Travis Decker declared dead by local sheriff’s office and U.S. Marshals Service

Travis Decker, the man accused of murdering his three young daughters, has been declared dead by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.

DNA from skeletal remains found by investigators in a remote area near Rock Island Campground matched Decker’s, the sheriff’s office announced during a press conference Thursday.

The U.S. Marshals Service declared Decker dead earlier this week, but Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison wanted to wait until all DNA results were returned from the Washington State Patrol’s Crime Lab.

“We want to make sure what we have from clothing matches up with the remains and all of our other evidence, but I think we’re on the right path,” Morrison told KIRO Newsradio Tuesday. “I think that’s just being cautious and thorough with our investigation.”

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, federal prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss an arrest warrant for Decker based on DNA results from clothing found near the skeletal remains where the bodies of his daughters—Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5—were found on June 2.

The remains were found on September 19 on Grindstone Mountain, about 0.74 miles from the crime scene. Morrison said the area was so inaccessible that search crews had to be flown in by Spokane County helicopter. Drones and cadaver dogs ultimately helped locate the remains.

Some of the clothing found near the body matched what Decker was last seen wearing. Investigators said they also recovered personal items, including a bracelet and a key fob that is consistent with the fob to Decker’s pick-up truck that was left at the scene.

Decker was reported on the run since May 30, after, according to investigators, he allegedly kidnapped and murdered his daughters during a court-ordered custody visit. The massive manhunt that followed led tactical teams to areas around Blewitt Pass, the Teanaway Valley, and Snoqualmie Pass in neighboring Kittitas County. Investigators said they never found any signs during those searches that Decker was dead or alive.

Morrison said another reason he was waiting for all DNA results to be returned is to dispel rumors that Decker killed a fourth person and swapped clothing.

“We’re also aware of some narratives that got out there that he simply killed someone else and left their remains on the mountainside,” Morrison said.

Investigators are still waiting for an official cause of death. Morrison told KIRO Newsradio that by closing the case, he can hopefully bring closure to family and friends.

Sheriff reveals more ties to discovered human remains and Travis Decker

Human remains, thought to be those of Decker, were discovered in a remote location south of Leavenworth, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office reported.

On Friday afternoon, Morrison confirmed in a press conference that the clothing, a distinctive bracelet, and chewing tobacco found with the body belonged to Decker.

A massive, multi-agency search led to the discovery of the human remains. Those involved with the search included the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Forest Service, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.

“While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker,” the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office wrote in its announcement.

Clothing and other personal items linked to Decker were found with the remains, Ryan Moody, Chief of Special Operations in the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, told KIRO Newsradio Thursday night. The remains were found earlier this week on Grindstone Mountain, a few miles from where the girls’ bodies were found.

“Was it a surprise? Yes and no,” Moody said. “I’d say we were always hopeful that we would find him. But, you know, after this long, you try not to get your hopes up.”

The Sheriff’s Office is currently processing the scene, assisted by WSP’s crime scene response team, which will be followed up with DNA analysis.

“It was a huge relief,” Moody said. “Especially to see it in, like, my detectives’ eyes — the amount of work and the amount of stress that they’ve gone through, and just the day-to-day, constant work that they’ve put into this, along with all our other partners who put just as much work into it. And most importantly, the reason we do it is for the closure for Whitney, and for her to be able to kind of move on.”

Whitney is the girls’ mother.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has contacted the Decker family with their findings.

Authorities were prepared for years-long investigation to find Travis Decker

Authorities were prepared to search for years to find Travis Decker.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference last month that revealed the FBI was leading a major search effort near Leavenworth for Decker.

Peter Orth, spokesperson for the FBI Seattle Field Office, said authorities were conducting a detailed grid search in an area that spans about a quarter mile around the campsite, where the bodies of Decker’s three young daughters were found.

“Nearly 100 FBI and partner agencies personnel on the ground to participate in this search operation,” Orth said. “We (had) specialty teams from the federal government and local partner agencies all deployed for this operation.”

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said federal, state, and local agencies combed the rugged terrain near the scene of the crime at Rock Island Campground.

This story was originally published on September 24, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Frank Sumrall and Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest