CHELAN COUNTY, WA - Authorities just announced that DNA testing has confirmed that the fugitive father accused of killing his three daughters at a campground in June is the sole suspect wanted in connection with the case.
In a news release, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said that DNA profiles matching that of 32-year-old Travis Decker were found on the plastic bags and plastic zip ties alleged to have been used to suffocate his daughters: Evelyn, 8, Paityn, 9, and Olivia, 5, according to NBC News.
The three girls were found at the Rock Island Campground along Icicle Creek on June 2 with bags over their head. The sheriff's office said cable ties were found at the scene near the bodies. Autopsies carried out in early June found the cause of death was suffocation as a result of homicide.
The Washington State Crime Lab made the DNA connection on August 6 by analyzing the plastic bags and cable ties. No other DNA profiles were found, it said.
Authorities previously stated that DNA taken from a bloody handprint found on a truck near the scene where the girls were found also matched Decker.
"The completion of this DNA analysis provides additional evidence that indicates Travis Decker is the only suspect involved in committing these homicides," the release said. Decker is still at large as state and federal agencies continue its attempts to locate him.
The Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker's arrest. The sheriff's office reiterated a previous warning that Decker "should be considered armed and dangerous."
Anyone who spots him should call 911.
They can also contact the nearest U.S Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.
Decker has been on the run since he was last seen on May 30, when he picked up his three daughters for a scheduled visitation, Law & Crime reported. He never brought them back and all three girls were found dead three days later.
Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping in connection with the deaths of his daughters.
In a news release, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said that DNA profiles matching that of 32-year-old Travis Decker were found on the plastic bags and plastic zip ties alleged to have been used to suffocate his daughters: Evelyn, 8, Paityn, 9, and Olivia, 5, according to NBC News.
The three girls were found at the Rock Island Campground along Icicle Creek on June 2 with bags over their head. The sheriff's office said cable ties were found at the scene near the bodies. Autopsies carried out in early June found the cause of death was suffocation as a result of homicide.
The Washington State Crime Lab made the DNA connection on August 6 by analyzing the plastic bags and cable ties. No other DNA profiles were found, it said.
Authorities previously stated that DNA taken from a bloody handprint found on a truck near the scene where the girls were found also matched Decker.
"The completion of this DNA analysis provides additional evidence that indicates Travis Decker is the only suspect involved in committing these homicides," the release said. Decker is still at large as state and federal agencies continue its attempts to locate him.
The Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Decker's arrest. The sheriff's office reiterated a previous warning that Decker "should be considered armed and dangerous."
Anyone who spots him should call 911.
They can also contact the nearest U.S Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.
Decker has been on the run since he was last seen on May 30, when he picked up his three daughters for a scheduled visitation, Law & Crime reported. He never brought them back and all three girls were found dead three days later.
Decker has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of kidnapping in connection with the deaths of his daughters.
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