Feds declare Travis Decker dead as they drop federal case; sheriff awaits DNA confirmation

Federal authorities told the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Washington that Travis Decker is dead, and prosecutors moved to dismiss the federal case against the fugitive dad suspected of killing his three daughters. Decker, who disappeared during a Washington state manhunt, still faces state charges of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping after police said his three daughters’ bodies were found on June 2.

Authorities said human remains were located in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth during a search led by the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, Chelan County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Forest Service, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. While positive identification had not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggested the remains belonged to Travis Decker. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said the discovery followed the search and that the remains were found in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told KIRO that the U.S. Marshals Service had “jumped the gun” by seeking dismissal of the federal case before DNA identification results were in. He also noted that clothing found near the remains was similar to what Decker wore when he disappeared and said the state case would not be resolved until DNA confirmation is received.

DNA testing by the state Crime Lab was expected to return results within a few days, the sheriff’s office indicated, after which authorities would hold a press conference to share findings and answer questions from the media and public. Morrison told ABC News that charges would not be dropped until DNA confirmation was complete, underscoring the ongoing divergence between federal and state proceedings in the case.

Decker had been living out of a pickup truck prior to his disappearance as authorities sought to locate him after he was suspected of killing his three daughters, whose bodies were found in the Chelan County region earlier this month. The federal case against him concerned unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, a charge that prosecutors moved to dismiss in light of the new information, while state prosecutors continue to pursue murder and kidnapping charges.

The case has drawn attention to the interplay between federal and state responsibilities in major crime investigations and the process by which authorities confirm identities and dispositions of suspects who vanish into remote terrain. As investigators await definitive DNA results, officials emphasized that no final determinations would be made until laboratory confirmation is complete, and they pledged ongoing updates as new information becomes available.