Killer dad Travis Decker dead after months-long manhunt, authorities say
Remains found in remote Washington wilderness identified as the suspect who allegedly killed his three young daughters near Wenatchee campground.
Travis Decker, 33, the Washington man accused of killing his three young daughters, is dead, U.S. Marshals said, bringing to a close a months-long manhunt. Authorities said the federal agency declared him deceased, citing a report obtained by TMZ. The announcement comes after remains believed to belong to Decker were found in a remote wooded area near Leavenworth, Washington. DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains, according to a federal law enforcement source cited by TMZ. The discovery occurred three months after Decker’s daughters Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found dead at a Washington campground.
Police said Decker failed to return the children to their mother’s home in Wenatchee on June 2, after picking them up May 30. By that time, authorities said, he was homeless and living out of his car. The initial investigation led to a months-long manhunt as officers searched remote areas across central Washington.
Decker was an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021. The Guard was reportedly moving toward a disciplinary discharge for absences when the killings occurred. As the search stretched on, investigators began to question whether Decker remained at large or had died in the wilderness.
The ex-wife of Decker, Whitney, told police she didn’t believe he was dangerous and that he loved his daughters, with whom he had maintained a “good relationship” in the past. She said he had been suffering from mental health issues and had recently been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Records show he was court-mandated to receive mental health treatment and domestic violence anger management counseling but had refused.
Authorities have not disclosed a cause of death for Decker. The remains found near Leavenworth included clothing that matched the latest descriptions of the suspect, providing a link that allowed investigators to confirm the long-awaited development. The investigation into the broader timeline and the welfare of the children remains closed with these new findings, though officials emphasized that the case had involved complex dynamics around family safety and mental health.
The grisly sequence—three young lives lost at a campground, a father who vanished into Washington’s dense wilderness, and a months-long pursuit that ended with a corpse found in the same region—highlights ongoing concerns about access to mental health resources and support for families in crisis. Local authorities urged anyone with information to contact investigators, while continuing to review records related to Decker’s service history, custodial arrangements, and the welfare checks that preceded the incident.
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