Left: Travis Decker (Chelan County Sheriff”s Office). Right: (from left to right) Evelyn, Paityn, and Olivia Decker (Facebook).
Authorities in Washington state said that blood found near the location of three sisters’ bodies matches their father’s DNA.
On Tuesday, in a press release uploaded to Facebook, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the bloody handprint discovered on the vehicle of 32-year-old Travis Decker was identified as his blood. Additional blood found at the proximity — close to where 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia were discovered deceased on June 2 — also matched Decker. This led authorities to assert, “that we do not have any reason to believe there are any other suspects” in the homicides of the girls.
Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office reported that items collected from Decker’s truck underwent DNA testing. Bloodstains appeared on the truck’s tailgate and allegedly on other evidence pieces found at the truck’s location. Authorities conveyed, “We know, positively, that all of the DNA samples recovered belong to the same, male, subject, who we believe is Mr. Decker.”
Since May 30, when he did not return his three daughters after a scheduled visitation, Decker has been evading capture. That same day, police suspect he allegedly suffocated them. With the search extending beyond a month, officials have also considered the possibility that he may no longer be alive.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, Decker is ex-military and known to be a skilled survivalist who has gone off the grid for more than two months at a time. Authorities advised that if he is still alive, he may have changed his appearance. In an affidavit, the U.S. Marshals Service also stated that there was evidence Decker may be planning to cross the U.S.-Canada border.
Travis Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping in connection with the deaths of his daughters.
Police have warned the public that if they see Travis Decker, they should call 911 immediately and “do not attempt to contact or approach him.” Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips.
