[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
It’s one of the most horrific crimes of the past decade… and police seem no closer to catching the man responsible.
For anyone who’s avoided the story, Travis Decker picked up his young daughters for a 3-hour visitation on Friday, May 30. When they never returned, his estranged wife called the police. The search ended the following Monday investigators found Decker’s truck at the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth, Washington. And nearby, the bodies of his daughters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 — in a tent nearby. Their wrists were zip-tied, and they were asphyxiated with plastic bags.
Travis was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, as well as kidnapping. A manhunt was launched immediately. At this point it’s been nearly three weeks, and the cops have nothing to show for it. And any talk of rapidly closing in is gone. This man has disappeared. He’s used his military training and wilderness survival skills and stayed off the grid… so they just can’t find him!
Related: Decker’s Brother Discusses When He Lost It
The last substantive update was when some hikers saw a man walking alone. When they responded to the tip, the authorities “spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a helicopter,” per a Chelan County Sheriff’s Office press release. It was particularly notable because he “ran from sight as the helicopter passed.” But after that… nothing. Some folks reported in Yakima, Washington complained eggs had been stolen from their chicken coops. While that may have become grand theft in the days of Trump grocery prices, it’s not much to go on. And may not be him at all.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison spoke to KING 5 about the state of the investigation, saying:
“We’ll eventually get to find him. It may be in a week, it may be in a couple of years, but we’re not going to go away.”
He said authorities absolutely believe Decker is still alive out there. However, he added:
“We’re starting to transition into looking more towards the long game.”
The long game. We’ve covered enough crime to understand that code. In other words, they’re giving up the active search and just leaving up the phone numbers and wanted posters and $20k reward money. And hoping one day he pops up. They even released those computer-altered photos to show what Decker might look like if he altered his look. At the point they’re using CG, you know it’s a cold case in the making.
Is that acceptable here? For a crime this horrible?!
Speaking of which, and this is the part that’s really bothering us… They’re now telling us they don’t have any reason to believe Decker is a threat to public safety. He’s dangerous, they say, and should not be approached. But not a threat to public safety. HUH??
If we’re reading between the lines correctly here, they’re trying to tell us this man who they believe went off the deep end and murdered three children is unlikely to hurt anyone else. Why would they think that? Do they think he had some motive to kill those innocent children? Like he hated his own kids, but don’t worry, your kids are safe?? What sense does that make? If he’s killing kids because of a psychotic break, shouldn’t they assume the worst??
The only thing we can work out from that update is that they’re trying to justify the end of the active search. The fact they’re giving up because the trail is cold.
Damn.
The government can dedicate billions of dollars and thousands of masked man-hours to forcibly kidnapping hardworking, taxpaying immigrants… but they can’t be bothered to go apprehend a child murderer?!?
If you have a different takeaway, by all means let us know! We’d love someone to put our minds at ease here because what we’re reading sounds pretty bad.
[Image via Wenatchee Police Department/Facebook.]
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