The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said it is using past wilderness search experience in the hunt for the Wenatchee man accused of killing his three daughters.
Law enforcement is on the fourth day of the search for 32-year-old Travis Decker, who is accused of kidnapping and killing his three young daughters, nine-year-old Paityn, eight-year-old Evelyn and five-year-old Olivia.
On Thursday, as part of the search, the U.S. Forest Service shut down the Enchantments, a large area of national park land. Authorities also said Decker could be traveling along the Pacific Crest Trail, a more than 2,600-mile hiking trail stretching through California, Oregon and Washington.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Law enforcement closing Enchantments area for accused killer’s manhunt
Decker, who is a military veteran, is believed to have extensive survival skills and the ability to survive for months alone in the wilderness with very little equipment.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said law enforcement has seen this kind of manhunt before.
“We’re certainly an agency that learns from the past. We saw this around North Bend, I don’t know how many years ago, but we had an individual who had been involved in a similar incident and then dug himself a bunker out there. So, we take that into consideration – that he may be aware of our surroundings, and has the ability to survive. And that’s going to make it more challenging, but we’re certainly up for that challenge.”
Chief Morrison referenced a 2012 case in which 41-year-old Peter Keller from Seattle shot and killed his wife and ventured deep into the Washington wilderness.
Keller hid in a bunker he had dug and stocked with supplies, before ultimately taking his life in a standoff with police.
Chelan County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation and search for Keller.
The Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with a remote cabin in Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish and Okanogan Counties to lock their doors, open blinds and turn outside lights on.
Decker is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has multiple recognizable tattoos on his arms and torso.
If you believe you have seen Decker, call 911, the Chelan County tip line at 509-667-6845 or submit your tip online here.
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