Human remains found near Leavenworth believed to be Travis Decker

By Carleen Johnson
The Center Square

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office has announced the discovery of human remains believed to be those of Travis Decker.

Decker is accused of kidnapping and killing his daughters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn, after picking them up for an afternoon visit on May 30.

At the time the girls went missing, Decker was allowed visits every other weekend but was not allowed to keep the girls overnight due to his mental health struggles and unstable housing.

The children’s bodies were found at the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth on June 2, and the manhunt continued up until Thursday’s discovery of remains in a remote wooded area south of the town of Leavenworth.

“While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker,” read a late Thursday news release from the office of Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison emailed to The Center Square. “The Sheriff’s Office is currently processing the scene [in the Icicle Creek Drainage] with the assistance of the WSP crime scene response team, to be followed up with DNA analysis.”

The news release indicated the sheriff’s office has been in contact with the Decker family and is providing support.

“As the investigation proceeds [they are] asking for continued privacy and respect for the family. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available through the ongoing forensic examination and investigation,” the news release said.

The U.S. Marshals Service-led Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force headed up this week’s search, with assistance from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Forrest Service, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

Decker was a member of the Army National Guard and served in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2021. During his enlistment, he deployed to Afghanistan.

The children’s mother, Whitney Decker, filed for divorce from Travis in November 2022, noting in court documents his mental health struggles, indicating he had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.