DNA evidence revealed as hunt for Wenatchee murder suspect tops $6m

U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group. Photo courtesy: U.S. Marshals Service.

DNA evidence in the ongoing manhunt for a Wenatchee man accused of murdering his three daughters and leaving their bodies near the Rock Creek campground west of Leavenworth has confirmed that Travis Decker, 32, is the only suspect in the case.

"We received additional results back from the (Washington) State patrol crime lab and did get positive confirmation that the DNA at the crime scene does match up from the DNA we believe to be Mr. Decker's," said Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison in a briefing with Chelan County Commissioners of Tuesday. "There were no other suspects identified."

"A ground search of about 30 people did a grid search of the campsite following up on additional information," Morrison added. "We inserted additional people in the Enchantments area that did follow-up searches. We had our cadaver dog out again. We also had our search dogs out."

It's estimated that the nearly month-long search for Decker has cost law enforcement agencies and search and rescue groups in excess of $6 million.

"The majority of that is not being billed back to Chelan County. If we'd had to take on the investigation by ourselves, I'd imagine it would've eaten up close to half of our budget," said Morrison.

The U.S. Marshals Service released new photos detailing the challenging and extensive search for Decker. Federal officers said the images highlight the rugged mountainous terrain and specialized surveillance tactics, including snipers and spotting scopes, being used by authorities. Air support, including helicopters, is playing a crucial role in the coordinated ground and aerial efforts to locate Decker.