In a case that has haunted central Washington for months, authorities say they have likely found the remains of Travis Decker, the Army veteran accused of murdering his three young daughters earlier this summer. The discovery, made this week in dense woods just south of Leavenworth, may finally bring closure to a sprawling manhunt that stretched across rugged terrain, consumed countless law enforcement hours, and left a community reeling in grief and disbelief.
According to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, the remains were located during a coordinated search involving multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Border Patrol, Forest Service, and the Washington State Patrol. The sheriff’s office stated, “While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker.” DNA analysis and further forensic examination are underway to confirm the identity, but officials have already begun notifying the Decker family and providing them with support as the investigation moves forward.
For those who have followed the case, the grim discovery marks what authorities believe is the end of a tragic chapter that began on May 30, 2025. On that day, Decker picked up his daughters—Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia, 5—for what was supposed to be a routine, three-hour custody visit. The girls never returned home. Their mother, Whitney Decker, contacted police that night, and by the next day, an Endangered Missing Person Alert had been issued across the region.
Three days after the girls vanished, authorities found Decker’s truck abandoned near Rock Island Campground, about 17 miles west of Leavenworth in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. The scene that awaited investigators was harrowing: the bodies of the three sisters were discovered down a small embankment, roughly 75 to 100 yards from the vehicle. According to court documents obtained by ABC News and USA TODAY, the girls had plastic bags over their heads and their wrists were zip-tied. The Chelan County medical examiner later determined the cause of death was suffocation and ruled the deaths homicides.
Evidence at the scene pointed squarely to Decker. DNA samples obtained from the plastic bags and zip ties matched his profile, and a bloody fingerprint found on the truck’s tailgate was also linked to him. No other DNA was found on the bags or ties, and authorities made clear they “do not have any reason to believe there are any other suspects.” Decker’s dog, found nearby, was taken to a humane society for care.
The brutality of the crime and Decker’s sudden disappearance set off a massive manhunt. Hundreds of people from dozens of agencies scoured the remote wilderness, deploying drones, swift water teams, cadaver dogs, and even GoPro cameras to aid in the search. The United States Marshals Service offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading directly to Decker’s arrest. Despite multiple reported sightings in Idaho and Washington, none led to his capture. Authorities warned the public that Decker, described as highly skilled in wilderness survival thanks to his military background, should be considered armed and dangerous.
Decker had served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from March 2013 to July 2021, including a four-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2014. He later transferred to the Washington National Guard, but preparations for an administrative separation began in 2023 or 2024, though the process was never finalized. According to a spokesperson for the Washington State Military Department, Decker’s transition from active duty had left him in a period of instability, and his ex-wife’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, told ABC News that he “had some mental health issues and some instability in his life” that had previously led to restrictions on overnight visitation and taking his daughters out of the area. Yet, as Cozart noted, “before the girls disappeared, there were no red flags.”
In the weeks and months that followed, the search for Decker took on an almost mythic quality. The terrain—steep, forested, and unforgiving—complicated every effort. Authorities closed hiking trails and warned cabin owners in Chelan, Kittitas, King, Snohomish, and Okanogan counties to remain vigilant. “We could be in a fight for five years, 10 years, 20 years,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told ABC News in July. “I certainly hope we’re looking at a couple weeks and it closes out, but it could be a long time and we are committed to staying with it.”
But as summer wore on and the tips dried up, officials began to scale back the search. The FBI conducted an extensive grid search at Rock Island Campground in late August, combing nearly 250 acres and collecting several items, including bones. At the time, the agency clarified that some remains were not human, but the search provided valuable data for mapping the area and planning further efforts. “In two days, the search team cleared almost 250 acres by carefully covering rough terrain on foot, and further efforts can build on the knowledge we gained through the electronic mapping of the area,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, according to USA TODAY.
This week’s discovery of human remains was made just a few miles from where the girls’ bodies had been found months earlier. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Washington State Patrol’s crime scene response team to process the area, and DNA analysis will determine whether Decker’s long flight from justice ended where it began—in the wilds of the Cascades. The sheriff’s office emphasized that, while the identification is not yet definitive, the evidence so far points strongly to Decker.
For the Decker family, the news is both a relief and a new source of pain. Arianna Cozart, the attorney for Whitney Decker, shared, “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.”
The case has also reignited conversations about mental health support for veterans. Decker, who reportedly struggled with PTSD and could not access adequate resources, is just one example of the many service members who fall through the cracks after returning to civilian life. Authorities noted that Decker had been homeless and living out of his truck in the months before the tragedy, highlighting the vulnerability of families caught in the crosshairs of untreated trauma and systemic gaps.
As the investigation enters its final stages, law enforcement continues to process evidence and provide updates to the family. The community of Wenatchee, and indeed the entire region, is left to mourn the loss of three young lives and to grapple with the legacy of a case that exposed both the darkness and resilience within their midst.
For now, the woods south of Leavenworth hold their secrets. But with the discovery of these remains, the search for answers—and perhaps a measure of peace—may finally be within reach.
