Remains Believed to Be Travis Decker Found in Washington Mountains

Authorities in Washington state announced that they have discovered remains believed to belong to Travis Decker, a former soldier wanted in connection with the deaths of his three young daughters. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office reported on Thursday that the investigation is ongoing and the remains are currently being processed with the assistance of the Washington State Patrol crime scene response team.

While a definitive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings indicate that the remains are those of Travis Decker, 32. He had been wanted since June 2, when law enforcement discovered his vehicle along with the bodies of his three daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—at a campground near Leavenworth. The girls had not been returned to their mother, Whitney Decker, after a scheduled visit, leading to concerns and ultimately the police search.

The search for Decker involved over 100 officials from various state and federal agencies, covering hundreds of square miles of challenging, mountainous terrain. The U.S. Marshals Service even offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his capture, highlighting the urgency and complexity of the situation.

In a troubling context, Whitney Decker had expressed concerns about her ex-husband’s deteriorating mental health in a petition last September. She noted that he had become increasingly unstable, often living out of his truck, and sought legal measures to limit his overnight visits with their daughters until he secured stable housing.

An autopsy conducted on the three girls revealed that the cause of death was suffocation. Investigators confirmed that the children had been bound with zip ties and plastic bags were placed over their heads, indicating the tragic nature of the case.

Travis Decker served as an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021, including a four-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014. His military training in navigation and survival skills added layers of difficulty to the manhunt, as he had previously spent significant time living off the grid.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office continues to process the site where the remains were found, with plans to conduct DNA analysis to confirm the identity of the remains. The tragic events surrounding the Decker family have drawn significant media attention, bringing to light critical issues related to mental health and domestic stability. The community remains in mourning as details of this heartbreaking case continue to unfold.