Authorities searching for Travis Decker have discovered bones near the Rock Island Campground in Washington state, according to ABC 4.
Police have been searching for Decker since June 2, when the bodies of his daughters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found near Rock Island Campground along Icicle Creek in Leavenworth, Washington.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said that the remains have been sent for forensic testing to Central Washington University’s anthropology department to determine if they are human and whether they may be linked to the search for Decker, who is suspected of murdering his three young daughters.
Newsweek contacted Chelan County Sheriff’s Department and Central Washington University’s anthropology department for comment via email on Saturday outside of usual working hours.
Why It Matters
Decker, an Army veteran who is considered highly skilled in wilderness survival, has evaded capture for three months.
The discovery marks the first potential breakthrough in a nationwide search that has gripped the public since the start of the summer.
The search for Decker has been underway since the discovery of his children’s bodies near the Rock Island Campground in Washington in early June after he failed to return them to their mother following a scheduled visitation.
What to Know
The bones were discovered during a coordinated grid search of the area, ABC 4 reported. Initial assessments could not determine whether the bones were human.
On Tuesday, FBI Seattle said it had concluded a two-day grid search operation around the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth, Washington.
More than 100 personnel were deployed in multiple search teams over 247 acres.
Decker’s abandoned truck was located near the bodies of the three daughters.
Autopsies completed in early June found the cause of death for each child to be suffocation and ruled the manner of death homicide.
Investigators at the scene recovered several plastic bags and cable ties, which were sent to the Washington State Crime Lab for DNA analysis.
On August 6, the lab confirmed that DNA matching Decker was found on the plastic bags covering each child’s head as well as on the cable ties collected from the site. The DNA analysis was shared by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in a news release.
An alert had gone out for the girls after their father, Travis Decker, failed to return them after a scheduled visitation.
What People Are Saying
In a statement released on Friday, FBI Seattle said: “Search personnel recovered several items that are being examined to determine if they are related to this investigation. Final results will take some time. Finding this potential evidence emphasizes the value in having various teams search an area multiple times, especially in such challenging conditions.
“More than 100 personnel were deployed in multiple search teams for a full two days in remote outdoor terrain while daylight was available. Temperatures approached 100 degrees. Despite the dense vegetation and challenging topography, personnel from the FBI Seattle field office, with the support of FBI headquarters and partner agencies, thoroughly searched and documented over 1,000,000 square meters, or 247 acres.”
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told KOMO News over the phone Friday: “The bones were found during the grid search by one of the 100 personnel… it was inconclusive at the time if they were animal or human, so it was sent off to Central Washington University in their anthropology department to do a confirmation.”
What Happens Next
Forensic testing could take several weeks. If the remains are confirmed as human, DNA analysis will be used to establish an identity.
Authorities warn that Decker should still be considered armed and dangerous and urged anyone who saw him to call 911 rather than approach him.
Anyone with information should contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-800-336-0102 or submit a tip at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.
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