A shirt found close to the suspected remains of Travis Decker was confirmed to be worn by the Army veteran accused of killing his three young daughters, as authorities revealed on Friday, other disturbing findings at the scene.
State and federal officers in Washington used AI-equipped drones on Thursday to scan the area near the Icicle River drainage. The drones picked up something unusual less than a mile from where the bodies of Decker's three daughters were found in June, leading investigators to clothing that matched what their main suspect had been wearing. Authorities have been looking for Decker since he fled after allegedly killing his three daughters in June.
Grim Discovery
"I am confirming the shirt that we saw on scene is a match for what Travis was last seen wearing," Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said at a news conference Friday. "We found additional body parts today to include two feet, some femurs, and also some vertebrates," he added.
Investigators also came across a pair of Army Ranger shorts, a bracelet Decker was often seen wearing, and even his favorite brand of chewing tobacco, according to Morrison.
"Going through the processing of the decomposition that we found amongst that clothing has been challenging for the State Patrol's Crime Lab, but they were able to get DNA off that sample," Morrison announced, adding they were comparing it to Decker's blood samples.
Police say there's still no DNA proof that the remains belong to Travis Decker, but they're hopeful they've finally tracked the only suspect in the case.
"We are optimistic that these results will confirm we've located Mr. Decker," the sheriff said. "We think we're one step closer."
The genetic testing will be handled by the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.
When asked why it took more than three months to find the body—despite it being close to Rock Island Campground, where Decker's daughters were discovered—officials pointed to the treacherous conditions in the area.
"The terrain is extremely complex, some of which is hard to find anywhere in this country. That's what we found," Chief Deputy US Marshal Gavin Duffy said at the news conference, adding, "It's incredibly steep, it's incredibly rocky."
Tragic End
Investigators believe Decker killed his three daughters on June 2. Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were found dead with plastic bags tied over their heads near their father's truck. Decker, a homeless veteran, had picked up the girls from their mother, Whitney's home in Wenatchee, on that day.
She later told detectives he "was quieter than usual" when he arrived, according to an affidavit cited by KOIN.
Attorneys for Whitney previously told The New York Post that her husband's mental health had sharply declined after he left active duty with the elite U.S. Army Rangers.
Sheriff Morrison said the manhunt for Decker was the largest in county history, calling the murder of the three girls the county's "most heinous" crime.
