DNA confirms Travis Decker dead; three daughters' killings end Washington manhunt

WASHINGTON — DNA results confirm remains found last week in Washington state belong to Travis Decker, ending a three-month manhunt for the father accused of killing his three daughters. Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said at a Thursday night press conference, "He is deceased, our DNA results confirm that, and that brings a close to this dark chapter." Morrison said officials are "happy to bring a close to this dark chapter" as the investigation moves toward its concluding steps.

The remains were located Sept. 18 in the Icicle River drainage in Chelan County, less than a mile from the scene of the crime, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. The body was found in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth, and investigators initially believed it could be Decker’s because the clothing matched what he was last seen wearing. DNA analysis conducted by the state patrol’s crime lab confirmed the identity after a lengthy processing period, during which investigators said the terrain’s extreme ruggedness complicated efforts to recover evidence. Officials described the terrain as "extremely complex" and cited the challenging environment as a key factor delaying the discovery of Decker’s remains.

The case centers on the killing of Decker’s three young daughters — Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5 — whose bodies were found with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties around their wrists near Decker’s truck at a Rock Island Campground on June 2. Decker, who had limited custody at the time, had taken them from their Wenatchee home for a planned weekend visit. The investigation has noted that he had divorced his wife, Whitney, years earlier, and that his mental health and stability had been on the decline, contributing to a reduction in visitation rights.

Whitney Decker’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, told The Post that Decker hadn’t received ample support after leaving the U.S. Army Rangers and seeking help for veterans’ mental health needs. "What Whitney believes is that the girls would still be alive if our veteran system and the resources, the mental health resources available to our veterans, was adequately funded," Cozart said. The attorney also stressed that Whitney does not view Decker as anything less than a father who loved his daughters, noting, "There is not one instance that shows that Travis did not love those girls and was not a loving, active father." The family’s lawyer emphasized that the case extends beyond one man, implicating broader policies around veterans’ care and access to resources.

The investigation has noted Decker’s searches online about moving to Canada and working there, and authorities said the girls’ bodies were discovered roughly 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, a route that leads toward the Canadian border. Prosecutors have not disclosed a formal motive in the killings, and officials have not publicly identified a formal link to any specific incident beyond the events of June. Witnesses described Decker as quiet in the days leading up to the disappearance, while investigators have outlined his supposed attempts to live off the grid in Washington’s wilderness, using survival and outdoor-skills familiarity gained through military service and training.

Whitney Decker’s legal team has pressed for changes to the Washington Amber Alert system in the wake of the missing-child investigation, arguing that authorities should have issued an alert sooner in the critical hours after the children were reported missing. The lawyer said the family believes timely alerts could have provided quicker information to the public and potentially altered the course of events that followed.

Officials have stressed that the official identification closes a three-month search that stretched across rugged terrain in the Cascade Range and into areas near Wenatchee and Leavenworth. The remains’ discovery, coupled with the DNA confirmation, ends the active phase of the investigation, though authorities said they will continue to review investigative steps, including the Amber Alert decision-making process and the adequacy of resources for veterans’ mental health in Washington.

The investigation has highlighted broader questions about how state response systems handle missing-child cases, especially when a parent is believed to be attempting to disappear into remote areas. Investigators also noted that Decker appeared to have been moving in and out of off-grid settings, which complicated the search and increased the time needed to locate evidence. Officials said the case would be reviewed to determine any improvements that could be made to search-and-rescue protocols, public-alert mechanisms, and veteran-support programs intended to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The Decker case has drawn attention to the intersection of family violence, mental health resources for veterans, and the efficiency of emergency notification systems. While the sheriff’s office thanked the community for its cooperation and patience during a lengthy search, officials reiterated that the focus now shifts to understanding how to prevent similar outcomes and ensuring that families have access to needed services during times of crisis.