CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. (Court TV) — The search for Travis Decker, the father accused of killing his three young daughters, has intensified as federal authorities officially take over operations and offer chilling new evidence that points to a planned escape attempt across the Canadian border.
Chelan County Sheriff’s Office
According to a federal affidavit, Decker used his Google account just days before the girls were reported missing to search:
- “how does a person move to Canada”
- “how to relocate to Canada”
- “jobs Canada”
He even clicked on an official Canadian job site on May 26, indicating an intention to leave the country. Decker, 32, is a former Army soldier with extensive survival skills and a history of living off-grid for months at a time — capabilities investigators believe he may now be using to evade capture.
By May 30, authorities allege Decker kidnapped his daughters, ages 9, 8, and 5, during a scheduled visitation in Wenatchee, Washington. A massive manhunt was launched after their disappearance. On June 2, the bodies of the three girls were discovered in a remote area off Icicle River Road, not far from the Pacific Crest Trail, a well-known route that leads to the Canadian border. Decker’s white GMC Sierra truck was found at the scene, but he was gone.
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On Sunday, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) confirmed that local agencies had searched hundreds of square miles by land, air, and water, but handed control of active search efforts to federal partners after exhausting local resources. CCSO remains in charge of the criminal investigation.
At the crime scene, investigators recovered:
- Personal items belonging to Decker
- Blood evidence, including one sample identified as male and another that was not human
- DNA and fingerprint samples that are still undergoing forensic testing
- The family dog, which was found alive and turned over to a Humane Society
An autopsy confirmed that the girls were killed by suffocation, and their deaths have been ruled homicide.
Decker is now charged in Chelan County with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, and federally with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 1073. A nationwide extradition warrant has been issued with no bail allowed until his first court appearance.
“He is a highly capable outdoorsman with military survival training,” U.S. Marshal Keegan Stanley wrote in the affidavit. “Those facing serious prison time often flee not just the state, but the country”.
Decker remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with credible information is urged to contact 911 immediately.
