An ex-FBI agent has disclosed that the recent modifications in the search effort for a father accused of murdering his three daughters may be designed to entice him out of hiding.
It has been over five weeks since authorities began searching for Travis Decker, 32, in the rugged areas of Washington state after his children were found dead.
But officials have now scaled back their search after ruling out several supposed sightings.
However, they are not giving up on finding Decker, an army veteran with outdoorsman skills who may still be on the run.
He is accused of killing children Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, who were found suffocated to death at a campground.
The tragic discoveries occurred three days after he missed returning the girls to their mother’s home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles from Seattle, after a planned visit.
Decker’s truck was abandoned at the camp in Leavenworth, and police believed he escaped on foot with few belongings.
Stuart Kaplan, a former Special Agent for the FBI, spoke to The U.S. Sun exclusively about the case.
“With the involvement of the US Marshals Service in this investigation and considering the gruesome nature of the alleged crimes by Travis Decker, it’s not a question of if, but when he’ll be captured or discovered dead by suicide,” he explained.
“The US Marshals Service stands as the most relentless law enforcement agency in the world regarding the capture of fugitives. Their available resources and assets are remarkably extensive.”
When questioned about the implications of the search being scaled down, Kaplan stated, “Each reported tip is meticulously examined to make sure nothing is overlooked or underestimated in this investigation.”
“Just because a case ‘goes cold’ and may be transferred to a Cold Case Squad, the case remains open and active.
“Given the nature of the triple homicide of three children, this investigation will maintain a status of high-priority investigation.
“At least one or two investigators will be assigned full-time work on it.”
Kaplan said sometimes police scale back searches and release a statement on who they believe is responsible for a major crime to seem as though they are backing down.
“Most times, it is considered when they believe someone may be in hiding,” he said.
“This ‘investigative technique’ may be deployed to flush someone out of hiding.
“Given the nature of these allegations any/and all assets are being deployed or considered.”
Kaplan added, “There are, unfortunately, many present cases that are in a ‘cold case status’ sometimes just awaiting a big break or an advancement in science (DNA).
“In the past 10 years, with a tremendous advancement in DNA testing, 30-year-plus cold cases have been solved.
“The reality is that too many cold cases could be solved today, but sometimes because of the lack of funding to resubmit evidence for DNA testing is the difference between a case being solved and a case remaining unsolved.”
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
May 29: Cell phone activity shows that the girls’ dad, Travis Decker, drove to the Rock Island Campground and left.
May 30: 5 pm – Travis Decker picks the three girls up from their mom, Whitney Decker.
8 pm – Travis Decker is supposed to return the girls but doesn’t. Whitney Decker calls him and it goes to voicemail.
9:45 pm – Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing.
Travis Decker’s truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn’t match their criteria.
May 31 : WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
June 2: 3:45 pm – Travis Decker’s truck is found empty at Rock Island Campground with two bloody handprints and items inside.
5 pm – Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
June 3: 9:30 am – Cops notify the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm – WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Travis Decker is still on the loose.
June 8: Federal authorities take over search efforts.
June 9: Autopsy results confirm three girls were murdered by suffocation.
June 13: An affidavit revealed Whitney described Travis as having “recent mental health concerns.”
“She provided the examples of randomly leaving or waking her up by screaming at her in the middle of the night,” it read.
“She also said near the end of the marriage he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder that she believes he currently does not take medications for.”
June 17: New audio of Travis in court fighting for custody of his daughters is released.
“I understand that my current position when I’m by myself isn’t ideal, but my daughters aren’t a part of that,” he said in September 2024.
“I only get to see them over the weekends and camping is something that the four of us have done since the three of them were in diapers.”
June 20: Memorial is held where Whitney speaks publicly about girls for first time.
July 5: A family spotted a man believed to be Travis Decker in the Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho.
July 9: US Marshals call off the search in Sawtooth National Forest after locating and questioning the man believed to be Travis Decker and confirming it isn’t him.
July 25: The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office admitted that they will be reducing their footprint at the initial crime scene.
The office said it has conducted an “exhaustive search” at the campground and surrounding areas using water teams, K-9 units, units on foot, and air assets.
Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in Wenatchee, Washington, said last week that a decrease in leads and tips for the potential location of Decker has led to a reduced footprint from CCSO and other LE Agencies in the search.
“CCSO Detectives continue to assess evidence and search for new investigative leads,” they said in a press release.
“Law enforcement personnel, along with search and rescue organizations have conducted an exhaustive search for Mr. Decker of the wilderness area surrounding the initial crime scene.
“Information and leads received have been followed up on in several different areas with the focus remaining on the Blewett Pass and Enhancements area between Chelan and Kittitas Counties.
“Search efforts have included swift water teams, multiple K9 teams with various disciplines (tracking, human remains detection, etc), air assets, and personnel on foot.”
Officials seem to be divided on whether Decker is dead or alive due to insufficient evidence.
“The most recent search area led our teams to the Blewett Pass area, north of the Mineral Springs campground,” they added.
“The potential evidence and intelligence gathered in this area are inconclusive, meaning we cannot confirm any of the information is directly associated with Mr. Decker.”
As bear hunting season opens in August, and others continue their outdoor pursuits, they “strongly encourage everyone venturing out into these areas to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, persons, or items they may come across by reporting it to 911 immediately.”
The Sheriff’s Office is also asking those who do come across something to mark the location using GPS or other marking form
if they are able to, and even take pictures if it is safe.
