New evidence shows Travis Decker is the only suspect in his daughters' killings, sheriff's office says

CNN

13 hours ago

As authorities continue their search for Travis Decker, the Washington state man accused of suffocating his three daughters to death, investigators now believe he is the only suspect in the crime based on evidence found at the gruesome scene.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office revealed in a social media post Tuesday that each victim, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn, was found with multiple plastic bags over their heads. Two of them had two separate bags over their heads, while the third had three bags over her head, the post said.
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 added.
'The completion of this DNA analysis provides additional evidence that indicates Travis Decker is the only suspect involved in committing these homicides,' the post read.
The revelation comes nearly three months after the girls were found dead near a campsite in the Cascades, a remote and picturesque region know for backcountry hiking and camping. The siblings had been reported missing by their mother days earlier when Decker failed to bring them home after what was supposed to be a three-hour visit mandated by a custody agreement.
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.
'At this time, we do not have any evidence to suggest Travis Decker is either alive or deceased,' the sheriff's office reiterated Tuesday.
Decker was charged with murdering the three girls not long after he picked them up from their mother for the custody visit on May 30.
Drones, a swift water team, cadaver dogs and even GoPros have been used as several agencies work to find him.
The search has been complicated by treacherous terrain, and the fact that Decker had a three-day head start.
Decker's truck was found abandoned in the area of Rock Island Campground 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.
Decker leaving behind his truck likely means he is on foot, which slows down his mobility, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told CNN last month. He also left equipment behind, meaning he is unprepared unless he stashed supplies out in the woods.
The sheriff hoped more people flocking to the area surrounding where the girls were found for the busy summer season might help in the search.
'It may work in our favor now that we have that many people out there just saturating that part of the county with camping, hiking and other recreating,' Morrison said last month.
The US Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Decker's arrest.
CNN's Alaa Elassar, Danya Gainor and Andy Rose contributed to this report.