Travis C. Decker, a 32-year-old former U.S. Army soldier from Wenatchee, Washington, remains the focus of a sprawling manhunt after being accused of murdering his three young daughters and disappearing into the wilderness. Authorities have now pursued a promising lead suggesting that Decker may have moved from the mountains of Washington to southern Idaho, where a possible sighting has sparked a renewed search effort.
Decker’s daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—were found dead on June 2, 2025, near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington. The grim discovery came days after Decker failed to return the children to their mother following a scheduled visit on May 30. Court records revealed that the girls were bound with zip ties and had plastic bags placed over their heads; an autopsy attributed their deaths to suffocation.
Law enforcement officials found Decker’s truck near the crime scene, and DNA analysis matched bloody handprints on the vehicle’s tailgate to Decker himself. The tragic case has since propelled him onto the U.S. Marshals Service’s “Top 15 Most Wanted” list, with charges including three counts each of first-degree murder and kidnapping, alongside a federal charge for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
For more than a month, multiple agencies have scoured the rugged terrain of central Washington in search of Decker. Despite investigating numerous tips and potential sightings, authorities have only confirmed one credible sighting prior to the recent Idaho tip. That sighting occurred near Blewitt Pass in the Cascade Range, where hikers reported a lone, off-trail hiker who appeared ill-prepared for the conditions. A tracking team in a helicopter spotted the individual, who fled as the aircraft approached.
On July 5, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service received a tip from a family camping in the Bear Creek area of Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest, roughly 32 miles north of Fairfield and about 100 miles east of Boise. The family reported seeing a man whose description matched Decker’s. This possible sighting is hundreds of miles away from the Washington crime scene and more than 500 miles in the opposite direction from Canada, where Decker had reportedly searched for relocation information days before the murders.
The man was described as a white male standing between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, sporting a long ponytail, an overgrown beard and mustache, and wearing a black mesh cap, black gauged earrings, a cream-colored T-shirt, black shorts, and low-top sneakers such as Converse or Vans. He was also carrying a black JanSport backpack and wearing a black Garmin-style watch.
Following the tip, the U.S. Marshals Service, in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and the Camas County Sheriff’s Office, launched a joint search on July 7, focusing on areas accessible to someone in Decker’s condition. Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Leigh expressed hope that the public’s cooperation would help bring the situation to a safe resolution, stating, “We are evaluating each tip.”
Authorities have cautioned the public not to pick up any hitchhikers, as Decker has a known history of hitchhiking. They also discouraged the use of drones in the search area, as they can interfere with aerial search operations. The Marshals Service continues to offer a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading directly to Decker’s arrest.
Whitney Decker, Travis’s ex-wife and the mother of the three victims, described their divorce as amicable. However, court records indicate Travis Decker refused to sign a parenting plan last year and did not comply with court-mandated mental health treatment or domestic violence anger management counseling.
In the days leading up to the murders, Decker’s internet activity showed searches related to moving to Canada, including queries like “how does a person move to Canada” and “how to relocate to Canada.” The Pacific Crest Trail, a well-established route to Canada, lies about 11 miles from where the victims were found. Yet, the recent sighting in Idaho is in a completely different direction, adding complexity to the investigation.
Despite the grim possibility that Decker may be deceased, Chelan County Sheriff Michael Morris affirmed, “We have not given up on the search efforts. We recognize there is a potential that he could be deceased, so we’re also looking for that potential.”
The search for Travis Decker remains active and intense, with authorities canvassing local residents, campers, and visitors in the Sawtooth National Forest and surrounding areas. Officials urge anyone with information to contact the U.S. Marshals Service immediately and warn the public to avoid interacting with any hitchhikers matching Decker’s description.
This case continues to grip the Pacific Northwest and now parts of Idaho, as law enforcement races against time to find a man accused of a horrific crime and prevent any further harm. The tragic loss of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker weighs heavily on the community, fueling the relentless pursuit of justice.
