Additional Coverage:
Idaho Search for Triple Homicide Suspect Ends in Mistaken Identity
A search in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest for a man suspected of killing his three young daughters has ended after authorities confirmed it was a case of mistaken identity. The search began Saturday when a family reported seeing a man they believed to be Travis Decker, wanted in connection with the deaths of his daughters in Washington state.
The man spotted bore a resemblance to Decker, sharing similar height, weight, hair, beard, and even tattoos. This prompted a multi-agency search effort involving federal, state, and local law enforcement.
However, on Wednesday, authorities located the man and confirmed he was not Decker, but a hiker who had been in the Bear Creek area over the weekend.
The ongoing search for Decker continues in Washington state, where he is wanted for the deaths of his three daughters: 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia. Their bodies were discovered at a campground outside Leavenworth, Washington, on June 2nd, three days after Decker failed to return them to their mother.
A possible sighting of Decker near a remote alpine lake in the Cascade Range on June 10th also led to a search, but he remains at large. Authorities have acknowledged the possibility that Decker may have succumbed to the harsh conditions of the wilderness.
Decker is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds, with facial hair, long dark hair often worn in a ponytail, and distinctive tattoos. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his capture.