The FBI said Thursday it completed a two-day search near Leavenworth this week for Travis Decker, the man accused of killing his three daughters, and investigators confirming Friday bones were among the items recovered.
The large-scale operation took place Monday and Tuesday in the Rock Island Campground area, where more than 100 people worked through rugged terrain and high summer heat.
Search crews covered more than 1 million square meters — roughly 247 acres — of forested land.
Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison confirmed that bones were found during the search.
At this point, it is unclear whether they are human or animal remains.
The material has been sent to Central Washington University’s anthropology department for testing.
“Let’s put it this way, we didn’t find a full skeleton by any means,” a Sheriff Morrison said.
The search was the third in the same general area.
The Washington State Patrol conducted the initial sweep for evidence, followed by a joint effort by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service, which expanded the perimeter and mapped the terrain.
This week’s FBI-directed search went even further, with teams digitally documenting and mapping the land to capture every inch of the quarter-mile around the scene.
FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington said “several items” were collected and are now under review to determine if they are linked to the case.
“Finding this potential evidence emphasizes the value in having various teams search an area multiple times, especially in such challenging conditions,” he said.
Authorities said the FBI’s operation was unprecedented in size for the area and included advanced mapping techniques.
Data collected has been shared with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and federal partners.
Participating agencies included the Chelan and Spokane county sheriff’s offices, the U.S. Marshals Service, Port of Seattle Police Department, Yakima Police Department, the U.S. Forest Service Wenatchee River District, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Central Washington University’s anthropology department.
Sheriff’s officials said additional searches are likely, possibly as soon as September, with federal partners considering new resources.
Investigators are also exploring new methods, including drone and artificial intelligence technology.
They cited a recent case in Italy where thousands of drone images were processed through AI, which identified a possible location of a missing body.
“We are going above and beyond what people expect of us. We haven’t lost interest and won’t until Decker is found. We will keep searching every inch,” the sheriff’s office said.
Decker remains wanted on three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree kidnapping in the deaths of his daughters, Paltyn, Evelyn, and Olivia.
The U.S. Marshals Service continues to offer a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Officials warn that Decker should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone who sees him is urged to call 911 and not approach him.
Tips can also be submitted to the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-800-336-0102 or online at www.usmarshals.gov/tips.
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