The manhunt for Travis Decker has taken a major twist. The 32-year-old army veteran dubbed ‘killer dad’ is believed to be dead after over three months of manhunt. The authorities have found human remains during the search operation, which are suspected to be of Travis.
The discovery was made during the intense multi-agency search south of Leavenworth. On Thursday, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that human remains were discovered in the mountains of Washington state.
The Sheriff’s office also stated in its press release that although positive identification has not been confirmed, the preliminary findings suggest that the remains belong to the missing fugitive. They further added, “The Sheriff’s Office is currently processing the scene with the assistance of the WSP crime scene response team, to be followed up with DNA analysis.”
The authorities are also in contact with the accused’s family and are providing them with the required support and latest updates as the investigation proceeds. They also mentioned that more information will be made public after the forensic examination.
This discovery has marked a major breakthrough in the case that seemed difficult to close as each day passed. The manhunt for Travis Decker began on June 2 this year when his three daughters, 5-year-old Olivia Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker, and 9-year-old Paityn Decker, were found dead at a campsite outside Leavenworth. The authorities also found Travis’s abandoned truck at the crime scene.
The three sisters were reported missing on May 30 when Travis failed to return them to their mother, Whitney Decker, after the scheduled visitation. Last September, Whitney (Travis’ ex-wife) wrote a petition to modify their parenting plan, citing that Travis Decker’s mental health had worsened. She mentioned that he lived out of his truck, and therefore, sought restriction from having overnight visits with their daughters until he found housing.
Travis Decker — His ex-wife, the girls’ mom, had repeatedly warned he was becoming alarmingly “unstable” — remained at large Wednesday with a $20,000 reward issued for info leading to his arrest.
👇(From left) Paityn, 9, Olivia, 5, and Evelyn, 8, with their mother, Whitney… pic.twitter.com/IS8ZqK2oz8
— Gen Just Law (@genjustlaw) June 5, 2025
Travis Decker served in the US Army from March 2013 to July 2021. He was also deployed to Afghanistan for four months in 2014. As authorities found it hard to locate Travis after the killing of his daughters, experts mentioned that he might be using his navigation, survival and other skills that he learned in the military to survive in the hard terrains. Reports also mentioned that Travis searched for “how does a person move to Canada,” and “jobs Canada,” days before he kidnapped and allegedly killed his daughters.
The law enforcement had vowed not to end the manhunt. In August, nearly 100 new federal agents and other law enforcement officials were brought in to widen the search as the FBI started a grid search of the campsite.
Whitney Decker, the mother of the three victims, was reportedly getting frustrated due to the futile search efforts. Earlier, she had revealed that she wanted her ex-husband “dead or alive,” as she hoped for closure and justice.
‘Killer dad’ Travis Decker’s ex-wife issues blistering statement after standing by him: ‘Wanted dead or alive’ pic.twitter.com/NzH6iBY6lH
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) June 27, 2025
Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office stated that hundreds of people, dozens of agencies, and thousands of hours have gone into the search for the killer dad. A reward of $20,000 was also announced by the US Marshals Service for information leading to his capture.
The latest discovery has brought hope that the case will be closed soon. But the official forensics report will tell the true picture. If the remains are indeed of Travis, the authorities would next have to figure out if he took his own life.
