The suspect posted pictures of an animal skeleton weeks before the murders
THE dad accused of killing his three daughters is believed to be hiding near a popular tourist destination, cops said.
Travis Decker is on the run in Washington state as cops search the woods near the Canadian border and theories swirl about the fugitive’s whereabouts based on his social media posts.
Investigators launched the manhunt after the bodies of Decker’s daughters, Olivia, 5, Evelyn, 8, and Paityn Decker, 9, were tragically found at a campground on Monday.
The girls’ mom reported them missing on Friday after Decker didn’t return them as scheduled after a custody visit.
The siblings were likely suffocated to death, cops said. They were found about 75 to 100 yards away from Decker’s truck, which he was living out of at the time of the killings.
Decker was nowhere to be found at the gruesome crime scene at Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, Washington, about two hours east of Seattle.
Prosecutors charged Decker with kidnapping and killing his daughters, sparking a massive search for the suspect, who is a veteran with extensive military skills.
Investigators are now searching for Decker on the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a popular tourist hiking spot in the state
The trail spans 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada and passes through Chelan County, the center of the search area.
On Friday morning, officials closed multiple paths off the Pacific Crest Trail in the ongoing search for Decker, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association.
“Trails are closed until further notice due to ongoing search operations for a suspect in Chelan County,” the PCTA said.
The US Forest Service also issued an emergency closure of the Icicle River area in the Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest, shutting down multiple trails and parks.
On Thursday, cops urged residents of Okanogan, Chelan, Kittitas, King, and Snohomish counties to lock their doors and to leave their outside lights on as Decker is on the loose.
Investigators zeroed in on the area after executing search warrants on properties and electronic devices, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said.
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/14417275/travis-decker-search-daughters-killer-pacific-crest-trail/