Remains believed to be Travis Decker found three months after murder of three young daughters
Travis Decker is accused of murdering his little girls. Chelan County Sheriff's Office
Authorities believe they have found the body of Travis Decker, the Army veteran and former National Guardsman who was the subject of a nationwide manhunt after allegedly murdering his three young daughters in early June. His suspected remains were discovered in the Icicle River drainage area of rural Washington, following a three-month search.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison confirmed Thursday evening that the clothing found on the body matches what Decker was last seen wearing. “We are waiting for further confirmation tomorrow,” Morrison told NCWLIFE, adding that official identification will come from the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.
Decker, 33, vanished on May 30 after picking up his daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5—for a scheduled visitation from their home in Wenatchee. Three days later, their bodies were found near his truck at a remote campsite, each with plastic bags over their heads and zip ties around their wrists. Preliminary findings suggest the girls died from asphyxiation.
Court records reveal that Decker had exhibited concerning behavior in the days leading up to the tragedy. Their mother, Whitney Decker, told investigators he was unusually quiet when he picked up the children. Though the couple had divorced amicably years earlier, Whitney’s lawyer, Arianna Cozart, said Decker’s mental health had declined significantly in the past two years. As a result, his visitation rights had recently been reduced to alternate weekends.
“He’s a broken human—like anybody who would commit such a heinous act,” Cozart said, noting Decker had struggled to get help after leaving active duty with the U.S. Army Rangers. He had reportedly reached out for veteran mental health services, but with limited success. “Whitney believes the girls would still be alive if veteran services and mental health resources had been adequately funded.”
Newly unsealed court documents show that Decker had been researching how to move to Canada in the week before the killings. He visited the Canadian government’s job search portal on May 26 and searched terms like “how to relocate to Canada” and “jobs Canada.” The campsite where the girls’ bodies were found was just 11 miles from the Pacific Crest Trail, which leads to the Canadian border. Authorities believe Decker may have been planning to flee the country.
Officials launched an intensive manhunt, warning the public that Decker was trained in survival tactics and could be hiding in remote areas. He had previously attended mountain survival school and was known to live off-grid for months at a time, according to his father. Law enforcement closed off wilderness areas and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
“There was a real possibility he had stashed supplies and could survive in the wilderness for a long time,” said Sheriff Morrison.
In the wake of the tragedy, Whitney Decker is advocating for changes to Washington State’s AMBER Alert system. She believes the lack of an alert in the hours after she reported her daughters missing may have cost them their lives.
“It’s very important to Whitney to get that fixed,” said Cozart, who also represented her during the custody case. “She believes the system failed her daughters when it mattered most.”
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