Found Deceased WA - 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

[Boxer]

I actually am in AK, but aside from that tidbit, there is no way he could get a good paying construction job on the north slope. Those are mainly highly skilled well documented jobs with many ppl deep to replace them if need be. I doubt he could get a fishing job, or cannery, so many people in tight quarters, he would soon be identified. Most jobs these days up here require issuance of 1099's, meaning ID needed, and there is scrutiny for illegals. And hatred of baby killers. Alaska is still the place to come and disappear, but look what happened to Chris McCandless. There are homeless camps but it's not like blending in a big city when a guy needs tent, sleeping bag(s), stove in winter. etc. I just don't see him blending in easily, there are no major job needs like there used to be. And getting here thru Canada? Albeit with a 3 day head start I just don't see him getting up to the USA border all that quickly. Unless he came up to SE Alaska from Seattle on a boat, but unlikely. His inexperience on a boat would be a drawback.

Agree. What he knows is evasion in rough terrain. But why he went to into the wilderness in the first place is a question.
Maybe it didn't start out as an escape.

 

[NuttMegg]

Just to add, even in the warmer temps of summer, living off the land via survival skills is a lot different in most of AK than central WA. For one thing there are many grizzly/brown bears, and black bears. Good luck getting salmon or other fish from a stream that a hungry bear hasn't already staked out. Equally good luck building an odorless fire pit to cook the fish. Then sleeping anywhere near it. I doubt he would pick an area where bitterly cold nights were guaranteed come october- november.

 

[KBlackRabbit]

I actually am in AK, but aside from that tidbit, there is no way he could get a good paying construction job on the north slope. Those are mainly highly skilled well documented jobs with many ppl deep to replace them if need be. I doubt he could get a fishing job, or cannery, so many people in tight quarters, he would soon be identified. Most jobs these days up here require issuance of 1099's, meaning ID needed, and there is scrutiny for illegals.

And hatred of baby killers. Alaska is still a place to come and disappear, but look what happened to Chris McCandless. There are homeless camps but it's not like blending in a big city when a guy needs tent, sleeping bag(s), stove in winter. etc. I just don't see him blending in easily, there are no major job markets for newcomers like there used to be.

In fact most restaurants and businesses around Denali use those federal/state jobs programs to import young ppl from eastern europe, Taiwan, etc. It's interesting meeting your waiter these days, interesting accents. And getting here thru Canada? Albeit with a 3 day head start I just don't see him getting up to the far USA border all that quickly. Unless he came up to SE Alaska from Seattle on a boat, but unlikely. His inexperience on a boat would be a drawback.

Not to mention the climate, environment, and terrain are unforgiving in ways that aren’t seen anywhere in the Lower 48 or Hawaii.

Alaska is VAST. Unless you’ve seen it, it’s hard to fully appreciate. Vast and unpopulated. Five minutes away from any town and you’re in the wild and you have to take care of yourself.

Even southeastern Alaska, which is like the PNW but on steroids, is not a place to play games with. It’s comfortable for part of the summer, though it will rain in the summer, but come fall it’s months of rain, rain, rain, mud, cold, more mud, more cold, more rain, and long, dark nights. Plus rain.

Not to mention the cost of living is very high and there aren’t big cities for resources. The largest city is about 300k people, the next largest is a fraction of that. Then it’s all small towns and villages and loooooong distances between many of them.

Unless he’s had Alaska-specific experience, he won’t last long at all.

 

[Nikynoo]

the army helicopter is back searching.

 

[Charlot123]

“There’s some that may be sympathetic to his cause, which I think would be misguided,” he added, without elaborating on exactly how they might be involved.

“I mean, he’s accused of murder — not just once, but three times — and he is a danger,” the sheriff stressed of the troubled dad.

“So, for those that might have sympathy towards him, please allow the opportunity for us to do our job,” he said, suggesting the sympathizers were somehow interfering in the ongoing hunt.
Sheriff hunting Travis Decker fears ‘misguided’ sympathizers might try to help him: ‘He is a danger’

I don't believe there is much chance anyone "sympathetic" is assisting him. JMO

I think that initially there were some supporters, especially among divorced fathers. We don't know much about Travis's real life circumstances, but i can imagine some fathers viewing him as the victim of the family court system - look, they'd say, he served in the army, had a family and three kids, and after the divorce, he ended up living in a car and seeing girls only three hours a week. The projection of own experience with divorce might be so intense with certain locals that even publishing further details about Travis's life, e.g., domestic violence, or drug use, if any - would not change anything at all in the eyes of such people. They may not be as pro-Travis, as against-system.

I just hope that as the time goes on, the amount of supporters will be dwindling. Everyone has to see that Travis is an unstable guy who killed own daughters (and they, by his own admission, were the closest people to him). Considering this, no one, including the children of his potential supporters is safe, as long as Travis Decker is roaming around.

P.S. if i remember correctly, Danilo Cavalcante, Brazilian "spiderman" escapee from a county jail in Pennsylvania, was initially free-roaming the state and the locals seemed to be unfazed by this double murderer stealing food from their pantries. In two weeks of state-wide manhunt, everyone got tired. Considering that Cavalcante stood out in his looks, spoke Portuguese, was traversing a densely populated state with many roads and cameras, the fact that it took two weeks to capture him is telling. Hunting for Travis Decker is a harder work. JMO, the information about Travis Decker should be more widespread across the country.

 

[Charlot123]

And I wonder if TD could be in or headed to the North Slope of Alaska through Canada - BC and Yukon. It's a great place to hide and well paying jobs to be had on the pipeline and construction...

TD could be anywhere, but this place nags at me. Maybe 'cause I was in AK last month.

More: North Slope Borough, Alaska - Wikipedia

I don't think he'd fit into a group now. He already failed working in a group of carpenters in Idaho. I think his account of them bullying him might be a mixed bag - on the one hand, he somehow stood out in a group, on the other hand, he was probably very paranoid.

A solitary job in the North of BC or Alberta where lots of people mine for something I can imagine.

 

[Protectwomenandgirls]

Seems they think he got away.

But i thought he would descend to around Teanaway or Cle Elum when the choppers were circling his last position.
Once down he might hunker down, operating only at night to forage and fortify himself to prepare for a long and swift clandestine hike out of the area at the next moonless night which is June 25.

Moon didn't come out on nights of June 14/15/16 in northern California mountains

 

[KBlackRabbit]

I don’t see him mining either unless he already has mining expertise (knowledge of geology, engineering, use of equipment, and mining safety). If he digs a hole wrong, it can flood or collapse.

 

[Sundog]

I don’t see him mining either unless he already has mining expertise (knowledge of geology, engineering, use of equipment, and mining safety). If he digs a hole wrong, it can flood or collapse.

I have a cousin who spent years in the Northwest Territories working in the diamond mines. I don't think he had any specialized training when he started the job. Nonetheless, I don't see TD as being fit for that kind of job working closely in the mines with a team of workers.

 

[atomicsciencegal]

I don't think he'd fit into a group now. He already failed working in a group of carpenters in Idaho. I think his account of them bullying him might be a mixed bag - on the one hand, he somehow stood out in a group, on the other hand, he was probably very paranoid.

A solitary job in the North of BC or Alberta where lots of people mine for something I can imagine.

So, I’m a Canadian residing in AB, born and raised in B.C. Again, all mining and oil workers need ID and more importantly, safety tickets and work tickets. You can’t fake those, and you absolutely can’t just walk into a job without them.

Maybe he has other ID, sure. Good enough to cross the border during these unsettling times of scrutiny? Maybe. But I highly doubt he would have any safety or work tickets also done in the name of the fake ID.

It’s hard finding a job right now. Canadians are desperate and lots of people are looking for oil work that have worked previously in the industry. Companies can pick and choose, and they’re not picking someone without the lawful matching required tickets to work. No job would take him.

Sorry, it’s not likely.

 

[Snoop Sister]

I have a cousin who spent years in the Northwest Territories working in the diamond mines. I don't think he had any specialized training when he started the job. Nonetheless, I don't see TD as being fit for that kind of job working closely in the mines with a team of workers.

Agreed. I know a couple of people who started working in the mines in northern Alberta without any previous experience. The female I know, I don’t believe had her tickets either but was able to obtain online while on the job training. For Decker though the issue might be holding it together mentally while working.

If alive, I don’t think he would be searching for a job anytime soon. He is too well known…his pic is everywhere it seems.

 

[atomicsciencegal]

Agreed. I know a couple of people who started working in the mines in northern Alberta without any previous experience. The female I know, I don’t believe had her tickets either but was able to obtain online while on the job training. For Decker though the issue might be holding it together mentally while working.

To work in Canada you need a valid social insurance number, which he doesn’t have. You can’t be employed without one. If your friends were Canadian citizens, sure, you can get a job that will give you the training. But not without your social insurance number, which he won’t have.

I just really don’t think he’s in Canada. At all. It’s not realistic, especially when LE have already talked about possible assistance from some sort of mens rights social group that are in the area. If he wants to hide out in the woods, that’s going to be near where he is - WA, OR, ID.

 

[Snoop Sister]

To work in Canada you need a valid social insurance number, which he doesn’t have. You can’t be employed without one. If your friends were Canadian citizens, sure, you can get a job that will give you the training. But not without your social insurance number, which he won’t have.

I just really don’t think he’s in Canada. At all. It’s not realistic, especially when LE have already talked about possible assistance from some sort of mens rights social group that are in the area. If he wants to hide out in the woods, that’s going to be near where he is - WA, OR, ID.

Totally agree. I was just responding about getting some jobs without tickets. I live in Canada and I don’t think he has made it up here. But, who knows …
However, there are some farm jobs and other such jobs where the farmers for example, will pay under the table and a SIN is not a requirement.

But, I don’t think any of the above applies as I am sure if he is alive, he is concentrating on basic survival right now and will be for awhile. He is presently “too hot”.

 

[girlhasnoname]

To work in Canada you need a valid social insurance number, which he doesn’t have. You can’t be employed without one. If your friends were Canadian citizens, sure, you can get a job that will give you the training. But not without your social insurance number, which he won’t have.

I just really don’t think he’s in Canada. At all. It’s not realistic, especially when LE have already talked about possible assistance from some sort of mens rights social group that are in the area. If he wants to hide out in the woods, that’s going to be near where he is - WA, OR, ID.

Agree, I think TD set up that search to throw LE off. If not dead already, he's likely left the area completely to parts unknown. JMO

 

[Boxer]

To work in Canada you need a valid social insurance number, which he doesn’t have. You can’t be employed without one. If your friends were Canadian citizens, sure, you can get a job that will give you the training. But not without your social insurance number, which he won’t have.

I just really don’t think he’s in Canada. At all. It’s not realistic, especially when LE have already talked about possible assistance from some sort of mens rights social group that are in the area. If he wants to hide out in the woods, that’s going to be near where he is - WA, OR, ID.

Agree. He basically can only steal to get resources.

 

[atomicsciencegal]

Totally agree. I was just responding about getting some jobs without tickets. I live in Canada and I don’t think he has made it up here. But, who knows …
However, there are some farm jobs and other such jobs where the farmers for example, will pay under the table and a SIN is not a requirement.

But, I don’t think any of the above applies as I am sure if he is alive, he is concentrating on basic survival right now and will be for awhile. He is presently “too hot”.

Part of me very much thinks that, despite LE suggesting he may be being assisted in some way, his body will be found years from now, a suicide in the woods just hours from where he entered it.

 

[GraceG]

Yesterday, I saw some for at least 14 hours in the air (if data is correct).

I don't think the data is correct. For what it's worth, we weren't allowed to use the data from flight tracking sites such as Flight Aware, etc in goverment legal cases involving illegal aircraft operation or in litigation resulting from an air crash as there are often errors in the data (the sites themselves having a disclaimer if you look).

I don't know what type of helicopters were in the air, but a common helicopter, the Bell Jet Ranger has a range of about 3 1/2 hours at cruise speed. An Apache helicopter - the pilots would plan about 3 hours. SAR helicopters such as the Bell 412, Eurocopter EC135 and Sikorsky S-76 have 3-4 hours of flight time. That time can be affected by factors like weather conditions, the need for additional fuel reserves, and specialized mission requirements. Some helicopters may be equipped with aerial refueling capabilities, which can extend their operational time significantly, but it's not common in civilian or non-military use.

Slowing down to search water or land will increase that, but you also have to factor in you are a lower altitude where fuel consumption is higher. On average, when we'd be looking at where a civilian helicopter may have gone down, range wise, if transponder (radar contact) was lost, we'd factor in about 4 hours aloft, maybe 5.

There are some very specialized military helicopters with a range up to 1200 miles. Advanced prototypes like the The Bell V-280 Valor, a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft under development, boasts a range of over 2400 miles, but you're not going to see such types of helicopters in civilian search operations.

 

[Boxer]

Agree, I think TD set up that search to throw LE off. If not dead already, he's likely left the area completely to parts unknown. JMO

That definitely would be the smart thing to do.

 

[CHEL]

Nate Eaton - Reporter

Authorities have released new images that may show what Travis Decker looks like after several weeks on the run. The Washington state man is accused of killing his three young daughters, Olivia,...

www.facebook.com

Authorities have released new images that may show what Travis Decker looks like after several weeks on the run.
The Washington state man is accused of killing his three young daughters, Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker.
Investigators have been searching for Decker since May 30, when he failed to return the girls to their mother's home after a scheduled custody visit. Authorities found the children's bodies at a campsite in the Cascade Mountains on June 2. A man's blood was also discovered at the scene, investigators say.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office has released new images that show how Travis Decker could have modified his appearance.
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker's arrest. Officials say Decker should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911.

 

[NuttMegg]

So, I’m a Canadian residing in AB, born and raised in B.C. Again, all mining and oil workers need ID and more importantly, safety tickets and work tickets. You can’t fake those, and you absolutely can’t just walk into a job without them.

Maybe he has other ID, sure. Good enough to cross the border during these unsettling times of scrutiny? Maybe. But I highly doubt he would have any safety or work tickets also done in the name of the fake ID.

It’s hard finding a job right now. Canadians are desperate and lots of people are looking for oil work that have worked previously in the industry. Companies can pick and choose, and they’re not picking someone without the lawful matching required tickets to work. No job would take him.

Sorry, it’s not likely.

That's how I feel about his chances in AK, as I already described. Oil jobs are now more skilled maintenance, not gung ho pipeline construction. FIshing jobs depend on experience, no one wants a guy that "doesn't get along", a greenhorn who can cause accidents. And a person has to get to the fishing grounds, often an expensive plane ride away. Someone else noted the concept of vast distances.

I came up here in the '70s when so many young people were everywhere, it was easy to find others to share minimal housing, do some waitressing, get a fishing job and save up a year's tuition.

Now, visiting so many years later, old people the rule. I can't imagine a guy without resources getting a quick foothold up here. Sure carpenters are always in demand but again, a person needs a place to live. Eggs really are expensive. Easy to spend $40, just 2 people having lunch in a medium quality restaurant.

On the other hand, I haven't run across one headline about the crime. I have to specifically look it up online to seek news. No one I meet with at get togethers brings it up. No flyers, no notice in local papers. And he does have facial characteristics similar to some AK native populations.