After Months-Long Manhunt, Human Remains Suspected To Be Travis Decker Discovered In Washington

Investigators in Washington state announced Thursday that they had discovered human remains in a wooded area south of Leavenworth that they believe to be those of Travis Decker. Located about three miles from Grindstone Mountain, the site of the discovery was in a remote area that had been heavily scouted by search teams over the last few months. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said that although a positive ID had not been made, the remains are “suspected to be those of Travis Decker based on the initial discovery and forensic examination.” At this time, DNA analysis will be conducted to confirm the identity. 

Decker, 32, is wanted by police for the deaths of his three young daughters earlier this summer. The three girls, Paityn (9) Evelyn (8) and Olivia (5) were killed during a scheduled visitation at the end of May, and their mother, Whitney Decker, reported them missing when they were not returned to her Wenatchee home on May 30. The following day, searchers found the girls’ bodies at a campground in Chelan County. Investigators determined that all three of the children had been suffocated and had plastic bags over their heads and their wrists zip-tied. Decker had abandoned his truck and phone at the campsite, and was nowhere to be found as a major manhunt was launched for the father of three.

A former Army veteran trained in wilderness survival, Decker had the skills necessary to hide out in the thick forest indefinitely and avoid authorities. He was also believed to be armed and dangerous. Search parties combed the area all summer and said they had followed up on reported sightings of Decker in both Washington and Idaho. In July, investigators acknowledged that some of their best leads had gone cold, though they also promised they would not give up on the case.

The high-profile case led to the closure of popular hiking areas and other forestland throughout Washington and Idaho as law enforcement searched for Decker and processed various pieces of evidence. U.S. Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the suspect’s capture, but no break in the case ever stuck.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison confirmed Thursday that his office had been in contact with the Decker family in the wake of the discovery. “We are providing them with support and updates as the investigation proceeds and are asking for continued privacy and respect for the family,” the statement read. Investigators will now work to process the scene and investigate his movements in the final days before he was discovered, just a few miles from where the bodies of his three daughters were found back in June.