(Chelan County, Washington) Authorities state it might take two more days to determine if the human remains and clothing discovered by a police drone in a secluded area are linked to Travis Decker, the former soldier accused of murdering his three young daughters before fleeing into the wilderness earlier this year.
Sheriff Michael Morrison mentioned Friday that items such as clothing found near the remains close to Leavenworth suggest a connection to Decker. However, confirmation awaits the Washington State Patrol’s crime lab results.
“We’re not going to congratulate each other, pat each other on the back, until we do get that DNA confirmation. But this is a good find,” Morrison stated during an interview with “Banfield” on Friday.
Morrison pointed out “abnormalities” visible in drone images on Thursday, which led to detectives being transported by helicopter to the steep, forested area where the remains and clothing, likely scattered by wild animals, were discovered. Investigators also found two intact human feet, but a weapon or written note has not been recovered, according to the sheriff.
Forensics experts will try to determine how the individual died and how long the individual had been dead, Morrison said.
If the remains are identified as Decker and he didn’t encounter any foul play, this development could conclude the case and the area’s largest manhunt. Morrison expressed hope that this resolution might offer some closure to Decker’s ex-wife, Whitney, who was the mother of the deceased children—9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 5-year-old Olivia.
“It’s not going to bring her daughters back, no matter what,” Morrison said, “but if she can rest easier at night, I feel like we’ve accomplished at least a portion of our job.”
A variety of police agencies had been trying to track down Travis Decker since June 2, when authorities discovered the asphyxiated bodies of his daughters near a campsite. The 32-year-old former Army infantryman had picked up his children May 30 for a court-mandated parental visit but did not return them to the Wenatchee home of their mother.
Friends and family have said Decker suffered from mental illness that appeared to worsen in the months leading up to the murders.
Whitney Decker’s attorney, Arianna Cozart, previously said her client hopes that the tragedy brings about changes in the way Amber Alerts are issued and shines light on the mental health struggles of veterans.
“She knows that if he is found alive, he’ll never be able to answer the questions that she might have to a point where it would give her any peace,” Cozart said in June.
