Travis Decker Is Still Missing. Why One Expert Believes He’s Alive

A month after Travis Decker went missing after allegedly murdering his three daughters, the search for him continues.

While some believe that the Army veteran — who is accused of suffocating the girls, aged 9, 8, and 5 — is dead, one expert revealed why they believe that Decker is still alive and on the run.

Speaking to ABC News, law enforcement and security analyst and former Massachusetts state trooper, Todd McGhee, provided compelling evidence for why they believe Decker is still on the run.

He explained that his reasoning centers around the fact that dogs involved in the search for him have “not picked up on any type of cadaver [dead body] or any type of presence of a deceased body.”

“Canines are trained to look for cadavers and sniff for those types of odors, so he’s still maybe on the move,” he explained.

The expert continued, noting that “an international manhunt” might be required and that the case is complicated by Decker’s experience as a soldier.

There is some evidence pointing to his having fled the United States. He allegedly performed searches online about relocating to Canada days before he picked up his daughters.

McGhee hypothesized that Decker is using his time on the run to “process everything as far as turning himself in [and] standing trial.” However, he won’t be able to stay out of sight indefinitely.

“He’ll eventually have to surface through seeking shelter, seeking food, nutrition — those types of things will require him to come out of hiding and, to some degree, expose himself to the general public,” he explained.

Based on his knowledge, McGhee added, “I’m confident that something should reveal itself as far as a resolution as to where his existence is and hopefully a capture and an arrest.”

Decker picked up his daughters, Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia, on May 30 for a “planned visitation.” Their bodies were found on June 2. Days later, an autopsy report released by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they died via suffocation. The death was ruled a homicide.

Since then, a manhunt has been ongoing to find their father, whose car was found near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Wash. His ex-wife Whitney Decker, reportedly, wants him found “dead or alive.”

“That’s a huge, a huge thing that she wants,” Whitney’s attorney Arianna Cozart said during a June appearance on NewsNation’s Banfield. “It’s very, very important to her so that she can have peace.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.  

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.