DNA confirms fugitive Travis Decker’s death

CHELAN COUNTY — The largest manhunt in county history came to a close this week, as DNA testing confirmed that human remains found near Grindstone Mountain belong to fugitive Travis Decker, wanted in the deaths of his three young daughters.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said the confirmation marks an end to “a very dark chapter” for the community. “We can finally bring a close to this case,” Morrison said. “We wanted to show honor to Peyton, Evelyn, and Olivia, to let them know that we never forgot about them, we never forgot about their family.”

Addressing the children’s mother, he added, “To Whitney, we apologize that it’s taken this long to get the closure that we were looking for in this case. But I hope that you can rest easier at night, knowing that Travis is accounted for.”

Morrison also spoke to the impact on his department. “Our detectives, our investigative unit, the amount of time, effort, and just overall sacrifice that they put in — they never relented on this case, they remained focused, and they made sure that, number one, justice was served, and most importantly, the law prevailed,” he said. “For our deputies, it’s been a huge toll… no officer in his law enforcement career should really have to read through the details of this case.”

The break came during a fourth coordinated search of Grindstone Mountain, informed by forensic analysis from Washington State Patrol operational psychologist Stacy Cecchet. Her insights, Morrison said, “led us to an important area to search where we did eventually locate Mr. Decker.”

He also credited Wenatchee Police Detective Brian Hewitt for his “tireless effort” in the earliest days of the investigation. “If it had not been for his work, we would have had 2,900 square miles and we would have had a search without any real guidance,” Morrison said.

Looking at the scale of the manhunt, Morrison said it was unprecedented for the region. “You’re looking at one of the largest manhunts in Chelan County history. One of the most horrific crimes we’ve seen in Chelan County. And we’re glad to put it behind us,” he said. “Number one, above all, we found Mr. Decker, he’s accounted for. And we can say that threat to our community is confirmed no longer a threat.”

Morrison also recognized the wider community for its role in supporting the case and the family. “Most importantly to our community, thank you,” he said. “Thank you for supporting us, being patient. We knew it took months. We knew that you sat on edge as we were all so stressed out about this situation. But again, never wavered your support from us. We’re grateful for that. We haven’t forgot it. And we hope that you can also rest easy at night knowing that Mr. Decker is accounted for.”

U.S. Marshal Jerome Brown, whose Spokane-based task force supported the search, said the outcome reflected collective effort. “First time I spoke before this podium, I promised you we would not stop until we found the fugitive,” Brown said. “This was a team, truly team, family endeavor. That’s why this was successful.”

Authorities said cause and time of death remain under review by the county coroner. Morrison stressed that while Decker’s death closes the criminal case, the loss cannot be measured. “No matter what, this is not going to bring Peyton, Evelyn, or Olivia back,” he said. “If anything, we just hoped that maybe [Whitney] would sleep better at night. She wouldn’t be looking over her shoulder.”

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media