Travis Decker lookalike leads to dead end, authorities end search in Idaho forest

Law enforcement was led to another dead end in the search for Travis Decker, the man accused of murdering his three daughters near Leavenworth.

Authorities thought they had Decker, but found out the man was only a lookalike after interviewing him, KIRO 7 reported Wednesday. Therefore, the search in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest was called off.

The man was spotted over the Fourth of July weekend in the Bear Creek area in Idaho. He was described similarly to Decker, with dark features, a beard, and tattoos on his arm and calf. But when the U.S. Marshal’s Office found the man on Wednesday, he was not Decker.

Travis Decker search enters sixth week

Authorities have been searching for Decker for six weeks, and the fugitive has made the U.S. Marshal’s “Top 15 Most Wanted” list.

Chelan County Sheriff’s Office released these photos of triple-murder suspect Travis Decker. (Photo courtesy of Chelan County Sheriff’s Office)

The strenuous search has taken its toll on law enforcement, with deputies stretched thin and juggling the search for Decker with daily duties, emergency calls, and rescues.

“We know that we are an international tourist destination when it comes to climbing, recreating, hiking, and we’re usually dealing with well over 100 search-and-rescues every single year, which are logistically challenging,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison explained.

Meanwhile, the investigation has yielded no new clues and operational costs continue to grow.

“In talking with King County, Snohomish County, and Spokane County, I believe they were all well over a million dollars assisting us, and that was just over a week,” Morrison shared.

Recently, investigators acknowledged the possibility that the father accused of killing his young daughters may have died in the wilderness, and shifted part of their search into a recovery effort.

Morrison revealed that DNA found at the campground, where the bodies of the girls were discovered, matched Decker’s DNA. However, Morrison said all of the many items collected by tactical teams at makeshift campsites high up in the Cascades, from near Leavenworth to Blewett Pass and Kittitas County, tested negative for a DNA match.

Although the search has so far come up short, Morrison and others have no plans of giving up. Morrison vowed to find Decker, no matter how long it takes, to bring him to justice and help bring closure to the friends and family of Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia.

Contributing: KIRO 7

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