Manhunt for Travis Decker intensifies as county sheriff's office assumes lead role in search for father

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has officially assumed the relation of pb investigative bureau successful the ongoing manhunt for Travis Decker, the begetter accused of murdering his 3 young daughters astatine a distant campsite in Washington state.

In a clarification issued Wednesday, the section shared with Fox News Digital that the Wenatchee Police Department is nary longer the pb bureau amid the ongoing manhunt for 32-year-old Decker. 

The displacement successful jurisdiction comes arsenic the probe continues to absorption connected rugged wilderness areas wrong Chelan County, wherever Decker was past seen. 

The section is coordinating with authorities and national partners successful an intensive hunt effort that includes aerial surveillance, tracking dogs and backcountry patrols.

POLICE CLOSE IN ON POSSIBLE LOCATION WHERE FUGITIVE DAD COULD BE HIDING AFTER ALLEGED TRIPLE MURDER

Authorities released this representation of wanted execution fishy Travis Decker. (Courtesy of Chelan County Sheriff's Office)

This undated photograph provided by Whitney Decker shows Paityn, Olivia and Evelyn Decker. (Whitney Decker via AP)

On Tuesday, June 10, authorities announced that they were zeroing successful connected the Army veteran. On Monday, the bureau received a extremity from a radical of hikers of a antheral who appeared evasive and unprepared adjacent the Ingalls Creek and Valley High areas precocious Monday night, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).

"Our bureau precocious received a extremity from a hiking enactment who stated they spotted a lone hiker successful the Enchantments country who appeared to beryllium ill-prepared for way and upwind conditions, and appeared to beryllium avoiding others," the sheriff’s bureau said successful a property release. 

Authorities subsequently acted connected the extremity and "spotted a lone, off-trail hiker from a chopper adjacent Colchuck Lake who ran from show arsenic the chopper passed," CCSO said. 

Search teams were capable to found a way and deploy K9s passim the area, starring them to Ingalls Creek.

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The wooded country is located astir 30 miles from Rock Island Campground, where the bodies of Decker’s 3 daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were recovered connected June 2.

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The bodies were recovered 3 days aft they did not instrumentality to their parent pursuing a court-approved sojourn with Decker. 

From left, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn and 5-year-old Olivia Decker (Wenatchee Police Department)

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Who is Travis Decker?

Authorities said Decker, a erstwhile Army infantryman with endurance skills, whitethorn person utilized his rugged survivalist capabilities to evade capture. Authorities antecedently described him arsenic "dangerous," informing residents not to attack him and describing him arsenic armed. 

"This is idiosyncratic with subject training, idiosyncratic who’s lived off-grid before," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said. "We’re dealing with a highly susceptible survivalist who whitethorn beryllium utilizing the terrain to his advantage."

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If convicted, Decker could look a maximum condemnation of beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole. 

Fox News' Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.