The man mistaken for Travis Decker in Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest has revealed the text message he received telling him authorities were searching for Decker where that man had been camping.
Speaking with Idaho News 6, identified in the press only as “Nick” from Garden City, Idaho, said he was camping in the Sawtooth area over the July 4 weekend when he decided to take a solo hike along Bear Creek, where the alleged Decker sighting was reported. The person who reported seeing Decker described to investigators a man hiking alone who matched Decker’s description, but who failed to make eye contact.
Otherwise, nothing seemed off, according to Nick, and he returned home on Sunday.
“Everything seems normal”
Nick was hiking in the Sawtooth National Forest over the Fourth of July weekend, and several people submitted tips to authorities, mistaking him for Travis Decker. https://t.co/ojyrjzl89u
— KREM 2 NEWS (@KREM2) July 15, 2025
Referring to that time, “Everything seems normal until my friend who was up there with me sent a text saying, Bro, there’s a manhunt for a killer that was in the campground with us. My God, we spent the night next to the murderer, that is frightening,” Nick recounted.
As someone at the campground, Nick contacted the authorities, who, he says, interrogated him for half an hour. It was then that he realized he was more than a potential witness: He had been mixed up with the alleged triple-murderer.
“The search described me like, the hair, the beard, the hat, the glasses, my tattoo, earrings, my shirt. Shorts were a different color, my shoes, the backpack, the location. I said Oh my God, they think I’m that guy,” Nick told the outlet.
“In my opinion, I don’t realistically look like that guy,” Nick added. “They saw me from a distance. But be careful because this has been a little tumultuous time for me and people around me. It’s been disruptive at work, but I would encourage people to do that.”
The Decker search
Travis Caleb Decker is wanted by the U.S. Marshals. There is a Rapidly Advancing Manhunt program to expedite the fugitive’s location and apprehension near Leavenworth, Washington. To submit a tip go to https://t.co/6bFURsjrOY.#USMarshals #USMarshalsWanted pic.twitter.com/ntDZWTXSHu
— U.S. Marshals Service (@USMarshalsHQ) July 3, 2025
Decker, a 32-year-old former U.S. Army soldier from Wenatchee, Washington, is wanted in connection with the suffocation deaths of his three daughters, who were reported missing on May 30 and found dead in his abandoned truck near Rock Island Campground on June 2.
He was last seen with them on a court-approved visitation. Decker has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping, is considered highly dangerous, and possesses survival training that authorities believe could allow him to remain in the wilderness for an extended period.
Based on a July 5 tip from a family in the Sawtooth area, federal, state, and local agencies launched a major manhunt, searching for over five days for a man matching Decker’s description. Those efforts led to “Nick.”
After interviewing him and confirming he was not the suspect, authorities officially called off the Idaho search on July 9.
Decker remains at large, and the manhunt continues. U.S. Marshals are still offering a $20,000 reward and pursuing multiple leads, including a June 10 report of a possible encounter near an alpine lake in Washington’s Cascade Range. Investigators are also examining earlier reports from near Idaho City on June 18, though those sightings have yet to be fully verified or ruled out.
Authorities emphasize the importance of public awareness, particularly among hikers and backcountry visitors, as summer traffic and retreating snow may uncover more clues.
