Authorities suspect the discovered remains to potentially be those of the father, Travis Decker, who is implicated in the homicides of three young girls.
In a shocking turn of events, the manhunt for Travis Decker, a 32-year-old man wanted for three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping, has been scaled back amid a decrease in leads and tips. Decker is accused of murdering his three young daughters, Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5), who went missing on May 30 after a planned visitation with their father in Washington DC.
The girls' bodies were found in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth, near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County, Washington, on the same day they disappeared. According to court documents, the girls were found with plastic bags over their heads and their wrists zip-tied. An autopsy determined the girls' cause of death to be suffocation, and the manner of death is homicide.
Officials revealed that bloody handprints found on the tailgate of Decker's truck match the DNA profile believed to be Decker's. Decker's truck was recovered at the scene, but he was nowhere to be found, sparking a massive manhunt involving hundreds of people from dozens of agencies and organizations, including the Washington Post.
The search for Decker involved local police authorities including the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol's forensic laboratory, who conducted searches and forensic analyses of discovered remains. The FBI conducted an extensive grid search in the Rock Island Campground and surrounding area in late August.
Preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Decker, but positive identification has not yet been confirmed. The United States Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading directly to Decker's arrest.
Travis Decker served in the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014. He transferred to the Washington National Guard in 2021, and preparations for an "administration separation" from the military began in 2023 or 2024, but the process has not officially started. Arianna Cozart, the attorney for Whitney Decker, previously stated that Decker struggled with mental health issues, including PTSD, and was unable to receive help through veterans' resources.
Sheriff Mike Morrison previously stated that they are committed to staying with the case for a long time, even if it takes years. The investigation is still ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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