Remains found believed to be U.S. man accused of killing his three daughters
Preliminary findings indicate the remains recovered near Grindstone Mountain belong to Travis Decker, the man sought in the deaths of Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia.
Remains found Thursday in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth, Washington, are believed to belong to Travis Decker, the 32-year-old man sought on kidnapping and first-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of his three daughters. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said early testing indicates the remains recovered on Grindstone Mountain match the suspect’s description, though positive identification has not yet been confirmed. Decker has been at large since authorities found the girls’ bodies and his pickup nearby at a rural campground in June, prompting a lengthy search across the rugged Cascades region.
Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5, died from apparent suffocation after their wrists were bound with zip ties, authorities said. The girls were reported missing by their mother on May 30 after Decker failed to return them to Wenatchee and would not answer calls. The bodies were found on June 2 at a remote campground, with Decker’s truck located nearby.
Decker, an ex-soldier, is believed to have been operating off-grid within Washington’s mountainous terrain for extended stretches. Officials said he may have trained at a mountain survival program as part of his military background. The search area stretched across several national forests, leading forest closures that affected hikers and campers in the region. The U.S. Marshals Service had offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker’s capture.
Authorities cautioned that identification of the remains is pending, though the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said the preliminary findings point to Decker. Investigators said the case remains active, and they are seeking any tips from the public that could help determine how the killings occurred and where Decker may be currently.
The case drew attention beyond the state, with federal and local agencies coordinating search operations across remote terrain in the Pacific Northwest. The affected forests were widely closed to the public during the investigation, underscoring the scale of the pursuit.
