How WA authorities found Travis Decker's possible remains

Search for Travis Decker may be over after human remains found near crime scene

The Chelan County Sheriff said multiple items recovered from a set of human remains were consistent with belonging to Travis Decker, but DNA confirmation is still pending

CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. - Authorities in Washington state are revealing more details regarding the discovery of Travis Decker's likely remains.

What we know:

Travis Decker, the man wanted in the murders of his three daughters in Leavenworth, has been missing for over three months. However, on Thursday, Sep. 18, law enforcement agencies confirmed they found what is believed to be Decker's human remains.

Travis Decker (Chelan County Sheriff's Office)

The search focused near the Rock Island Campground, where the bodies of the Decker girls were found in early June. Search crews expanded grid searches, using drones and canine units to comb through the surrounding areas of the original crime scene.

Key evidence found

A dive team recovered a key fob from Icicle Creek, which was consistent with the key fob belonging to Decker's truck.

Following this evidence discovery, a search team from U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service located clothing and skeletal remains believed to be of Travis Decker on Sep. 18 at around 2 p.m.

A shirt, pair of shorts, bracelet and chewing tobacco recovered from the scene were consistent with belonging to Decker, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said. They were located near Grindstone Mountain, less than a mile from the original crime scene.

Several bones were collected and sent to the Washington State Crime Lab for DNA testing. Authorities are still waiting for confirmation that the remains belonged to Decker.

The backstory:

Travis Decker is wanted in the deaths of his three daughters, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn. Decker is accused of kidnapping the girls during a planned visitation on May 30, and killing them at the Rock Island Campground, located west of Leavenworth.

Investigators find remains likely tied to Travis Decker near crime scene

The Chelan County Sheriff said multiple items recovered from a set of human remains were consistent with belonging to Travis Decker, but DNA confirmation is still pending.

Decker's belongings and truck were located at the crime scene, and authorities launched several large-scale searches in an effort to locate him. Despite getting multiple tips and pursuing leads in the case, none resulted in the location of Decker.

Many different law enforcement agencies assisted in the Decker search, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol, Chelan County Sheriff's Office, Spokane County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Forest Service, Washington State Patrol, and the Washington State Department of Corrections.

What's next:

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office plans to notify the public once they receive a positive identification of the human remains.

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