Marshals Service has taken on the role of lead agency in the hunt for Decker, who is a former member of the military with extensive experience in wilderness survival. The Washington National Guard is also assisting local law enforcement with aerial search efforts and surveillance. Officials warn that Decker is considered armed and dangerous but do not have reason to believe he is a threat to public safety. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker's arrest. He is charged with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and kidnapping.
