Father who allegedly killed his three daughters possibly spotted hiding in remote wilderness by hikers
The manhunt for the missing Washington father accused of killing his three daughters has authorities closing in on an area where he is believed to be hiding.
Law enforcement searching for Travis Decker began zeroing in on the Ingalls Creek and Valley High areas late Monday night after receiving a tip from a group of hikers regarding an individual along a nearby trail that appeared evasive and unprepared, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO).
"Our office recently received a tip from a hiking party who stated they spotted a lone hiker in the Enchantments area who appeared to be ill-prepared for trail and weather conditions, and appeared to be avoiding others," the sheriff's office said in a press release.
Authorities subsequently acted on the tip and "spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a helicopter near Colchuck Lake who ran from sight as the helicopter passed," CCSO said.
Search teams were able to establish a trail and deploy K9s throughout the area, leading them to Ingalls Creek. The wooded area is located approximately 30 miles from Rock Island Campground, where the bodies of Decker's three daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5—were discovered three days after they did not return to their mother following a court-approved visit with Decker.
The new lead comes after the CCSO handed the search for Decker over to the U.S. Border Patrol, with the department remaining in command of the criminal investigation.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson also deployed the state's national guard to aid law enforcement by providing helicopter transportation as officials continue to comb through the state's dense wooded areas.
"We had reached a point where we need to rest our local resources," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Our command staff continues to be engaged with the search command while we give our teams time off to rest and recuperate and be ready to rejoin the search for, and capture of, the suspect."
On Monday, officials discovered a "large amount of evidence" from the father's abandoned GMC pickup truck, including blood samples tracing back to Decker and various personal items, according to the sheriff's department. Decker's dog was also found with the vehicle and subsequently placed in the care of the local humane society.
The announcement regarding the evidence came on the same day the CCSO coroner's office confirmed the three girls' cause of death was suffocation, ultimately ruling the case a homicide.
Prosecutors formally charged Decker with aggravated first-degree murder and kidnapping last week. Authorities allege Decker, an experienced survivalist and former member of the U.S. military, killed his three daughters before disappearing into the wilderness.
The girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and bound wrists at a local campground last week.
GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Decker's ex-wife, Whitney Decker, 35, told police Decker suffers from mental health issues – including borderline personality disorder – but had always returned the couple's children on time following a visit, according to a CCSO affidavit.
Decker is described as standing approximately 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds. Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker's arrest and have indicated he is considered to be armed and dangerous.
If convicted, Decker could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jon Jones facing new criminal charge over fleeing scene of car crash as he announces retirement
Jon Jones will retire the way he spent much of his legendary UFC career: With a legal matter hanging over him. The now-former UFC heavyweight champion announced his retirement on Saturday hours after UFC CEO Dana White told reporters in Baku that Jones was hanging up his gloves. Around the same time, Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal reported that Jones is facing a criminal summons filed Tuesday over a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident. Uncrowned subsequently confirmed the Journal's report. Advertisement Jones has been ordered to appear in court for a bond arraignment on July 24. None of that came up in his retirement statement, in which he promised "the best is yet to come" and said he wants to "continue to contribute to the sport and inspire others in new ways." The allegations against Jon Jones According to the Journal, an Albuquerque police officer was reportedly investigating a traffic crash on Feb. 21 in which a woman was found in the passenger seat of a car "exhibiting signs of significant intoxication and lacking clothing from the waste down." The woman reportedly told police that Jones was the driver of the car and fled the scene on foot. She then called Jones and a police service aide spoke to the man on the other line, believed to be Jones. That man allegedly "appeared to be heavily intoxicated and made statements implying his capacity to employ lethal force through third parties" against the aide. Advertisement In response to the perceived threat, the aide reportedly called for a backup and a police officer spoke to the man on the phone, who allegedly made similar "allusions to violence." The man never answered direct questions about whether he was actually Jones. Jon Jones is going out the most Jon Jones way possible. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) When police interviewed him in person, Jones reportedly claimed the woman left his house intoxicated earlier in the day and called him after getting in the crash. He claimed the person she handed the phone to "immediately opened the conversations with unprofessional language, which led him to doubt the legitimacy of the individual's claim." The woman reportedly told police she drank alcohol and consumed mushrooms at Jones' house and recalled needing to change her clothes there. Her next recollection was being at the scene of the traffic accident and the last person she remembered driving the car was Jones. Jones also reportedly called the woman's phone 13 times from after the crash to the following morning. Advertisement Jon Jones' retirement ended a bizarre saga That legal situation can't be definitively tied to Jones' decision to retire, but it certainly feels relevant after Jones opted to end his bizarre standoff over his potential next fight against UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. Jones last defended his belt against the 42-year-old Stipe Miocic last November. Since then, he has avoided the UFC's attempts to set a unification fight date against Aspinall, who looms as a potential superstar for the promotion. Seemingly with the UFC's blessing, Jones laughed off Aspinall's expectation of a long-awaited title shot. Advertisement Aspinall was finally promoted to the undisputed heavyweight champion on Saturday in light of Jones' retirement. He figures to get his first title defense soon, while Jones faces a different challenge. Jon Jones is no stranger to controversy Incredibly, this isn't even the first time a Jon Jones title reign has ended in the wake of a car crash. His first reign as UFC light heavyweight champion ended due to a hit-and-run accident that injured a pregnant woman. In that situation, Jones fled the scene on foot following the crash, only to return, grab cash from inside the vehicle, then flee again. Going only off the results of the Octagon, Jones is one of the few best answers out there for MMA's GOAT, but he has been routinely prone to allegations and controversy, with failed drug tests and contract standoffs making him an intermittent presence for the UFC in the later stages of his career.
CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
Baltimore man sentenced to life for killing Jamal Barney, former Loyola basketball player
A Baltimore man was sentenced to life on Friday for brutally murdering former Loyola Basketball player Jamal Barney in October 2023. Dayrel McFarland will be serving a life sentence plus three years for First-Degree Murder and Deadly Weapon with Intent to Injure, according to the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City. Jamal Barney, a standout Loyola basketball player Jamal Barney was a Baltimore native who attended Southwestern High School and went to Providence before transferring to Loyola University. It was at Loyola, from 2008 to 2011, that he became the Greyhounds' leading scorer in the two seasons he played, scoring 1,000 career points with two 40-point games. "Barney was from Southwestern High School and was one of the best scorers in the country," former Loyola basketball coach Jimmy Patsos said. Missing investigation Police say Barney, who was 37 years old at the time, was missing on October 1. However, family members reported that they hadn't seen or heard from him for nine days, had already filed a missing persons report, and had circulated flyers online. The family later received an anonymous message claiming that McFarland, also known as "Little D," had bashed Barney in the head with a cinder block and hid his body in a vacant home. A day later, on October 2, police responded to the 500 block of North Payson Street for reports of a suspicious death. When they entered the home, officers immediately detected a strong foul odor, according to the press release. In a second-floor bedroom, they found the body of Barney, stuffed inside a mattress covered with blankets and clothing. The body was reportedly mummified and so decomposed that the gender and race of the victim couldn't be determined, nor could a trace of blood or trauma be found. Officials believe the decomposition was accelerated by the body being stuffed inside the mattress. Investigators later observed a large hole in the right side of the bedroom wall leading to two adjoining rooms where they found blood evidence and splatter on the walls. A small section of carpet was also stained with blood, along with cinder blocks and a concrete paver. Tattoos helped identify unrecognizable body The body was later identified through Barney's tattoos by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, who ruled the victim's death a homicide by blunt force trauma to the head. McFarland, who was arrested on an outstanding warrant and questioned, initially denied murdering Barney, but admitted to having a roommate. Investigators then found a witness who told police that the defendant admitted to killing Jamal Barney by striking him in the head with the cinder block and hiding his body in a mattress on the second floor of the vacant. DNA testing of a cinderblock stained with blood linked McFarland to the scene of the crime.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Prayers Pouring In After Fatal Car Accident Involving Ohio State Football Legend
Prayers Pouring In After Fatal Car Accident Involving Ohio State Football Legend originally appeared on The Spun. Prayers are pouring in after a fatal car accident involving an Ohio State Buckeyes football legend on Saturday morning. A former Ohio State Buckeyes All-American football player was reportedly involved in a fatal car accident in Dublin, Ohio on Saturday morning. The crash reportedly took place at roughly 3 a.m. E.T. on Saturday. Kirk Barton, a former Ohio State Buckeyes All-American lineman, allegedly crashed his Ford pickup into another vehicle. Barton was allegedly driving at a high rate of speed when he crashed into a Lexus in Dublin, Ohio - a suburb of Columbus. The driver of the Lexus was pronounced dead on the scene. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star was taken to the local hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. He was later released into police custody. NBC 4 in Columbus had more: Barton, 40, of Lewis Center, is suspected of driving a Ford F150 Raptor pickup truck 'at a high rate of speed' eastbound on U.S. 33 before entering Historic Dublin just before 3 a.m. He then struck a Lexus on West Bridge Street, just west of Franklin Street, according to the City of Dublin. The driver of the Lexus, 24-year-old Ethan Perry, was pronounced dead at the scene. Barton sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was later released from a local hospital into police custody. Franklin County court records show Barton was charged with a second-degree felony count of aggravated vehicular manslaughter as the result of operating a vehicle under the influence. "Prayers to the victims.." one fan wrote. "This is terribly sad. Prayers for the family 🙏🏾," one fan added. "Those poor people…" one fan added. "Damn... prayers for all involved," one fan added. "My heart hurts so much. Horrible decisions have stolen a young life. Praying so hard for his family and friends 🙏🏻❤️," one fan added. "RIP to that young man 🙏🏽🤞🏽," one fan added. Our thoughts are with the friends and family members of the victim on Saturday. May he rest in peace. Prayers Pouring In After Fatal Car Accident Involving Ohio State Football Legend first appeared on The Spun on Jun 21, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
