Washington officials announced on Thursday that human remains discovered last week belong to a man who vanished after allegedly killing his three daughters.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said the decomposed remains — found on September 19 on Grindstone Mountain — are those of Travis Decker. The announcement comes two days after U.S. Marshals petitioned the court to drop its criminal case against Decker, who was unaccounted for but presumed dead, according to The Seattle Times.
The police department’s announcement also comes after claiming U.S. Marshals “jumped the gun” by declaring Decker legally deceased. At the time, authorities were awaiting DNA results to formally identify the remains discovered on September 19.
Decker’s decomposed remains were reportedly found in a wooded area south of Leavenworth. At the time, Morrison reportedly requested various forensic tests from the Washington State Patrol’s crime lab — including tests on a partial spinal column, two femurs, two feet, and clothing discovered alongside the human remains. The clothes undergoing testing are Army Ranger shorts, a shirt, and a bracelet.
The remains were located less than a mile from the Rock Island Campground, where 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker’s bodies were found on June 2.
All three girls had plastic bags over their heads — two of the girls had two bags over their heads, and the third had three bags.
Police suspect that Decker killed his three daughters during a planned visitation and then fled. DNA analysis confirmed the former Army soldier was the only suspect in the slayings — as the DNA on the bags only belonged to him or his daughters.
Near the crime scene, Decker’s truck was found abandoned with bloody handprints on the tailgate. Decker’s cellphone allegedly placed him in the vicinity when his daughters were last seen.
An arrest warrant was issued for Decker in June. At the time, he was wanted for three counts of first-degree aggravated murder and three counts of first-degree kidnapping.
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[Feature Photo: Wenatchee police]
