Authorities find look-alike hiker, end Travis Decker search
- Authorities initiated a search for Travis Decker in Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest after a family reported seeing a man resembling him.
- The search, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, lasted five days before they identified the man as a hiker, not Decker.
- With the verification of the hiker's identity, the search for Decker in the area was officially called off.
In Idaho, a search led by federal authorities in the Sawtooth National Forest came to an abrupt end following a case of mistaken identity. This search originated on Saturday when the U.S. Marshals Service's Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force received a report from a family who believed they had spotted Travis Decker, a suspect in the tragic murders of his three young daughters. This alert raised alarms and prompted a multi-agency response, comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement elements, all working together in a race against time to locate the suspect. Decker had been on the run since June 2, when his truck was discovered alongside the bodies of his daughters—9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia—at a campground in Washington State. The authorities had previously lost track of him after he failed to return the girls to their mother after a visitation arrangement. The press reported efforts to find him in various locations, including near a remote alpine lake, but these efforts had yielded no results until the tip regarding the bear creek sighting. Local campers noted a man who closely described Decker, leading investigators to initiate the search in Idaho's scenic forest area. The community's engagement proved essential when tips about the alleged sighting started pouring in. Heightened by the urgency evoked by the crime, the narrative surrounding Travis Decker intensified as investigators explored every possible lead. Federal Marshals and investigators meticulously combed through the Bear Creek area under challenging conditions. These inquiries bore fruit when law enforcement officials located the man in question on the following Wednesday afternoon, a moment charged with the hope of closing a harrowing chapter. Upon identification, they found that he was not Travis Decker, but rather an unrelated hiker who had been similarly dressed and bore a resemblance to the wanted man. Authorities expressed their gratitude towards the public and other agencies for their assistance during this lengthy five-day search, affirming that although the search for Decker in that area was concluding, they remained committed to capturing him. This high-profile case highlights the complexities surrounding law enforcement procedures, the significance of public tips, and the difficulties faced in tracking down fugitives in expansive and rugged terrains.