Found Deceased WA - Olivia 5, Evelyn 8 & Paityn Decker 9, found dead, manhunt on for father, Travis Decker 32, wh 2017 GMC Sierra PU, Wenatchee, 30 May 2025 #2

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

I'd like to know more about the setting where the bones were found and what the bones looked like.

From the link:

The recent FBI search efforts for Travis Decker have uncovered bones, and investigators are now testing them to determine whether they are human.

The search brought 100 FBI personnel and several other agencies into the county, covering nearly 250 acres of rugged terrain from Sunday to Wednesday.

“The bones were found during the grid search by one of the 100 personnel ... it was inconclusive at the time if they were animal or human, so it was sent off to Central Washington University in their anthropology department to do a confirmation," said Sheriff Mike Morrison.

Bones found in FBI search for Decker

 

[Gemmie]

I'd like to know more about the setting where the bones were found and what the bones looked like.

From the link:

The recent FBI search efforts for Travis Decker have uncovered bones, and investigators are now testing them to determine whether they are human.

The search brought 100 FBI personnel and several other agencies into the county, covering nearly 250 acres of rugged terrain from Sunday to Wednesday.

“The bones were found during the grid search by one of the 100 personnel ... it was inconclusive at the time if they were animal or human, so it was sent off to Central Washington University in their anthropology department to do a confirmation," said Sheriff Mike Morrison.

Bones found in FBI search for Decker

They must not have found a skull because that would tell them whether it was human or animal. I wonder how far of an area they were strewn?

 

[Dotta]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[RedHaus]

Wow. Bones. Interesting.

I still wonder if the bones (or other items possibly related to the case and search for TD) had been found by a civilian and reported to the FBI.

My sense is the FBI knew something was in that area to bring such force now.

IMO.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

I am hoping this is the break everyone is waiting for!

I don't want to get too excited but bones is more than I anticipated they found.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

They must not have found a skull because that would tell them whether it was human or animal. I wonder how far of an area they were strewn?

Excellent point.

A bit gruesome *warning* - but if he took his own life by hanging from a tree let's say... possible there was body separation after the weather, gravity, decomp, etc. MOO JMO

 

[sasha17]

I am hoping this is the break everyone is waiting for!

I don't want to get too excited but bones is more than I anticipated they found.

If it's not Decker's bones, it's possible it could be bones of another missing person. If it's not Decker, I hope that is the outcome so another family can have some closure.

 

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

Wow. Bones. Interesting.

I still wonder if the bones (or other items possibly related to the case and search for TD) had been found by a civilian and reported to the FBI.

My sense is the FBI knew something was in that area to bring such force now.

IMO.

Makes one wonder, doesn't it? In the link I included above (currently post #1280-East Idaho News-"Where is Travis Decker?"), Sheriff Morrison is asked at the conclusion of the interview (35:36) if there are any misconceptions he would want to clear up.

Morrison replies that people say, "You guys aren't doing this and that", and adds, "I would just stress, too, we're not going to disclose every single thing that we've done or every piece of evidence we have".

In the list of agencies that were present for last weekend's extensive ground search, Central Washington University-Anthropology Department is mentioned by Morrison (11:25) as having formed part of the approximately one hundred-person search contingent.

Now we learn in my Wenatchee World link (currently post #1281) that the bones are being examined and studied at Central Washington University-Anthropology Department.

Does anyone recall if Central Washington Anthropology participated in past search efforts or was this a first? If a first, that might be a little curious.

Morrison does state, however, in the Wenatchee World article that “The bones were found during the grid search by one of the 100 personnel ... " BBM

 

[girlhasnoname]

Fingers crossed that the bones found end up belonging to TD. It seems like a massive search so I agree they made have had a significant tip of something.

For everyone's sake, I hope it's TD and the searching for him can come to a resolution.

MOO

 

[xjd11]

If it's not Decker's bones, it's possible it could be bones of another missing person. If it's not Decker, I hope that is the outcome so another family can have some closure.

great point. I have wondered if he is dead would he be just bones this soon? another person up thread said perhaps if he hung himself, skeleton might have separated etc.

 

[RedHaus]

great point. I have wondered if he is dead would he be just bones this soon? another person up thread said perhaps if he hung himself, skeleton might have separated etc.

Maybe we have a forensics experts here.

But in the meantime, I did some research last night on human body decay rates in the forests of Washington state during 3 summer months. It seems that it would be too soon for 'clean' bones (for lack of a better word).

There would still be flesh. That said perhaps LE spared us the gore.

p.s. as @waitin'4thewrld2chg pointed out ^, me thinks if the Central Washington University-Anthropology Department was involved in this latest search (and I don't recall their involvement before) then LE knew in advance that remains were there.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

great point. I have wondered if he is dead would he be just bones this soon? another person up thread said perhaps if he hung himself, skeleton might have separated etc.

My nagging as well.... it just seems as if he would still be an intact skeleton, and even total decomposition doesn't seem right....

 

[Serononin]

great point. I have wondered if he is dead would he be just bones this soon? another person up thread said perhaps if he hung himself, skeleton might have separated etc.

I guess if there was scavenging by animals then maybe?

 

[nao]

My nagging as well.... it just seems as if he would still be an intact skeleton, and even total decomposition doesn't seem right....

Moo...it is summer time. I had a full grown deer taken down ( behind my back fence), by some predator, a bear I would guess. Bear kept coming back, bush rats and of course maggots. 3 weeks later just a couple of large clean bones left....moo

 

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

If it's not Decker's bones, it's possible it could be bones of another missing person. If it's not Decker, I hope that is the outcome so another family can have some closure.

It looks like this might be the case. Another family may have learned the fate of their loved one.

"According to Morrison, earlier in the search, they found remains of what appear to be an overdose victim," Rodas said.

How sad. There must have been identifying items with those bones that tied them to another individual entirely. Wonder when that death happened. Since it is felt that Travis was solely responsible for the deaths of his girls, I expect this other death is considered to be a completely separate incident.

Bones found during FBI's Travis Decker search in WA forest

The FBI reportedly found bones while searching for Travis Decker in a large area of the Leavenworth forest.

www.fox13seattle.com

 

[RedHaus]

According to Morrison, earlier in the search, they found remains of what appear to be an overdose victim," Rodas said.

... Since it is felt that Travis was solely responsible for the deaths of his girls, I expect this other death is considered to be a completely separate incident.

RSBM
Or was it?? Morrison has indicated there are details LE is not sharing. Rightly so.

This new nugget (to me) make me wonder if this overdose death happened around the same time TD killed his girls.

A big frigging what if here... But what if TD had a friend with him at his camp and they were doing drugs that evening and sonething went very wrong... maybe one overdosed and another had a bad trip.

Maybe that's why LE was so convinced TD was in the woods and not long gone. Perhaps evidence at the camp suggested risky drug use and TD may have fled the camp in a drug induced psychotic state?

Far fetched, yes! But my sleuthing mind can't help but try to make sense of dots.

IMO x 10.

 

[sasha17]

It looks like this might be the case. Another family may have learned the fate of their loved one.

"According to Morrison, earlier in the search, they found remains of what appear to be an overdose victim," Rodas said.

How sad. There must have been identifying items with those bones that tied them to another individual entirely. Wonder when that death happened. Since it is felt that Travis was solely responsible for the deaths of his girls, I expect this other death is considered to be a completely separate incident.

Bones found during FBI's Travis Decker search in WA forest

The FBI reportedly found bones while searching for Travis Decker in a large area of the Leavenworth forest.

www.fox13seattle.com

I agree that it's completely separate. If it was somehow tied into Decker and/or what he did, I doubt they'd publicly release any information about this other person's remains being located. It would still be closely held due to ongoing investigation, etc.

 

[Onlyguessing23]

RSBM
Or was it?? Morrison has indicated there are details LE is not sharing. Rightly so.

This new nugget (to me) make me wonder if this overdose death happened around the same time TD killed his girls.

A big frigging what if here... But what if TD had a friend with him at his camp and they were doing drugs that evening and sonething went very wrong... maybe one overdosed and another had a bad trip.

Maybe that's why LE was so convinced TD was in the woods and not long gone. Perhaps evidence at the camp suggested risky drug use and TD may have fled the camp in a drug induced psychotic state?

Far fetched, yes! But my sleuthing mind can't help but try to make sense of dots.

IMO x 10.

Crazier things have happened! And, really, what are the chances that they find an unrelated body in their search for TD? (I realize it’s happened before…)

 

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

RSBM
Or was it?? Morrison has indicated there are details LE is not sharing. Rightly so.

This new nugget (to me) make me wonder if this overdose death happened around the same time TD killed his girls.

A big frigging what if here... But what if TD had a friend with him at his camp and they were doing drugs that evening and sonething went very wrong... maybe one overdosed and another had a bad trip.

Maybe that's why LE was so convinced TD was in the woods and not long gone. Perhaps evidence at the camp suggested risky drug use and TD may have fled the camp in a drug induced psychotic state?

Far fetched, yes! But my sleuthing mind can't help but try to make sense of dots.

IMO x 10.

Interesting idea. Definitely would explain the focus on the woods search.

However, in the Nate Eaton / East Idaho News video I posted Wednesday (currently post #1280, at 36:20), Sheriff Morrison wanted to emphasize something recently shared by his office: the Washington State Crime Lab, one of the best in the nation, he feels, spent several days studying the scene, and the conclusion is that only Travis, the girls, and the dog were on the scene. "We're not seeing an extra person", Morrison says. "There's no one else."

Now I realize LE can say stuff that isn't so in the interest of a case, and Morrison does go on to state at this same spot on the video that there is quite a bit behind the scenes that they are not going to disclose. Hmmm, "quite a bit". (Just tell meeeee, pleeeease.)

 

[waitin'4thewrld2chg]

Adding to my post above since the time has passed for an edit: in the video that I've been referring to (Nate Eaton, at 32:26), Sheriff Morrison, speaking about the possibility of Travis having had some things cached for long-term survival, stated, "If he really had planed this out, which----I have some questions---there's some things that lead me to believe he did not plan this out...."

What things, I wonder?