LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — Authorities have located remains believed to belong to Travis Decker, an ex-soldier suspected in the tragic deaths of his three daughters, found in the mountains of Washington state. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office released a statement confirming their investigation alongside the Washington State Patrol crime scene response team. Although positive identification has not yet been established, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Decker.
Decker, 32, had been evading capture since June 2, when a sheriff’s deputy discovered his truck along with the bodies of his daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia — at a campground outside Leavenworth. He failed to return the girls to their mother, Whitney Decker, after a scheduled visit.
A former Army infantryman, Decker was trained in navigation and survival skills and had spent significant time living off the grid in the backwoods. The search for him involved more than 100 officials from state and federal agencies scouring the mountainous terrain over extensive areas by land, water, and air.
An autopsy confirmed that the girls died by suffocation, with evidence indicating they had been bound with zip ties and plastic bags placed over their heads. Their mother had previously expressed concerns about Decker’s deteriorating mental health and instability before the tragic event. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to confirm the identity of the remains found.
Decker, 32, had been evading capture since June 2, when a sheriff’s deputy discovered his truck along with the bodies of his daughters — 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia — at a campground outside Leavenworth. He failed to return the girls to their mother, Whitney Decker, after a scheduled visit.
A former Army infantryman, Decker was trained in navigation and survival skills and had spent significant time living off the grid in the backwoods. The search for him involved more than 100 officials from state and federal agencies scouring the mountainous terrain over extensive areas by land, water, and air.
An autopsy confirmed that the girls died by suffocation, with evidence indicating they had been bound with zip ties and plastic bags placed over their heads. Their mother had previously expressed concerns about Decker’s deteriorating mental health and instability before the tragic event. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to confirm the identity of the remains found.
