Found Deceased Olivia 5, Evelyn 8 & Paityn Decker 9, found dead, manhunt on for father, Travis Decker 32, wh 2017 GMC Sierra PU, Wenatchee, 30 May 2025 #2

[UsernameRequired]

That's snow on the ground so it's gotta be cold and he's going to need to be dressed for that.

View attachment 594332

Authorities believe they spotted ex-soldier Travis Decker, who is wanted in deaths of 3 daughters

Authorities say they believe they spotted Travis Decker, an ex-soldier wanted in the deaths of his three daughters, in the remote backcountry of Washington state.

apnews.com

I've hiked this personally. The upper Enchantments is around 8,000 ft elevation. It does still cool off at night during this time of year into the 30-40 F degree range. I highly doubt he would spend much time at those elevations where there is still snow. It's also very strenuous hiking which he is probably is trying to conserve his energy.

 

[Gemmie]

They could be referring to the black shorts, whitish shirt he had on when last seen, iirc. That would narrow it down, imo.

And those are some cool days but cold nights. Since I didn't know where exactly to target, I searched for Chelan County, WA weather. And if he's still wearing those shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt... he's COLD at night. And come Saturday it's down to freezing.

I wish I had an exact point to search for weather other than the county.

 

[justtrish]

I very much hope it's him and that this can safely be brought to a resolution soon, but just in my experience, he's not the only solo traveller in the wild who 1) isn't visually geared up like a conventional modern hiker and 2) is not interested in interacting with anyone, and especially not with people who look like the authorities, such as in a helicopter. JME.

This is true, but I'd like offer a few thoughts.

1. anyone hiking now should know about the manhunt. That area was previously closed and was reopened so I feel most out there would have at least some idea they were looking for someone.

2. So, anyone hiking alone and acting weird could expect attention to them if they act oddly.

3. I've hiked a lot, alone and with friends and family. I have encountered solo hikers and most everyone at least says hi or waves in passing. They can signal they aren't interested in chit chat by moving quickly on and by making eye contact but then breaking it and continuing to walk on. I bet this solo hiker was acting a bit more odd than just the average person not wanting to encounter other people. It's fairly easy to pick up on signals like that and most of us have that gut feeling we get when something feels really off. Doesn't mean it is off, but just a solo hiker not wanting to chat wouldn't be odd.

I am curious if this solo guy they saw was not on the trail or went way off the trail to avoid even passing by them. If he was wearing the same clothing for all this time, he might look really disheveled, maybe he's in those sandals he was pictured in with the pizza boxes.. maybe he was limping or looking really unwell and also avoiding them. It would certainly raise my alarm bells if I was hiking and a solo hiker was looking unwell and maybe walking toward me and we were going to pass one another, but instead they went off trail and didn't even try to look my way. I'd wonder if they were okay, lost, hurt, or going to attempt to harm me or something. Seems it would draw more attention trying to avoid the other hikers than just passing by.

Also, running from the helicopter seems odd no matter who this hiker is. I've been hiking when a helicopter has came in close and I always think oh man someone must be hurt, and I stop and watch or at least look in the direction it's going to see if anyone is around/hurt/lost and so on. Seems most people would be curious about why a helo is there not running from it as if they know why it's there.

 

[jp156]

And those are some cool days but cold nights. Since I didn't know where exactly to target, I searched for Chelan County, WA weather. And if he's still wearing those shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt... he's COLD at night. And come Saturday it's down to freezing.

I wish I had an exact point to search for weather other than the county.

View attachment 594335

The temps are probably closer to 98 during the day and 50s/60s at night. I was just over in Leavenworth/Chelan county over the weekend. I am curious how he is surviving without water because if he's truly hiking around, it is HOT during the day. I suppose he could be drinking from streams and rivers out there.

 

[UsernameRequired]

And those are some cool days but cold nights. Since I didn't know where exactly to target, I searched for Chelan County, WA weather. And if he's still wearing those shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt... he's COLD at night. And come Saturday it's down to freezing.

I wish I had an exact point to search for weather other than the county.

View attachment 594335

Here, this is the NOAA weather forecast and temps for Colchuck Lake which is around 5,500 elevation. This is the location where Travis Decker was possibly spotted by other hikers.

You can move the map around to see different points of interest and weather.

National Weather Service

forecast.weather.gov

 

[UsernameRequired]

The temps are probably closer to 98 during the day and 50s/60s at night. I was just over in Leavenworth/Chelan county over the weekend. I am curious how he is surviving without water because if he's truly hiking around, it is HOT during the day. I suppose he could be drinking from streams and rivers out there.

Temps won't reach 98 in the Enchantments during the day. In town yes but not at the higher elevations. Leavenworth is around 1,200 elevation but the nearby mountains and hiking trails are between 5,000 - 8,000 ft with drastic temp changes. There is almost endless water sources in the area of lakes and rivers. Food is another issue though.

 

[NuttMegg]

This is true, but I'd like offer a few thoughts.

1. anyone hiking now should know about the manhunt. That area was previously closed and was reopened so I feel most out there would have at least some idea they were looking for someone.

2. So, anyone hiking alone and acting weird could expect attention to them if they act oddly.

3. I've hiked a lot, alone and with friends and family. I have encountered solo hikers and most everyone at least says hi or waves in passing. They can signal they aren't interested in chit chat by moving quickly on and by making eye contact but then breaking it and continuing to walk on. I bet this solo hiker was acting a bit more odd than just the average person not wanting to encounter other people. It's fairly easy to pick up on signals like that and most of us have that gut feeling we get when something feels really off. Doesn't mean it is off, but just a solo hiker not wanting to chat wouldn't be odd.

I am curious if this solo guy they saw was not on the trail or went way off the trail to avoid even passing by them. If he was wearing the same clothing for all this time, he might look really disheveled, maybe he's in those sandals he was pictured in with the pizza boxes.. maybe he was limping or looking really unwell and also avoiding them. It would certainly raise my alarm bells if I was hiking and a solo hiker was looking unwell and maybe walking toward me and we were going to pass one another, but instead they went off trail and didn't even try to look my way. I'd wonder if they were okay, lost, hurt, or going to attempt to harm me or something. Seems it would draw more attention trying to avoid the other hikers than just passing by.

Also, running from the helicopter seems odd no matter who this hiker is. I've been hiking when a helicopter has came in close and I always think oh man someone must be hurt, and I stop and watch or at least look in the direction it's going to see if anyone is around/hurt/lost and so on. Seems most people would be curious about why a helo is there not running from it as if they know why it's there.

Ditto all of that.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Jmo, I think he's crazy dangerous if still alive. Watts, for instance, was raised to blame anyone, everyone, else, including biblical characters for his actions. If this guy isn't able to do this, he'll explode when confronted by ppl who know what he did to his kids, when it sinks in. We can deal with any misdeeds, ourselves, but when we see what we did in others' eyes......

Ya curious a psychological profile - is it narcissism or PTSD. It seems narcissism classifies as a mental health condition which surprised me when I looked it up.

Chris Watts the little I know about him seems like a narcissist.

One reason I hope TD surrenders alive in a way, to know his psychological state during all this heartache.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

The thing is TD recognized he had issues and sought mental health intervention through the VA. He was put on a waiting list and did not have an advocate. We (in US and Canada) need to do more for our veterans. This includes but not limited to mental health, housing and financial guidance.
More money needs to be allotted to the VA.

And in both countries, I feel we need to address and modify the Amber Alert System. Hopefully, Whitney Decker will help in advocating for these changes in the future.

Edited to add: I am in no way sticking up for TD’s actions. But, had he received the help he requested, perhaps the scenario would have been different.

Call for compassion, love, and action from Whitney Decker’s friends and family

According to Whitney’s friends and family, she’s hoping that energy can be channeled into changing the systems she believes failed her daughters.

www.yahoo.com

I agree, not defending him but vets need more support for mental health and to adapt back into civilian life.

This isn't the first murder committed by a vet by any means, this one garnered a lot of attention because of the children.

 

[UsernameRequired]

Update today: Feds are now focusing their efforts further away from Ingalls area and toward the top of Blewett.

 

[sasha17]

Update today: Feds are now focusing their efforts further away from Ingalls area and toward the top of Blewett.

The description in this video of the geography is either incorrect or confused. She says they are at "the top of Blewett Pass" in this video clip, and the search efforts today are "closer to Cle Elum" and "inching up Blewett Pass". Cle Elum is to the SOUTH of Ingalls Creek, at the south end of Blewett Pass.

 

[Boxer]

The thing is TD recognized he had issues and sought mental health intervention through the VA. He was put on a waiting list and did not have an advocate. We (in US and Canada) need to do more for our veterans. This includes but not limited to mental health, housing and financial guidance.
More money needs to be allotted to the VA.

And in both countries, I feel we need to address and modify the Amber Alert System. Hopefully, Whitney Decker will help in advocating for these changes in the future.

Edited to add: I am in no way sticking up for TD’s actions. But, had he received the help he requested, perhaps the scenario would have been different.

Call for compassion, love, and action from Whitney Decker’s friends and family

According to Whitney’s friends and family, she’s hoping that energy can be channeled into changing the systems she believes failed her daughters.

www.yahoo.com

Unfortunately, it was his daughters' who really got put on a waiting list.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

TD needs to stop running. Surrender and be accountable, it's time to face the truth. Smh...

 

[Boxer]

The description in this video of the geography is either incorrect or confused. She says they are at "the top of Blewett Pass" in this video clip, and the search efforts today are "closer to Cle Elum" and "inching up Blewett Pass". Cle Elum is to the SOUTH of Ingalls Creek, at the south end of Blewett Pass.

Right, MOO he is using his skills to get down into the front country at night.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Right, MOO he is using his skills to get down into the front country at night.

Sorry if dumb question, what is front country?

 

[KBlackRabbit]

Front country is popular, well-marked trails and/or less remote areas close to civilization. Anywhere where more people are likely.

 

[RedHaus]

This may be a senseless question, given where things stand with this case and the search for Decker.

I keep wondering why Decker didn't take off in his truck and at least get some distance between the crime scene and a possible escape route, e.g. Canada or a different state, before any search for the girls would have been initiated? And now that we know he may be in the wild ill prepared for what he is up against (presuming the man seen by hikers and LE from the air is Decker), I wonder about this question even more.

The only thing I can come up with is that Decker must be in the midst of a psychotic episode and truly out of touch with reality or any logical or tactical thinking.

A psychotic episode is a period during which a person experiences a loss of contact with reality, often characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and/or disorganized thinking. WebMD.

 

[Gemmie]

Update today: Feds are now focusing their efforts further away from Ingalls area and toward the top of Blewett.

Does anyone know how much ground they think he's covered by foot?

 

[UsernameRequired]

The description in this video of the geography is either incorrect or confused. She says they are at "the top of Blewett Pass" in this video clip, and the search efforts today are "closer to Cle Elum" and "inching up Blewett Pass". Cle Elum is to the SOUTH of Ingalls Creek, at the south end of Blewett Pass.

She is just saying their search efforts are moving away from Peshastin and now up Blewett (meaning elevation) and toward the direction of Cle Elum in a grid pattern.

 

[imstilla.grandma]