Human Remains of Travis Decker Identified: Former Soldier Wanted for Murdering His Three Young Daughters Found Dead in Washington Mountains

Travis Decker had been with his daughters during a scheduled visitation but failed to return them as arranged.

Forensic testing has confirmed that human remains discovered on a remote Washington state mountainside this month belonged to Travis Decker, a former military serviceman sought for the murder of his three young daughters last spring, officials announced Thursday.

His remains were located on a steep, isolated, wooded slope on Grindstone Mountain in central Washington, situated less than a mile from the campsite where authorities discovered the bodies of 9-year-old Paityn Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker, and 5-year-old Olivia Decker on June 2, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office.

Law enforcement teams had conducted an extensive search spanning more than three months for Decker, 32, before the sheriff's office revealed last week that human remains believed to be his had been located. Sheriff Mike Morrison confirmed Thursday that DNA analysis of clothing recovered at the scene along with the remains matched Decker's profile.

The sheriff stated that investigators were committed to honoring the girls' memory by resolving the case, and he expressed regret to their mother, Whitney Decker, for the prolonged investigation time.

"I hope you can rest easier at night knowing that Travis is accounted for," Morrison said.

Decker had taken his daughters for a scheduled visit but did not return them to his former wife, who had reported a year earlier that his mental health had deteriorated and that he had become increasingly unstable.

She noted he was frequently living in his truck, information she included in a petition seeking restrictions on his overnight visitations with the children.

A deputy discovered Decker's vehicle and the girls' bodies three days after Decker failed to return them to their mother's residence. Autopsies determined the girls had died from suffocation.

Decker served as an infantryman in the Army from March 2013 to July 2021 and was deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014. His military training included navigation, survival techniques, and various other skills, authorities noted, and he had previously spent over two months living off-grid in wilderness conditions.

More than 100 officials from various state and federal agencies searched hundreds of square miles of predominantly mountainous and remote terrain by ground, water, and air during the intermittent search operation. The U.S. Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his apprehension.

During the early stages of the search, authorities believed they had spotted Decker near a remote alpine lake following a tip provided by hikers.

Officials indicated that the coroner's office continues to work toward determining both the cause and timing of his death.