Authorities in Washington state said the father wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters may have scoped out a hiding location before going off the grid using his outdoor survival skills.
Travis Decker, 32, is wanted on charges including three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, according to the Wenatchee Police Department. Investigators have learned from Decker's father that he is well-versed in outdoor survival, a skill that may have assisted his efforts to avoid detection, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison confirmed at a June 4 news conference.
In addition to being an outdoorsman, Decker went to mountain survival school and served in the U.S. Army, potentially making the search more challenging.
"It sounds like at times he would go out and would be leaving off grid for sometimes up to two and a half months," Morrison told reporters. "So we understand that that's a possibility, that he could have scoped out this area before put supplies out there and has the ability and the knowledge to survive for a long period of time."
But Morrison assured that police will continue to work with federal agencies, from the FBI to Homeland Security, to track Decker down, adding that "we're up for that challenge."
