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NEW DNA evidence has confirmed that Travis Decker is the only suspect in the deaths of his three young daughters, police said.
The DNA profile of the fugitive — and no one else’s — was discovered on the materials used to suffocate the girls, based on crime lab analysis of the horrific scene.
Decker, 33, remains on the run more than two months after reportedly killing his three daughters, all under 10, leaving their bodies at a campsite in Washington state.
Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia Decker, 5, were found deceased on June 2, only days after their mother reported them missing when Decker failed to return them after a planned custody visit.
The sisters were located near Decker’s car at the site west of Wenatchee, Washington. Their dad was nowhere to be found.
The girls had plastic bags around their heads, and at least one of them had been restrained with zip ties, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said.
A recent DNA breakthrough has further convinced law enforcement that Decker acted alone in the alleged murders, supporting their previous assertions that no one else was involved.
The Washington State Crime Lab matched Decker to the DNA found on all of the plastic bags covering his daughters’ heads on August 6.
His DNA was also found on one of the zip ties at the scene.
No other DNA profiles were on the bags or the cables.
“The completion of this DNA analysis provides additional evidence that indicates Travis Decker is the only suspect involved in committing these homicides,” CCSO stated.
The new update comes after blood samples from handprints left on his truck also linked Decker, and only Decker, to the crime.
There is no new evidence that Decker is alive or dead, officials said.
The manhunt has stretched across the Washington state wilderness as cops previously warned that the fugitive might have someone helping him.
However, it could also be possible that Decker is hiding out and utilizing his survival skills obtained from his former military service.
Police previously warned that Decker is well-versed in the outdoors.
Timeline of the missing Decker girls
Paityn, 9; Evelyn, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were found dead at a campground after they were last seen on a custody visit to their dad.
Below is a timeline of events:
May 29: Cell phone activity shows that the girls’ dad, Travis Decker, drove to the Rock Island Campground and left.
May 30: 5 pm – Travis Decker picks the three girls up from their mom, Whitney Decker.
8 pm – Travis Decker is supposed to return the girls but doesn’t. Whitney Decker calls him and it goes to voicemail.
9:45 pm – Whitney Decker calls the Wenatchee Police Department to report her daughters missing.
Travis Decker’s truck is seen driving westbound on Highway 2.
Washington State Patrol is contacted for an Amber Alert but said the situation didn’t match their criteria.
May 31 : WPD issues an Endangered Missing Persons Alert.
June 2: 3:45 pm – Travis Decker’s truck is found empty at Rock Island Campground with two bloody handprints and items inside.
5 pm – Cops search the area and find the bodies of the three girls.
June 3: 9:30 am – Cops notify the public that they are still searching for Decker.
2 pm – WPD tells the public that the three girls were found dead and that Travis Decker is still on the loose.
June 8: Federal authorities take over search efforts.
June 9: Autopsy results confirm three girls were murdered by suffocation.
June 13: An affidavit revealed Whitney described Travis as having “recent mental health concerns.”
“She provided the examples of randomly leaving or waking her up by screaming at her in the middle of the night,” it read.
“She also mentioned that towards the end of their marriage, he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and she suspects he is not currently taking his medications.”
June 17: New audio of Travis in court fighting for custody of his daughters is released.
“I understand that my current position when I’m by myself isn’t ideal, but my daughters aren’t a part of that,” he said in September 2024.
“I only get to see them over the weekends and camping is something that the four of us have done since the three of them were in diapers.”
June 20: Memorial is held where Whitney speaks publicly about girls for first time.
July 5: A family spotted a man believed to be Travis Decker in the Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho.
July 9: US Marshals call off the search in Sawtooth National Forest after locating and questioning the man believed to be Travis Decker and confirming it isn’t him.
They also said he might have fled to Canada after searches spanning tens of thousands of acres of land turned up fruitless.
There have been several false alarms in sightings of Decker since the hunt for him started.
The most recent debunked sighting was on July 5 in the Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho.
Officials later confirmed it wasn’t him after the man they mistook for Decker turned himself in once he realized the confusion.
HUNT CONTINUES
The US Marshals Service has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker’s arrest.
Cops warn anyone who sees him not to approach him, as he is considered dangerous and could likely be armed.
In addition to launching the statewide manhunt for Decker, the tragedy has sparked a push for change in the state’s Amber Alert system as members of the public insist the tragedy was preventable.
The girls’ mom, Whitney Decker, has said she wants her ex-husband found dead or alive.
