CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. — Sheriff Mike Morrison held a press conference on Thursday confirming the remains found on Grindstone Mountain were that of Travis Decker, the man accused of murdering his three young daughters.
Sheriff Morrison said the Sheriff’s Office is still waiting to confirm the cause of death with the Coroner’s Office.
Decker’s remains were found during the fourth search in mid-September, conducted in a remote wooded area of Grindstone Mountain, an area that had not been previously searched.
Sheriff Morrison said in a previous interview the remains were severely decomposed and scattered, likely by animals and that the discovery came after a drone spotted a shirt that matched the color of clothing Decker was wearing during the murders.
Although the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed the remains to be Decker’s in a court document on September 23, Sheriff Morrison said he wanted confirmed DNA from both the clothing and the remains before officially announcing Decker had been found.
When asked if Decker had gone directly to the Grindstone Mountain area after the murder of his three daughters, Sheriff Morrison said it cannot yet be confirmed, but that evidence is consistent with that being the case.
“This is not going to bring Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia back,” Morrison said. “Our community is now down three young girls who would have been our bright future.”
He went on to say that he had been in touch with the girls’ mother, Whitney, and had worked closely with her throughout the investigation to ensure she and the family approved of the information released.
“I hope she will sleep better at night,” Sheriff Morrison said in reference to Whitney.
A search is now being conducted for the rest of Decker’s remains.
Decker is accused of killing his three young daughters, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn and 5-year-old Olivia in June 2025 after failing to return them to their mother’s house following a scheduled visit.
A motion to dismiss the criminal complaint against Travis Decker and his arrest warrant was filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, September 23.
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