By Manisha Sahu, America News World
September 25, 2025
Prosecutors in Chelan County have moved to dismiss charges against Travis Decker, the 32-year-old man accused of murdering his three young daughters earlier this year, after the U.S. Marshals Service declared him dead. Court filings show the decision came late last week, when Marshals informed authorities that Decker was no longer alive.
The move comes nearly four months after Decker disappeared following the killings, sparking a massive manhunt across Washington state. While prosecutors have acted on the Marshals’ notification, local law enforcement cautioned that DNA testing is still underway to officially confirm the identity of remains found in a remote mountain area.
On September 18, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office revealed that human remains had been located south of Leavenworth, Washington. A drone helped investigators spot the decomposed body scattered across a steep hillside.
Sheriff Mike Morrison said bone fragments, clothing, and personal items were also recovered. “This was not along a trail. It took a three-hour hike on foot to reach the site,” Morrison explained. The remains, heavily decomposed, are undergoing forensic testing to confirm they belong to Decker.
Decker was charged in May with killing his three daughters: Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5). The case began on May 30, when their mother, Whitney Decker, reported that Travis had failed to return the children after a scheduled visit to her Wenatchee home.
Three days later, searchers found the girls’ bodies at a Cascade Mountains campsite. An abandoned truck belonging to Decker was also located nearby. Autopsies determined that all three children died of suffocation.
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Authorities quickly named Decker as the sole suspect. His disappearance into the wil prompted an intensive search involving local police, state agencies, and federal marshals.
Decker, a former U.S. Army infantryman who served from 2013 to 2021, had extensive survival training. Investigators warned that his background in navigation and combat survival could help him evade capture for weeks or months.
Despite large-scale search efforts, no confirmed sightings were reported. By late June, investigators publicly speculated that Decker may already have died in the mountains, though the manhunt continued until last week’s discovery.
Court documents reveal that Decker’s ex-wife had raised concerns about his mental health nearly a year before the killings. In September 2024, Whitney Decker petitioned to modify their custody arrangement, writing that Travis had become increasingly unstable and often lived out of his truck.
Her warnings were not enough to prevent visitation rights from being upheld. The tragedy that followed has renewed criticism of how custody disputes involving mental health red flags are handled in family courts.
The murders sent shockwaves through the Wenatchee community. Vigils were held in June to honor the three young victims, drawing hundreds of residents.
News that Decker is presumed dead has brought mixed emotions. For some, it provides closure to months of uncertainty. For others, it is a reminder that the suspect will never face trial.
“It feels unfinished,” one resident said during a memorial gathering. “The children never got justice, and their mother never got answers.
For now, prosecutors say the case against Decker is closed, given the Marshals’ declaration of death. However, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is awaiting DNA confirmation before officially ending the investigation.
Sheriff Morrison said his office will continue working with forensic specialists. “Our priority is closure for the family and the community,” he stated. “This has been one of the most difficult cases our county has ever faced.”
Authorities are also examining whether Decker died by suicide, exposure, or other causes. The condition of the remains suggests animals may have disturbed the body, making it difficult to establish time and cause of death.
The case of Travis Decker highlights the devastating consequences of unchecked mental health struggles, family disputes, and gaps in protective systems. Three young lives were lost in May, leaving a grieving mother and a community searching for healing.
With Decker now declared dead, the criminal case may be over, but the questions—and the pain—endure.
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