LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) Authorities have reported the discovery of remains believed to be those of Travis Decker, a former soldier who has been a person of interest in the tragic deaths of his three daughters. The remains were located in the mountainous terrain of Washington state, and the Chelan County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday that they are currently processing the scene with assistance from the Washington State Patrol crime scene response team, with plans to conduct DNA analysis for confirmation.
Travis Decker, 32, has been wanted since June 2, after a sheriff's deputy discovered his truck alongside the bodies of his daughters, who were aged 5, 8, and 9—Olivia, Evelyn, and Paityn Decker, respectively. The girls were found at a campground just outside Leavenworth, and authorities indicated that they had not been returned to their mother, Whitney Decker, as scheduled three days prior.
Following a visitation, Decker failed to return the girls to their mother’s residence in Wenatchee, situated approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Seattle. Reports reveal that Travis Decker served as an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 until July 2021 and had a deployment in Afghanistan for four months in 2014. His military training encompassed navigation, survival skills, and he once lived off the grid in the wilderness for over two months.
During the frantic search efforts for Decker, over 100 officials from various state and federal agencies scoured hundreds of square miles of rugged terrain, utilizing land, water, and aerial resources. The U.S. Marshals Service even offered a reward of up to $20,000 for any information that could lead to his apprehension.
Concerns regarding Decker’s mental stability have been raised in recent months. In September 2022, his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, submitted a petition to modify their parenting arrangement, citing that his mental health had deteriorated and he had become increasingly unstable. This prompted her to seek restrictions on his overnight visitations with their daughters until he secured stable housing.
According to the sheriff's office, an autopsy revealed that the cause of death for the three sisters was suffocation. Disturbingly, the girls had been bound with zip ties and plastic bags were found placed over their heads, intensifying the existing grief and shock surrounding their deaths.
As the situation continues to unfold, the focus now shifts to confirming the identification of the remains found and the implications it carries regarding the ongoing investigation into this heartbreaking case.
