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Chelan County Sheriff Confirms Remains as Travis Decker, Father Accused in Daughters’ Murders
CHELAN COUNTY, WA – Human remains discovered near a remote wooded area have been positively identified as Travis Decker, the 32-year-old father accused of murdering his three young daughters this past summer. Officials confirmed the identification on Thursday, bringing a significant development to a tragic case that has gripped the community.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison announced that DNA from both clothing and the human remains, found on September 18, returned a “positive match for Travis Decker.”
“We hope that you can rest easy at night knowing that Mr. Decker is accounted for,” Morrison stated, describing the announcement as a “full circle” moment for the investigation.
The remains were located during a search operation south of Leavenworth. While the identification provides closure on Decker’s whereabouts, the Chelan County Coroner’s Office is now working to determine the cause of death and how long the remains had been undiscovered. This process, according to Sheriff Morrison, “could take months.”
Upon the initial discovery of the remains, the attorney for Decker’s ex-wife, Whitney Decker, expressed the family’s hope for confirmation. “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,” said attorney Arianna Cozart in a previous statement. Following the positive identification, Sheriff Morrison expressed his hope that Whitney Decker knows officials “never gave up” and that the girls’ memories “will live on.”
“I hope we never see anything like this in Chelan County again,” Morrison added.
Travis Decker, an Army veteran, was wanted on three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping. The U.S. Marshals Service, which had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest, had previously declared Decker deceased in a court filing to dismiss the case and quash his arrest warrant.
The tragic incident began on May 30 when Decker’s daughters – Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5 – left home for a planned visitation and never returned. Three days later, the girls were found dead near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County following an intensive search.
Sheriff Morrison acknowledged that while Decker’s accounting offers some peace, “Nothing we can do is going to reverse this travesty and bring her daughters back.” He also noted that investigators may never ascertain a true reason for Decker’s alleged actions.
Court documents revealed disturbing details, stating the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists zip-tied. Autopsies confirmed the cause of death as suffocation and the manner of death as homicide.
Decker’s truck was recovered at the scene, but he was not found, triggering a massive manhunt. DNA evidence, including bloody handprints on the tailgate of his truck, solidified his status as the sole suspect. Hundreds of personnel from numerous agencies participated in the extensive search, which saw multiple reported sightings of Decker, none of which proved successful.
Cozart had previously stated that Decker allegedly struggled with “mental health issues and some instability in his life,” which had led to restrictions on his visitation rights, though she noted “no red flags” before the girls’ disappearance.
The manhunt was scaled back nearly two months into the search due to a decrease in leads, though authorities urged the public to remain vigilant. Sheriff Morrison had consistently vowed not to give up on the case, stating in July, “We could be in a fight for five years, 10 years, 20 years. I certainly hope we’re looking at a couple weeks and it closes out, but it could be a long time and we are committed to staying with it.”
In August, an FBI investigation at the campground where the girls were found uncovered several items, including bones, which were ultimately determined not to be human.
At a memorial service held for her daughters in June, Whitney Decker remembered them as having “warm and open hearts.” She expressed gratitude for their time together, saying, “I truly hope that the legacy of the girls’ lives lives in everyone’s hearts forever. They were incredible.”