Authorities Discover Remains Believed to Be of Fugitive Father Accused in Daughters' Deaths

Authorities in Washington state have discovered human remains they believe to be those of Travis Decker, the 32-year-old father accused of killing his three young daughters earlier this year. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that the remains were found in a remote wooded area south of Leavenworth.

"While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker," the sheriff's office stated.

Decker had been the subject of a manhunt since May 30, when he failed to return his daughters—9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia—to their mother's home in Wenatchee following a scheduled visit. Three days later, the girls' bodies were discovered at a campsite in the Cascade Mountains, with autopsies determining suffocation as the cause of death.

A former Army infantryman with extensive survival training, Decker had evaded capture for over three months. The remains were located on Grindstone Mountain, a few miles from where his daughters' bodies were found. Items found near the remains, including clothing, were consistent with what Decker was last seen wearing.

The scene is currently being processed, and DNA analysis will be conducted to confirm the identity of the remains.