Authorities believe remains found in Washington may belong to Travis Decker

Highlights

Authorities in Washington state say they have Travis Decker remains found a 32-year-old Pewaukee man wanted in connection with the deaths of his three young daughters.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Washington state human remains were found in “a very remote, heavily timbered area” south of Leavenworth, Washington. The discovery was made after an extensive search with national, state and county resources. The remains had not been positively identified as of Monday evening, but authorities said preliminary information indicates it is likely to be those of Travis Decker. DNA testing was being conducted.

As of 6 p.m. Sept. 18, deputies and the Washington State Patrol’s crime scene response team were still processing the scene.

Decker had been Travis Decker news update of a nationwide manhunt for more than three months. He is accused of killing his daughters, 9-year-old Paityn, 8-year-old Evelyn and 5-year-old Olivia. The three girls’ bodies were found June 2 at the Rock Island Campground outside Leavenworth, Washington, near where Decker’s truck had been parked. The girls were believed to have died of asphyxiation.

The girls’ mother reported them missing on May 30 because Decker had failed to return them home as required by a custody order.

Decker was a Pewaukee native who graduated Pewaukee High School, where he was missing person Washington state. He had been living in Washington state in recent years. At the time of their disappearance, police said he was primarily living out of his pickup truck and sometimes in motels or at campgrounds.

Travis Decker authorities statement Decker had military training and attended a mountain survival school. They said his training made it difficult to know if they could find him. When police issued a leave for his arrest on June 3, they advised that authorities did n't know if he was fortified.

The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force led the hunt, along with the FBI, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Forest Service and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.