Bones found in Travis Decker manhunt are not human, FBI says amid search for suspected killer dad

05 Sep 2025 By foxnews

The FBI said Wednesday that remains discovered during last week's grid search for fugitive father Travis Decker were reviewed and found to not be human.

Officials recovered bones during their two-day search of Washington campgrounds on Aug. 25-26 as part of the manhunt for Decker, the man accused of murdering his three young daughters. The bones were analyzed and found to not be of human origin, according to a statement Wednesday from W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office.

"During the search, personnel recovered multiple bones, including those that required additional examination to determine if they were animal or human," Herrington said in the statement. "Central Washington University has reviewed the bones and assessed that they are not human."

BONES DISCOVERED DURING LATEST MANHUNT FOR TRAVIS DECKER WANTED IN DAUGHTERS' MURDERS

While the 250-acre search of the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth did not lead to any direct evidence of Decker's location, it provided investigators with additional information, officials said.

FBI SEARCHES AREA AROUND CAMPGROUND WHERE TRAVIS DECKER'S 3 DAUGHTERS WERE FOUND DEAD

"While we do not anticipate further updates related to this specific search, the investigation continues," Herrington said. "This extensive search was just one step in a three-month process by a variety of agencies to locate Travis Decker, discover signs of his whereabouts or find any other evidence of the murder of his three daughters."

A spokesperson for the FBI Seattle field office told Fox News Digital in an email that, as of Thursday, the agency has "discovered no evidence to indicate that Travis Decker is alive or dead."

Decker, an Army veteran with survival expertise, has evaded capture for more than three months.

FUGITIVE DAD WANTED FOR ALLEGED TRIPLE MURDER POSSIBLY SPOTTED AS MASSIVE POLICE RESPONSE ENDS EMPTY-HANDED

Authorities began searching for him on June 2, when he failed to return his daughters - Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 - to their mother after a scheduled visitation. The children's bodies were discovered near Rock Island Campground along Icicle Creek with bags over their heads. Autopsies confirmed they died of suffocation, and their deaths were ruled homicides.

The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $20,000 for information leading to the arrest of Decker. Authorities said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office and the Wenatchee Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.