Investigators think they’ve found the remains of Travis Decker, accused of killing his 3 daughters
CNN Newsource
By Holly Yan, Karina Tsui, CNN
(CNN) — Months after the bodies of three young sisters were found suffocated and abandoned in the Washington state wilderness, authorities believe they’ve found the remains of the man accused of killing them: their father.
Investigators found bone fragments, other human remains and clothes that look similar to what Travis Decker was wearing before his three daughters were found dead at a campsite in the Washington Cascades, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told CNN on Friday.
The hunt for Decker spanned three countries and yielded false alarms from tipsters across the US. But the search may have ended just 0.74 miles away from the June crime scene – in terrain that is virtually uninhabitable and barely accessible.
“That’s straight uphill. You’re almost looking like a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain in a little bit of distance,” Morrison said of the patch of Grindstone Mountain. “It would take almost three hours to hike in there, just based off the terrain and the rock formations.”
But on Thursday, a drone flying over the area detected some unusual material on the mountainside, which is covered in thick vegetation. Morrison’s detectives rappelled down from a helicopter and discovered the remains among a trove of evidence.
“Decomposition was certainly well, well in place. The bone portions that we did find, of course, had been spread. So you could tell the likelihood that animals had been already into the scene,” the sheriff said.
“But we did find several personal items that we believe are associated with Mr. Decker,” including a shirt and shorts, he said.
A state crime laboratory will try to test DNA and verify the identity of the remains found. It’s not clear how long that will take, Morrison said.
Decker – an Army veteran skilled in wilderness survival – had been on the loose since May 30, when he failed to bring his daughters home after what was supposed to be a three-hour custody visit.
Three days later, the bodies of 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn were found with plastic bags over their heads.
After the gruesome discovery, Decker’s truck was found June 2, abandoned in the area of Rock Island Campground. His daughters’ bodies were nearly 100 yards away down a small embankment, along with zip ties and plastic bags found strewn throughout the area, according to a police affidavit.
Authorities also found a bloody fingerprint on the truck’s tailgate, as well as Decker’s dog, which was taken to a humane society for care.
DNA samples obtained from the bags and cable ties found near the girls’ bodies matched the profile for Decker, the sheriff’s office said. No other DNA was found on the bags or the cable ties, authorities said at the time.
In the months since, local, state and federal officials have searched for Decker without knowing whether he was still alive. Tips came in from as far as Canada and Mexico about possible sightings of him, the sheriff said.
Drones, a swift water team, cadaver dogs and even GoPros have been used in a multiagency search complicated by treacherous terrain and the fact that Decker had a three-day head start.
He likely escaped on foot after leaving behind his truck, Morrison has told CNN. He also left behind equipment, meaning he was unprepared unless he stashed supplies out in the woods.
As the arduous manhunt may have come to an end, CNN has reached out to the US Marshals Service for more information.
The sheriff’s office has been in touch with the Decker family about the investigation and its findings, the agency said.
A GoFundMe account was set up to help the slain girls’ mother.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Cindy VonQuednow, Alaa Elassar, Danya Gainor and Andy Rose contributed to this report.