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Manhunt Shifts to Washington Backcountry After Idaho Search Called Off

After ruling out the Idaho sighting, authorities are intensifying searches in Washington’s rugged backcountry for the armed fugitive.

In this handout photo provided by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office deputies participate in the search for Travis Decker, at an undisclosed location in Washington state, Friday, June 6, 2025. (Snohomish County Sheriff's Office photo via AP)
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Overview

  • Search in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest was suspended after investigators located a hiker whose height, beard and tattoos matched Decker’s but confirmed he was not the suspect.
  • Manhunt now centers on Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and surrounding remote areas in Washington, with U.S. Marshals Service teams joined by state and local agencies.
  • Decker, a former Army soldier facing first-degree murder and kidnapping charges in his daughters’ deaths, is considered armed, dangerous and trained in off-grid survival.
  • Key forensic evidence, including DNA from blood on Decker’s truck and a medical examiner’s finding of homicide by suffocation, underpins the case against him.
  • The U.S. Marshals Service maintains a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker’s capture and urges the public to report credible tips.