The search for Travis Decker, the man accused of killing his three young daughters and vanishing into Washington’s backcountry, intensified Friday evening after a reported sighting near the Pacific Crest Trail at Snoqualmie Pass. King County authorities say the tip, provided by a community member, led to a rapid deployment of search teams across the rugged alpine terrain.
By nightfall, the area had become the center of a coordinated multi-agency search. Drones scanned the slopes while K-9 units tracked through dense brush and King County’s Guardian One helicopter circled overhead. “As locating Decker is a priority, we dispatched multiple patrol units along with TAC-30, K-9 Units, and Guardian 1 to aid in the search,” the King County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement confirming the tip.
The possible sighting comes weeks after law enforcement acknowledged a scaling back of search efforts in Chelan County, where the case first unfolded. Detectives had said leads had dried up, though investigators continued to sift through evidence and follow smaller threads. Until now, most efforts had remained concentrated in the Blewett Pass area, between Chelan and Kittitas Counties, where Decker’s vehicle and the bodies of his children were found.
The case has haunted Washington state since June 2, when officers discovered the bodies of 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 9-year-old Paityn Decker near Rock Island Campground, outside Leavenworth. The girls had been reported missing three days earlier after their father failed to return them to their mother following a court-ordered visitation. Their deaths were ruled homicides by suffocation.
Investigators found disturbing evidence at the scene: plastic bags and zip ties scattered near the girls’ bodies, which were located just 75 yards from Decker’s abandoned truck. Court documents indicate each girl had a bag placed over her head, and signs on their wrists suggested they had been restrained.
DNA evidence has tied Decker directly to the scene. On July 1, authorities confirmed that a bloody fingerprint lifted from the tailgate of his vehicle matched his DNA profile. Samples collected from items at the campground were analyzed by the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, confirming Decker’s presence after the murders.
Now charged with three counts of murder and kidnapping, Decker is also facing federal charges for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Authorities say he searched terms like “how to relocate to Canada” and “jobs in Canada” in the days leading up to the abduction, digital footprints that suggest he may have been planning his disappearance.
Despite extensive ground and aerial efforts across two counties, no confirmed sightings had surfaced until this latest report. Dozens of agencies and hundreds of searchers have logged thousands of hours across Central Washington’s wilderness, but authorities have admitted they have no definitive proof Decker is still alive.
Still, his military background continues to shape the search strategy. A former Army infantryman with training in survival, navigation, and off-grid living, Decker reportedly spent months in the backwoods following his 2014 deployment to Afghanistan. That skill set has complicated efforts to predict his movements, or even confirm he hasn’t doubled back or left the region altogether.
The possibility that Decker has resurfaced near Snoqualmie Pass, one of the busiest sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, has introduced new urgency into the months-long manhunt. Authorities are urging hikers and residents in the area to remain alert and report any unusual encounters.
A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information that leads directly to Decker’s arrest. Tips can be submitted to local law enforcement or through Crime Stoppers. For those living along the trail or venturing into the mountains this summer, the reminder is stark: a man accused of an unthinkable act may still be out there, and any detail, no matter how small, could change the direction of the search.
