What authorities found
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that human remains believed to be those of Travis Decker, 32, the Washington state man accused of killing his three young daughters, were discovered in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth. Officials said DNA testing will confirm the identity, but preliminary findings point to Decker.
The manhunt
Decker had been the subject of an intense three-month manhunt after his daughters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 — were found dead near the Rock Island Campground on June 2. Authorities believe he suffocated them with plastic bags and zip ties during a court-mandated visitation. His white pickup truck was abandoned near the crime scene with bloody handprints on its tailgate.
Hundreds of officers from local, state, and federal agencies scoured rugged terrain in Washington and even chased leads in Idaho. At one point, helicopters and search dogs tracked a figure believed to be Decker, but the trail went cold. Despite warnings that he was armed and dangerous, investigators later shifted focus from capture to recovery, fearing he had not survived the wilderness.
A grieving family
Decker, an Army veteran and former National Guardsman, was wanted on multiple counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping. His ex-wife, Whitney Decker, who first alerted police when her children were not returned after visitation, has since spoken out about failures in the Amber Alert system, calling for reforms after police requests for an alert were denied in the critical hours before the girls’ bodies were found.
Her attorney, Arianna Cozart, said in a statement Thursday:
“We are praying that the remains found are confirmed to be Travis’s. We continue to be grateful for law enforcement’s efforts in this case and are forever appreciative of the entire world’s love, compassion, and support for Whitney.”
Mental health concerns
Court documents revealed Travis Decker struggled with PTSD and other mental health issues, with a custody plan requiring him to undergo treatment and anger-management counseling. He refused to sign the plan, according to investigators.
What’s next
The sheriff’s office confirmed they are in contact with the Decker family as the remains undergo DNA testing. Authorities say they are committed to completing the investigation but believe no other suspects were involved.
