Travis Decker, the man believed to have suffocated and abandoned his three young daughters at a campsite in the Washington state wilderness, is dead, Chelan County authorities said Thursday.
Positive DNA results determined human remains authorities discovered last week, along with clothes that looked like what Decker was wearing on surveillance footage before he disappeared, were the fugitive’s, Chelan County Sheriff Michael Morrison said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.
“We can finally bring a close to this dark chapter of Chelan County,” Morrison said. “He is deceased, our DNA results confirm that, and this will bring a close to our case.”
The confirmation ends a monthslong saga punctuated by a family tragedy that touched an entire community.
How the remains were found
A drone flying over the area on September 18 detected some unusual material on a mountainside in the Washington Cascades. Detectives with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office rappelled from a helicopter and discovered the remains and items among a trove of evidence.
An operational psychologist who assisted personnel in a previous search pointed officials in the direction of Grindstone Mountain, an area of interest, according to Morrison.
“Her insights and guidance led us to an important area to search where we did eventually locate Mr. Decker,” Morrison said.
Morrison did not elaborate on the condition of the remains and indicated the local coroner’s office is working to determine whether they can identify a cause and time of death for Decker.
Travis Decker is seen in an undated photo released by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. – Chelan County Sheriff’s Office
“You’re looking at one of the largest manhunts in Chelan County history, one of the most horrific crimes we’ve seen in Chelan County, and we’re glad to put it behind us,” Morrison said.
A monthslong search comes to an end
The search for Decker spanned three counties, led authorities to Canada and Mexico and involved several local and federal agencies, only for his remains to be found less than a mile from where the girls’ bodies were discovered.
Decker was charged with murdering his three daughters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn, not long after he picked them up from their mother for the custody visit on May 30.
Drones, a swift water team, cadaver dogs and even GoPros were used in the Cascade Mountain range outside the city of Leavenworth, a rural area known for its wild beauty and treacherous terrain.
The search was complicated by the fact that Decker had a three-day head start.
Decker’s truck was found abandoned in the area of Rock Island Campground on June 2. His daughters’ bodies were nearly 100 yards away down a small embankment, along with zip ties and plastic bags found strewn throughout the area, according to a police affidavit.
Authorities also found a bloody fingerprint on the truck’s tailgate, as well as Decker’s dog.
The sheriff hoped more people flocking to the popular area surrounding where the girls were found for the busy summer season would help in the search, but no trace of Decker was found all season.
The girls’ mother, Whitney Decker, told investigators her former husband had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and was homeless at the time of his disappearance.
Before the remains were determined to be Decker’s, Whitney Decker’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, told ABC News, “We are praying that the remains found are confirmed to be Travis’s. We continue to be grateful for law enforcement’s efforts in this case and are forever appreciative of the entire world’s love, compassion, and support for Whitney.”
CNN reached out to Cozart’s office for comment on Thursday.
A motive may never be known
A motive behind the crime might never be known, Morrison said, but knowing one wouldn’t bring back the victims.
“Based off the evidence we have, he committed murder. It’s inexcusable, It’s unexplainable. And we would have liked to, of course, heard his thought process … but I don’t think anything he said would have justified it,” the sheriff said.
“The bottom line is our community is now down three young girls that would have been our bright future. They’re not here,” he added.
Aside from thanking the agencies involved in the exhaustive search for Decker, Morrison’s last words at the news conference were for Whitney Decker.
“To Whitney: I certainly hope you know that we never gave up, and Paityn, Evelyn, Olivia, their memories will live on forever.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Ryan Young, Holly Yan, Alaa Elassar and Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.
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