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Police are unsure whether Travis Decker, a Washington father and former Army infantryman accused of killing his three daughters and fleeing into the wilderness, remains alive as a manhunt for the fugitive continues into its fourth week.
“At this time, there is no certain evidence that Decker remains alive or in this area,” the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook on Monday. “Seemingly strong early leads gave way to less convincing proofs over the last two weeks of searching.”
“Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search—a possibility that increases every day,” the department added.
The Marshals are investigating whether Decker has fled local jurisdictions, and sheriffs plan to deploy a cadaver dog this week in the hunt for the 32-year-old.
Decker’s daughters Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5, were reported missing by their mother on May 30, after they left home for a visit with Decker.
Police found Decker’s abandoned truck near the Rock Island campground in Chelan County on June 2, and discovered the girls bodies nearby, 70 yards down an embankment with their hands zip-tied and plastic bags around their faces.
Last fall, Decker’s wife reportedly petitioned a court to modify their parental custody plan, claiming the 32-year-old had mental health issues and was often living out of his truck.
Decker, who served in the Army between 2013 and 2021, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping.
Dozens of agencies and hundreds of officers joined a wide-ranging manhunt for the former soldier, who had received training in navigation and survival, and had spent time practicing off-grid living.
Earlier this month, police thought they had a promising lead when hikers saw a lone individual in the Cascade Range who appeared to be ill-prepared for the conditions and was avoiding view. A helicopter later spotted an individual off-trail, who ran out of sight, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
"Because of the ruggedness, the remoteness of the of that country, and some of the conditions that we've observed, it's clear that the longer he stays out there - the longer anybody stays out there - the greater the chance that something's gonna happen, and whether he intends it or not, that he's gonna die," Kittitas Sheriff's Inspector Chris Whitsett told CBS News on Tuesday.
A K-9 later tracked a trail to the area near Ingalls Creek Trailhead, near Leavenworth, but it did not lead to Decker.
Police have described Decker as 5 foot, 8 inches, weighing 190 pounds, with facial hair, tattoos, and long dark hair worn in a ponytail.
In 2020, a man wanted in the killing of a turkey hunter in the same area as Decker’s disappearance was able to hide out for over three weeks.
The rural terrain is near the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Canada south through Mexico.
Decker is accused of searching online using queries such as "how does a person move to canada," "how to relocate to canada," and "jobs canada” in the days before the killings, according to a Marshals affidavit obtained by Law and Crime.
Members of the public are encouraged to report leads to the Marshals or local law enforcement, and to refrain from approaching Decker.
Whitney Decker, the mother of the slain girls, remembered her “incredible” daughters at a Friday memorial service.
"I truly hope that the legacy of the girls' lives lives in everyone's heart forever,” she said.
