COPS hunting for a dad accused of murdering his three children have reportedly found items that could belong to him as the search for him ramps up.
Investigators believe they could be closing in on missing Travis Decker, who has been at large for more than a week.
Cops believe they’ve found items belonging to missing fugitive Travis Decker[/caption]
Decker is accused of killing his three young children[/caption]
Decker’s kids were found dead in a rural Washington campground after he allegedly suffocated them during a planned custody visit on May 30.
The children – three sisters – were found on June 2 and the search for Decker is now in its second week.
On Tuesday, investigators received a tip from a hiking party who claimed they spotted a man hiking alone.
Investigators combed the hiking trail and revealed on Wednesday that they found some items that could belong to Decker.
“We have found items that are of interest to us that we perceive could be from Mr. Decker,” Mike Morrison, the Chelan County Sheriff, said.
“We have also followed up with some of his friends and family and we believe that we are closing in on his trail.”
Morrison also had a warning for the fugitive.
“Every single day Travis is out there, he’s going to have aim for perfection,” he said.
“All we need is one mistake.”
The hiker, who was apparently spotted by the hiking party, appeared to be ill prepared for the weather conditions.
Chelan County cops revealed a helicopter spotted a hiker near a lake, before they bolted out of sight.
Police said they believe they are tracking a suspect believed to be Decker.
The items believed to belong to Decker were found just days after police discovered some animal blood.
Cops also found Decker’s dog and a man’s blood.
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
Thursday, May 29
Cell phone activity shows that the girls’ dad, Travis Decker, drove to the Rock Island Campground and left.
Friday, May 30
5 pm – Travis Decker picks the three girls up from their mom, Whitney Decker.
8 pm – Travis Decker is supposed to return the girls but doesn’t. Whitney Decker calls him and it goes to voicemail.
9:45 pm – Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing.
Travis Decker’s truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn’t match their criteria.
Saturday, May 31
WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
Monday, June 2
3:45 pm – Travis Decker’s truck is found empty at Rock Island Campground with two bloody handprints and items inside.
5 pm – Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
Tuesday, June 3
9:30 am – Cops notify the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm – WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Travis Decker is still on the loose.
Decker collected his children – Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia, five – at 5pm on May 30.
He was supposed to return the children three hours later to their mom, Whitney.
Decker and Whitney, who has been divorced for several years, spoke to each for about 20 minutes before he left with the children.
Decker is believed to have tried to rekindle his romance with Whitney before the killings.
“Last week he tried to reconcile our marriage and had even made comments to the girls about him moving back in, and I rejected his advancements,” she said in court documents seen by the ABC affiliate KSFN-TV.
Decker previously served in Afghanistan and in the court documents, she revealed that he suffered from personality disorders.
“He’s a broken human, like anybody who could commit such a heinous act is, you know, I don’t know the better way to put it
Whitney tried to call Decker, but her messages just went to his voicemail.
But days before the custody appointment, Decker reportedly searched plans regarding moving to Canada.
He also accessed a Canadian job website, and searched the phrase “How does a person move to Canada.”
The kids had plastic bags over their heads and their wrists were zip-tied when they were found by police.
Cops also found bloody adult-sized handprints on Decker’s truck.
As part of the search, cops released pictures of Decker’s arm and ankle tattoos.
Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
He has also been hit with three kidnapping charges and a slew of custodial interference charges.
A GoFundMe page to help Whitney has raised more than $1.1 million.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
Search crews on the ground in rural Washington state[/caption]
Cops released surveillance footage of Decker as part of their investigation[/caption]
Decker has distinctive arm and ankle tattoos[/caption]
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