Authorities in Washington say they may have finally located the remains of Travis Decker… the fugitive father accused of murdering his three young daughters before vanishing into the Cascade Mountains earlier this year.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday that human remains were found in a heavily wooded area near Grindstone Mountain, south of Leavenworth. While official DNA results are still pending, investigators say preliminary evidence strongly suggests the remains belong to 32-year-old Decker.
Sheriff Mike Morrison told reporters that items discovered near the body… including clothing and personal belongings… closely matched what Decker was last seen wearing. Crews used drones and cadaver dogs during the search.
Decker, a former Army soldier with advanced survival training, became the subject of a nationwide manhunt in May after his three daughters… 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia… were reported missing. Their mother alerted authorities when Decker failed to return them home after a scheduled visit. Days later, the girls’ bodies were found at a campsite in the Cascade Mountains. Autopsies revealed they had been suffocated, with their wrists bound by zip ties.
Investigators quickly named Decker the sole suspect. Photos of his possible altered appearance were widely circulated, and the FBI offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his capture.
The discovery of the remains comes months after intense search efforts, including a recent FBI investigation of bones near Rock Island Campground that ultimately proved not to be human.
Authorities say DNA testing will now confirm whether the remains are indeed those of Decker, closing one of Washington state’s most haunting manhunts in recent memory.
