Federal authorities have called off a manhunt in Idaho for a triple murder suspect, calling it a case of mistaken identity.
Law enforcement had descended on the Sawtooth National Forest after receiving a tip that a hiker resembled Travis Decker. Decker, 32, is wanted for the kidnapping and murder of his three daughters.
The girls - Olivia, 5, Evelyn 8, and Paityn, 9 - were found June 2. Police have said the girls were asphyxiated during a visitation with Decker. There bodies were found near the Rock Island Campground in rural Washington. Since that discovery, a massive manhunt has been launched to find Decker, a U.S. Army veteran with survivalist skills.
On July 5, the U.S. Marshals Service received a tip of a potential sighting of Decker in Idaho, mynorthwest.com reported. A family camping near Bear Creek in the Sawtooth National Forest reported seeing a person that they said matched Decker's description.
However, the Associated Press reported that on Wednesday, police were able to track down the hiker who had inspired the tip. It turned out that although he did bear a resemblance to Decker, it was a case of mistaken identity.
"Investigators interviewed the cooperative man and confirmed he was hiking in the Bear Creek area this past weekend," U.S. Marshall Service Deputy Michael Leigh stated to the AP.
The United States Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to Decker's arrest. Anyone with information regarding Travis Decker's whereabouts is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshal Service Communication Center at (800) 336-0102, or USMS Tips at www.usmarshals.gov/tips
