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Authorities have confirmed the human remains found in the Washington wilderness belong to the military veteran believed to have killed his three young daughters at a local campground earlier this year.
The discovery marks the end of a three-month-long manhunt for Travis Decker, a military veteran and wilderness survivalist who vanished after authorities discovered the bodies of his three daughters — Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5 — at a Chelan County campground on June 2.
“Certainly pay respects to the deaths of Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia, we wanted to show honor to them, let them know we haven’t forgot about them,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said in a news conference Wednesday, according to FOX 13.
FEDS DECLARE TRAVIS DECKER DEAD AS THEY DROP CASE, BUT SHERIFF STILL WAITING FOR DNA ON FUGITIVE DAD
Travis Decker was accused of murdering his three daughters before disappearing into the Washington wilderness. (Chelan County Sheriff’s Office)
Last week, authorities uncovered human remains on Grindstone Mountain, located approximately 0.75 miles from where the girls’ bodies were found at Rock Island Campground. Investigators subsequently confirmed the remains belonged to Decker following DNA testing.
“We are glad to say that those remains do come back as a positive match for Travis Decker,” Morrison said. “It’s a big day for the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and all our federal partners that we can finally bring a close to this dark chapter of Chelan County.”
The discovery followed a notable breakthrough in the case, after a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office dive team discovered a key fob belonging to Decker in nearby Icicle Creek. The evidence led search teams from numerous law enforcement agencies to perform grid searches in the area.
TRAVIS DECKER’S REMAINS BELIEVED TO BE LOCATED BY WASHINGTON OFFICIALS: SHERIFF’S OFFICE
This undated photo provided by Whitney Decker shows Paityn, Olivia and Evelyn Decker. (Whitney Decker via AP)
On Sept. 18, investigators discovered Decker’s remains, along with a shirt, pair of shorts, bracelet and chewing tobacco consistent with belonging to the missing fugitive. Human remains were also recovered and sent to the Washington State Crime Lab for testing.
Last year, Decker’s ex-wife, Whitney Decker, reportedly filed a petition to modify the family’s parenting plan, citing his worsening mental health issues. The filing asked for Decker — who had been living out of his truck and at various campgrounds in the area — to be restricted from having overnight visits with their three daughters until he secured housing.
The girls were reported missing by their mother after Decker failed to return them from a court-mandated custody visit, sparking a search that ended with their bodies being found near Decker’s abandoned truck in a local campground.
According to police, the girls’ bodies were found with plastic bags over their heads and had been bound with zip ties. An autopsy determined the girls’ cause of death to be suffocation.
BONES FOUND IN TRAVIS DECKER MANHUNT ARE NOT HUMAN, FBI SAYS AMID SEARCH FOR SUSPECTED KILLER DAD
The U.S. Marshals Service released photos detailing the challenging and extensive search for Travis Decker, accused of killing his three daughters. (U.S. Marshals Service)
Decker was an Army infantryman from March 2013 to July 2021, according to FOX 13. He had been deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014, and possessed extensive training in wilderness navigation. He was facing state charges of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, along with a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
This week, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss Decker’s federal case after the U.S. Marshals Service declared he had been found dead. However, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office did not confirm Decker’s death until the DNA test results were returned.
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“To Whitney, we apologize it’s taken this long to get the closure we were looking for in this case,” Morrison said. “But I hope you can rest easier at night knowing Travis is accounted for. He is deceased, our DNA results confirmed that and this will bring a close to our case.”
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
