The manhunt for Travis Decker, 33, has expanded to Idaho, where authorities say a family in the state’s Bear Creek area spotted someone matching the triple murder suspect’s description.
According to a press release from the United States Marshals Service, a family in the Bear Creek area of Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest reported to authorities on Saturday that they had seen a man who matched Decker’s widely shared description.
According to Seattle-based ABC affiliate KOMO, the man in question was 5’8″ to 5’10” tall and dressed in a black mesh cap, gauged earrings, cream-colored shirt, and black shorts.
The description matches the clothing Decker was seen wearing on the day he picked up his three daughters for a scheduled visitation, which is also the day police believe he killed them all.
According to the family, the man they saw had a long ponytail, an overgrown beard, and a mustache. He wore a black Garmin-style watch and carried a black JanSport backpack.
The press release from the U.S. Marshals Service Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force, obtained by Boise-based NBC affiliate KTVB, included a description and a photo of Decker captured by security cameras on May 30, the last day his daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia — had been seen alive. Decker is pictured on May 30 wearing a ponytail, a cream-colored shirt, and black shorts.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, authorities determined that the DNA found on Decker’s truck was his. The three girls’ bodies were discovered on June 2, not far from the truck.
Authorities believe Decker is the sole suspect in his daughters’ alleged triple murder based on the evidence presented.
KTVB reported that Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Eric Toms was offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker’s arrest.
Decker, an ex-military and known survivalist, went off the grid after failing to drop off his three daughters with their mother, from whom he is divorced.
The search for Decker has now expanded to include counties in his home state of Washington and the neighboring state of Idaho. Authorities have acknowledged that Decker could be found dead while maintaining that their search is ongoing.
Decker is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping in connection with his daughters’ deaths.
Police have warned the public that if they see Travis Decker, they should call 911 right away and “do not attempt to contact or approach him.” Anyone with information should contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS TIPS.
