The U.S. Marshals Service has said that Travis Decker, the man wanted in connection with the deaths of his three daughters, is dead.
The news came in a motion filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to dismiss Decker’s arrest warrant and criminal case.
This comes after remains believed to be Decker’s were found last week, less than a mile from where the bodies of his three daughters — Olivia Decker, 5, Evelyn Decker, 8, and Paityn Decker, 9 — were found in early June.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said last week that evidence found at the scene indicated the remains were Decker’s. Morrison said today that the Sheriff’s office is still waiting on DNA analysis to confirm.
“Our office is not ready to make that classification yet, as we’re awaiting the second set of results back from Washington State Patrol,” he said.
Morrison said their office has sent clothing and remains to be tested.
“I appreciate the fact that the U.S. Marshal’s office is following their policies and procedures and feels like this is the decision and information they needed to make,” Morrison said. “I know that there was a conversation here last week when I told them that I was not willing to make that decision yet until I had a second result back, and that’s what I’m waiting for.”
The three girls were first reported missing after Travis Decker did not return them to their mother, Whitney Decker, after a scheduled visit on May 30. She contacted police that night.
The bodies of the girls were found several days later at Rock Island Campground outside of Leavenworth, along with Travis Decker’s dog and truck. The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said the girls died of suffocation and their deaths were ruled a homicide.
Numerous law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Border Patrol, were involved in locating Travis Decker’s remains.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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