Marshals' declaration of Travis Decker's death disputed by local officials
Officials say remains announced as Decker's were identified only by circumstantial evidence; DNA tests pending, coroner says there is no scientific confirmation.
A court filing Tuesday described Travis Decker as deceased after investigators found remains in a wooded area near the scene of the killings of his three daughters, but Chelan County officials say there has been no scientific confirmation that the bones belong to him. The discovery, made Sept. 18, included two feet, femurs and vertebrae found near some of Decker’s clothing about a mile from where the girls’ bodies were left in June. The remains were recovered from rugged terrain at an elevation of roughly 1,200 feet, a helicopter-assisted operation that underscored the challenges of reaching the site.
The three girls — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 — were found June 2 at the Rock Island Campground with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties on their wrists, three days after Decker had taken them for a planned custody visit. The discovery of the remains near the crime scene has intensified the question of Decker’s status as investigators pursued a three-month manhunt for the suspect in the killings.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office told KIRO News 7 this week that federal marshals prematurely closed the case by asserting that the remains were Decker’s and that identification could not be confirmed at that time. Officials noted that DNA results so far have only confirmed that clothing matching Decker’s was found, and they cautioned that the bones themselves have not been positively identified.
Chelan County coroner Wayne Harris told the Daily Mail that there has been no scientific confirmation that the remains are Decker’s and that identification requires scientific evidence rather than circumstantial clues. Harris said DNA testing is still underway and that the coroner’s office will not rely on circumstantial findings to declare a positive ID.
The case has drawn national attention as investigators linked the deaths to a custody dispute and Decker’s mental-health history, with authorities saying his custody rights were reduced months before the killings. Prosecutors filed to dismiss the case tied to Decker, but no charges have been filed while the status of his death remains unresolved. The broader American public continues to await definitive forensic confirmation, a process that can hinge on DNA analyses and other scientific evidence rather than circumstantial connections.
