Federal Prosecutors Seek Dismissal in Travis Decker Case Amid Uncertainty Over Remains
Federal prosecutors have requested a judge to dismiss the complaint and arrest warrant against Travis Decker, following advice from the U.S. Marshals Service that he is deceased. However, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office has not yet confirmed that remains found last week are indeed his, pending DNA confirmation.
Motion to Dismiss and Unconfirmed Remains
On Wednesday, September 25th, a motion was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to dismiss the complaint and quash the arrest warrant for Decker. The motion came after the U.S. Marshals Service informed prosecutors of Decker's presumed death.
Despite this, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Mike Morrison, stated, "We have not received DNA confirmation on the remains found last week." Sheriff Morrison told ABC News that charges against Decker would remain until positive identification is made.
The Manhunt and Discovery of Remains
Travis Decker, 32, was the subject of an intense manhunt since June 2nd, the day his three daughters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 — were discovered deceased at a remote campground. He had failed to return them to his ex-wife, Whitney Decker, in Wenatchee, Washington, after a court-ordered visit on May 30th.
Last week, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office announced that they believed remains located in a wooded area south of Leavenworth, Washington, belonged to Decker. A drone spotted a T-shirt, leading them to the remains. According to Sheriff Mike Morrison, the drone spotted an “anomaly” around 3 p.m. on Thursday, September 18th.
Terrain and Decomposition
Sheriff Morrison noted that the remains were “well decomposed.” The location where the remains were found was approximately 0.74 miles from the original crime scene, requiring about three hours to reach through steep, rocky, and heavily brushed terrain.
The campsite where Decker's daughters were discovered was at an elevation of around 2,800 feet, while the human remains were found above 4,000 feet. The months-long search for Decker included extensive searches in the Blewett Pass area within the Wenatchee Mountains.
