Travis Decker update: WA manhunt enters week 5
WENATCHEE, Wash. - The search for Travis Decker has now stretched into a fifth week.
Decker is accused of killing his three young daughters — Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia — and is facing three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. Investigators say his extensive military training could allow him to survive and remain hidden for an extended period.
Paityn, 9 (left), Evelyn, 8 (middle), Olivia, 5 (right)
Agencies across the state are working on one of the largest manhunts in state history. And as this active search continues without any credible leads, deputies urge vigilance from residents.
Keep reading for the latest update on the manhunt for Travis Decker, and the possible sighting reported over the weekend.
(Snohomish County Sheriff's Office)
A ‘weird’ encounter before the murders
Last week, Decker's neighbor recalled a ‘weird’ encounter he had with him before the murders.
Binh Nguyen, a longtime next-door neighbor to the Decker family, told PEOPLE that Decker had been an "enthusiastic girl dad" who took his daughters on camping trips. Nguyen noted that the girls "loved him a lot, and he loved them too," according to PEOPLE.
"It was kind of weird … he had a sad face, Nguye told PEOPLE.
Nguyen recalled seeing Decker on Friday, May 30, the day he picked up his daughters for a three-hour visitation scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Nguyen, who was watering his lawn, told PEOPLE that Decker looked noticeably different.
"He was skinny. He had long hair and a beard. I said, 'Is that you, Travis?'" Nguyen recounted to PEOPLE.
The neighbor said Decker seemed distracted during their 10-minute conversation, asking how Nguyen had been three times. "It was kind of weird," Nguyen told PEOPLE, adding, "he had a sad face."
At a glance: The search for Travis Decker in Washington
On June 6, Governor Bob Ferguson activated the National Guard, and said,"Tonight, I am tapping emergency funds and ordering Washington National Guard resources to support the search for Travis Decker, who is suspected of killing his three daughters. At the request of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, we will be providing helicopter transportation for law enforcement as they search in remote areas."
During the initial weeks of the manhunt for Decker in Chelan County, law enforcement closed off several roads, trails and campgrounds and ordered residents in remote areas to lock their doors.
As the manhunt intensified, cadaver dogs joined the search.
On June 24, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office said, "Some search resources are being redirected to find and recover Decker if he died in the rugged wilderness during this intense search," adding that it is "a possibility that increases every day."
The update came after the girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, spoke publicly about the loss of her children, for the first time, at a June 20 memorial service.
"I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives on in everyone’s heart forever," she said. "They were incredible."
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is working closely with U.S. Marshals in the search for Decker. Deputies announced a reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest. Decker is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
Police continue responding to reported sightings in the manhunt for Travis Decker
Law enforcement agencies quickly sprung into action over the weekend following a report from a concerned citizen in the Prosser area.
On Saturday, June 28, a driver near Wine Country Road and Exit 82 called police saying a man matching Decker's description was seen, according to the Prosser Police Department.
Multiple agencies responded. They set up a containment zone, and launched multiple resources, including a drone, to safely search for the man.
The man who was seen in the area turned out not to be Travis.
Who is Whitney Decker?
The backstory:
Whitney Decker is the ex-wife of Travis and mother to their three girls.
The Decker girls and their mother Whitney Decker. (FOX 13 Seattle)
On Friday, May 30, she became concerned after Travis did not return from a planned three-hour visitation with Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5.
When the visitation window closed, and Travis was unreachable, she reported the girls missing to police. There has since been rising controversy over the decision from law enforcement to not issue an Amber Alert.
A large search operation for the girls ended on June 2, when all three were found dead at Rock Island Campground in Chelan County.
How the search for Travis Decker quickly became a large-scale manhunt
In the weeks since the girls were reported missing and found dead, numerous personnel and law enforcement agencies from around the state and the U.S. have participated in the large-scale manhunt for the girls' father.
The search efforts are happening in all directions, from digitally altered and updated wanted posters, to investigations into new evidence.
The search area has narrowed and widened multiple times as the manhunt evolved.
The Source: Information in this story came from various law enforcement agencies and original FOX 13 Seattle interviews.
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