Human remains believed to be Travis Decker, the Washington state man accused of killing his three daughters, have been found, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.
The remains were located in a remote wooded area south of the town of Leavenworth, Washington, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Thursday shared with CNN.
“While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker,” the statement said.
An intense monthslong manhunt has been underway for Decker, who is accused of suffocating to death his three daughters – 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn. Their bodies were found with multiple plastic bags over their heads at an abandoned campsite in the Washington Cascades, a remote and picturesque region known for backcountry hiking and camping.
Evelyn, Paityn and Olivia Decker – Wenatchee Police Department
The siblings had been reported missing by their mother days earlier when Decker failed to bring them home on May 30 after what was supposed to be a three-hour visit mandated by a custody agreement.
Decker’s truck was found abandoned in the area of Rock Island Campground, a campsite in the Cascades, on June 2. His daughters’ bodies were nearly 100 yards away down a small embankment, along with zip ties and plastic bags found strewn throughout the area, according to a police affidavit. Authorities also found a bloody fingerprint on the truck’s tailgate, as well as Decker’s dog.
DNA samples obtained from the bags and cable ties found near their bodies matched the profile for Decker, the sheriff’s office said. No other DNA was found on the bags or the cable ties, authorities said at the time.
In the weeks since, local, state and federal officials have searched for Decker – an Army veteran skilled in wilderness survival – without knowing whether he is still alive.
Drones, a swift water team, cadaver dogs and even GoPros have been used in the multiagency search that has been complicated by treacherous terrain, and the fact that Decker had a three-day head start.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told CNN earlier that Decker likely escaped on foot, after leaving behind his truck. He also left equipment behind, meaning he was unprepared unless he stashed supplies out in the woods.
As of Thursday, authorities are processing the scene with help from the Washington State Patrol crime scene response team, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office statement read. The examination will be followed by a DNA analysis.
CNN has also reached out to the US Marshals Service for further details.
The sheriff’s office said it had been in contact with the Decker family regarding its findings and the investigation.
This story has been updated.
CNN’s Cindy VonQuednow, Alaa Elassar, Danya Gainor and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
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