Left: Travis Decker (Chelan County Sheriff”s Office). Right: (from left to right) Evelyn, Paityn, and Olivia Decker (Facebook).
Police in Washington state believe they have found the remains of Travis Decker, who was named the “only suspect” in the murders of his three young daughters.
In a press release posted on Thursday, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said that they have found human remains in a wooded area near Leavenworth. Those remains, they stated, are believed to belong to 32-year-old Travis Decker. The announcement comes months after a manhunt for Decker kicked off following the discovery of the dead bodies of his three daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia.
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Police said that while the identity of the human remains has not been confirmed, “preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker.” The remains were found earlier this week during a search conducted by several agencies including the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Forest Service, and the FBI.
Last month, police stated that DNA evidence found at the scene where the girls were found dead singled out Decker as the lone suspect in their killings. All of the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads with their wrists zip-tied.
The search for Decker began on May 30 when he failed to return his daughters to his ex-wife after a scheduled visitation. The girls were found dead days later and a manhunt that spanned several counties and states ensued. Decker, a former member of the military, was known to be a survivalist and had allegedly conducted internet searches about fleeing to Canada in the days before his visitation with the girls.
The cause of death for all three girls was suffocation and the manner of death was ruled to be homicide. Decker was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping in connection with the deaths of his daughters.
Police said they will continue to process the scene where the remains were found. Pending the confirmation of the identity of the remains, police have asked for “continued privacy and respect for the family,” who have been notified of the find.
