Alarming search history by dad before tragedy exposed.
A Washington father is now the focus of a nationwide manhunt after authorities say he took the lives his three young daughters and tried to vanish into thin air.
Tragic discovery detailed.
Travis Decker, 39, is facing three counts of first-degree m***** and a kidnapping charge after a “planned visitation” with his kids turned into a deadly mystery.
Decker’s daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—were reported missing after he failed to return them on May 30.
His ex-wife, the girls’ mother, reportedly told police she became alarmed when the girls didn’t come back on time and couldn’t reach Decker.
She filed a missing persons report almost immediately, triggering a state-wide endangered child alert.
Days later, all three girls were found dead at a remote campground deep in the woods of central Washington.
Police say the bodies were found just 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail—a well-known path leading straight to the Canadian border.
“The location of the victims’ remains is relatively close to the Canadian border,” a U.S. Marshals Service affidavit reads.
On June 2, authorities found Decker’s truck near Rock Island Campground, about 200 miles from the family’s home.
Inside the vehicle were two bloody handprints, Decker’s wallet, three child-sized car seats, food, and a blanket.
Phone records show Decker had scouted the area one day before the scheduled visitation.
The girls were found nearby.
But the search has revealed more than just a flight plan—it’s exposed a chilling portrait of a father-turned-fugitive.
Decker’s past highlighted.
Friends and family have described Decker as a former Army combat medic who’d recently lost custody rights in a tense legal battle.
Court records reveal Decker had previously faced allegations of domestic abuse, though no criminal charges stuck.
A custody agreement allowed him supervised visitations, but it’s unclear why this particular visit was unsupervised.
Decker’s search history unveiled.
The case took a darker twist after officials uncovered disturbing internet searches Decker allegedly made just four days before his daughters vanished.
According to court documents, Decker googled “how to relocate to Canada” and “how does a person move to Canada.”
He also browsed Canadian job listings, seemingly plotting an escape from U.S. soil.
Investigators believe Decker was laying groundwork for a full-scale disappearance, possibly intending to live off the grid.
They’re now warning the public he may be trying to cross into Canada by foot and is considered “a significant risk if approached.”
The U.S. Marshals, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and Canadian authorities are working around the clock to find him.
“We believe this was planned,” Sheriff Mike Morrison said in a press conference.
“The way he scoped out the site, the survival prep… he knew what he was doing.”
Police warning clarified.
As the manhunt intensifies, law enforcement says Decker’s military training may be helping him evade capture.
He’s believed to be traveling by foot with survival gear and could be blending into hiking communities.
Authorities say he has knowledge of wilderness areas and likely knows how to avoid surveillance.
“We are searching anywhere and everywhere for him,” Sheriff Morrison added.
A $20,000 reward is now being offered for any tip that leads to Decker’s arrest.
“Do not approach this man. Call 911 immediately,” the Sheriff’s Department urged in a public statement.
The manhunt continues.
The case has stunned the community, leaving many asking how such a nightmare could unfold in a routine custody visit.
And with each new revelation—his online search history, survival tactics, and eerie preparedness—it’s clear this wasn’t a crime of passion, but a carefully laid plan to disappear.