Accused child killer Travis Decker has been discovered dead in dense bushland about three months after he is believed to have killed his three daughters and fled, according to police.
The father from Washington had been missing since early June, allegedly after suffocating his daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, right before a custody exchange with his ex-wife in Leavenworth, Washington state.
On Thursday night, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office announced officers have found remains during the ongoing search.
The body was found in a remote wooded area near Leavenworth, where there have been coordinated efforts to track Decker down.
‘While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker,’ stated the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Mike Morrison informed NCWLIFE that while they are still waiting for further confirmation, the findings ‘seem to be consistent with (clothing) we believe he was last seen in.’
The sheriff’s office is continuing to process the scene of the discovery alongside the Washington State Patrol crime scene response team.
Authorities said a further DNA analysis will soon take place.
Travis Decker had gone on the run in early June after allegedly suffocating his daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, before a custody exchange with his ex-wife in Washington.
Police said he was also homeless and living out of his car by the time he picked up his three girls from their mother’s house on May 30
Police had mentioned that the 32-year-old had significant wilderness survival skills as both an Army veteran and a member of the Washington National Guard.
Decker, a former soldier, has been wanted since June 2, when a sheriff’s deputy found his truck and the bodies of his three daughters at a campground.
The discovery came three days after he failed to return the girls to their mother’s home in Wenatchee, about 100 miles east of Seattle, following a scheduled visit.
Search crews, comprised of officers from two sheriff’s offices, the US Marshals Service, two police departments and Central Washington University’s anthropology department, used electronic mapping to document the scope of their search.
They ultimately went beyond their planned perimeter to cover as much ground as they possibly could.
Decker, a former soldier, has been wanted since June 2, when a sheriff’s deputy found his truck and the bodies of his three daughters at a campground
Decker is accused of killing his daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, five
Police had previously noted that the 32-year-old had extensive wilderness survival training as an Army veteran and member of the Washington National Guard
Authorities had vowed to stop at nothing to bring justice to the Decker girls and their family
Authorities had vowed to stop at nothing to bring justice to the Decker girls and their family.
Police said he was also homeless and living out of his car by the time he picked up his three girls from their mother’s house on May 30.
His ex-wife Whitney told police she didn’t believe Decker was dangerous, and that he loved his daughters, with whom he had a ‘good relationship.’
