Possible remains believed to be Travis Decker found in Washington wilderness, investigators say

Authorities said two intact feet and other human remains were discovered deep in the Wenatchee Mountains, a finding investigators described as potentially linking to Travis Decker, the veteran accused of killing his three daughters. The Washington State Patrol crime lab is conducting DNA tests to confirm whether the remains belong to Decker, officials said, and Sheriff Michael Morrison cautioned that confirmation would take time. 'We’re not going to congratulate each other, pat each other on the back, until we do get that DNA confirmation,' Morrison said, adding that if the DNA matches, investigators would consider the case resolved. Forensics teams will work to determine the cause and approximate time of death as they await results.

Detectives had been reviewing drone footage and other leads when, in a remote area of the Wenatchee Mountains, they observed abnormalities in the steep, wooded terrain. Aerial and ground teams later carried out an extensive search, and the remains were reportedly found deep in the wilderness with other belongings scattered nearby. Investigators said the remains could have been moved or disturbed by wildlife, but cautioned that a confirmed link to Decker would require official lab confirmation. In the meantime, officers stressed that no conclusion could be drawn until the crime lab completes its analysis. The discovery, if confirmed, would bring a close to what authorities described as the region’s largest manhunt in recent memory.

Decker, 32, had been missing since June 2, when a deputy located his pickup truck and the bodies of his three daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5—at a campground near Wenatchee, about 100 miles east of Seattle. Police say he allegedly suffocated the children prior to a planned custody exchange with his ex-wife, Whitney Decker. By the time he disappeared, Decker was homeless and living out of his car, and authorities had already noted his extensive wilderness survival training from his Army background.

Authorities said Decker joined the Army in 2013 and served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021. The Guard was moving to discharge him for disciplinary reasons tied to absences when the killings occurred. As the search stretched on, investigators grew less certain he remained alive and hiding in the mountains. The remains and other belongings were found in the Wenatchee Mountains with the possibility that wild animals had scattered them across the area, according to investigators. Whether the discovery is linked to Decker hinges on DNA analysis and official lab reporting.

Decker’s ex-wife told police she did not view him as dangerous and said he loved his daughters, with whom he had maintained a reportedly good relationship. She has described a difficult period around the time of the children’s disappearance, including his mental health struggles and a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. He had been court-mandated to receive mental health treatment and anger management counseling, though reports indicate he refused such therapies. The investigation involved multiple agencies, including two sheriff’s offices, the U.S. Marshals Service, two police departments and Central Washington University’s anthropology department, which helped document the scope of the search using electronic mapping. The incident has left the region grappling with the implications of the case and seeking closure for the family involved.