Human remains found in remote mountains in central Washington have been positively identified as those of Travis Decker, the former Army soldier wanted over the killing of his three young daughters before disappearing earlier this year.
DNA analysis confirmed the identity of the 32-year-old fugitive, whose body was found in the steep and forested terrain on Grindstone Mountain, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. The site sits about one mile from where deputies found the bodies of Decker’s daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—at a campground near Leavenworth on June 2.
Sheriff Mike Morrison announced on Thursday that forensic testing on both the clothing found at the scene and the remains themselves is a definitive match to Decker.
“I hope you can rest easier at night knowing that Travis is accounted for,” Morrison said, directing his comments toward Whitney Decker, the children’s mother and the suspect’s former wife.
The sheriff apologized for the lengthy investigation and said that authorities were determined to solve the case in honor of the girls’ memory.
Court documents detailed concerns about Decker’s deteriorating mental state prior to the murders. In September of the previous year, Whitney Decker filed a petition seeking to modify their parenting plan, citing her ex-husband’s worsening mental health issues and increasingly unstable behavior.
The petition described Decker as frequently homeless, living out of his truck, prompting Whitney to request restrictions on overnight visits until he found proper housing.
The case began after Decker failed to return his daughters following a scheduled custody visit in late May. Three days after the missed deadline, a sheriff’s deputy found Decker’s abandoned truck alongside the children’s bodies at the Wenatchee-area campground.
Medical examiners determined the girls died from suffocation after being restrained with zip ties and having plastic bags placed over their heads. The horrific details shocked the community and prompted an immediate search for the father.
Travis Caleb Decker. Wenatchee Police Department via AP
Decker’s military background complicated the search efforts. He served as an Army infantryman from March 2013 through July 2021, including a four-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014. He had specialized training in navigation and survival techniques and had experience living off the grid for extended periods.
The search mobilized more than 100 personnel from multiple state and federal agencies. Teams scoured hundreds of square miles of mountainous and remote terrain using ground units, watercraft, and aircraft during the intermittent search efforts spanning over three months.
The U.S. Marshals Service offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker’s arrest. At one point during the early search phase, authorities believed they spotted the fugitive near a remote alpine lake after receiving tips from hikers.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office initially announced the discovery of suspected human remains on Sept. 19, working with the Washington State Patrol crime scene response team to process the location. While preliminary findings suggested the remains belonged to Decker, officials awaited DNA confirmation before making the official announcement.
The coroner’s office is investigating the specific cause and timing of Decker’s death.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
