Washington state authorities said on Thursday that human remains discovered this week possibly belong to Travis Decker — who had been unaccounted for months after allegedly killing his three daughters at a campground.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office told KOMO that Decker’s possible remains were found during a multi-agency search of an area south of Leavenworth. The remains were recovered from a wooded area, and preliminary evidence suggests they are those of Decker, 32.
Officials have not revealed the state of the remains, which are pending formal identification.
On June 2, the Wenatchee Police Department said officers discovered 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker dead near the Rock Island Campground. All three girls had plastic bags over their heads — two of the girls had two bags over their heads, and the third had three bags.
Police suspect that Decker killed his three daughters during a planned visitation and then fled. DNA analysis confirmed the former Army soldier was the only suspect in the slayings — as the DNA on the bags only belonged to him or his daughters.
Decker’s truck was found abandoned near the crime scene. The Seattle Times reported that a bloody handprints were on the truck’s tailgate. Decker’s cellphone allegedly placed him in the vicinity around the time his daughters were last seen.
An arrest warrant was issued for Decker in June. At the time, he was wanted for three counts of first-degree aggravated murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
* Additional reporting by Leigh Egan
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[Feature Photo: Wenatchee police]