Travis Decker Identified as Suspect in Daughters’ Deaths

Travis Decker’s location was confirmed last week through DNA evidence from a body found near the crime scene where he is believed to have killed his three young daughters at a campsite in Washington.

Decker, a 33-year-old Army veteran, was declared dead after an extensive three-month manhunt. Authorities suspected he was surviving in the wilderness to evade capture.

“He’s dead. Our DNA results verify that, bringing us closer to solving this case,” said Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison during a press conference on Thursday.

Morrison described the entire incident—a gruesome murder, an extensive manhunt, and the eventual discovery of Decker’s body—as a “dark chapter” in Chelan County’s history.

The body was dated to September 18, found less than a mile from the campsite where the tragic events unfolded.

Nationwide attention was drawn to the case after police revealed that Decker’s daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—were discovered in a horrific state on June 2 near a campsite in Wenatchee National Forest.

Authorities indicated that a girl’s body found at Rock Island Campground, about 150 miles from Seattle, was handed over to her ex-husband for a planned custody visit after being reported missing by her mother, Whitney.

The county medical examiner has identified the cause of the girl’s death as asphyxiation.

Decker’s abandoned truck was located in a heavily wooded area not far from Leavenworth.

The Chelan County Coroner’s office is still determining how Decker died, with the sheriff noting that this could take months.

Authorities initially believed they had identified Decker’s remains, and when search teams recovered the body earlier this week, it was confirmed that the clothing matched what he was last seen wearing.

However, local officials had previously cautioned that, although they suspected the remains were Decker’s, DNA results were still forthcoming. A member of the task force commented that they had jumped the gun before confirming with DNA.

Morrison mentioned that a “majority” of Decker’s remains were found—this included two feet, femurs, and vertebrae—but not everything.

When the DNA results were announced, Sheriff Morrison expressed a desire to honor the three young girls. “We wanted to show respect for them. We haven’t forgotten about them,” he said. He also extended his apologies to their mother, Whitney, for the delay in providing closure, hoping that the confirmation of Decker’s death would bring her some peace.