Travis Decker’s mental health spiral: Did his breakdown lead to the murder of his daughters? Check details

Authorities in Washington state have found human remains they believe are those of Travis Decker, the fugitive father accused of killing his three young daughters this year. After the crime, he disappeared into the wilderness, prompting the cops to launch a massive manhunt to arrest him.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Thursday evening that "while positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker." The office said the remains were discovered in a remote wooded area south of the town of Leavenworth.

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Travis Decker mental health decline

In 2024, Travis Decker and his ex-wife Whitney Decker divorced in which she cited "mental instability" as the reason. Reports suggest that Whitney Decker wrote in her divorce filing about the “emotional/mental health issues” Travis was experiencing and said it was “the primary catalyst to the end of our marriage and has also affected the girls greatly.”

Whitney told police her ex-husband had previously been reliable about returning the children on schedule. A parenting plan implemented in September 2024 required Travis to undergo mental health treatment and attend domestic violence anger-management counseling, but he failed to comply. The affidavit also states that he refused to sign the agreement.

Details about Decker, a former military man's declining mental health had emerged before his three daughters were found dead. According to a related court filing, Whitney claimed that Decker had "neglected his parental duties towards a child" and "has a long-term emotional or physical problem that gets in the way of his ability to parent", according to PEOPLE.

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Whitney said that she was concerned for the girls because this was a first for Travis, whom she told investigators was “experiencing mental health issues” and was homeless, often living in hotels or campgrounds, per the probable cause affidavit.

The affidavit also outlines Travis’ behavior in the moments leading up to the killings. According to the affidavit, Whitney told authorities that Travis had recently been cited for driving without insurance. Authorities also noted that Travis was involved in a car crash on May 27, to which he was handed down traffic infractions after a police investigation.

While speaking with investigators about her relationship with Travis, Whitney denied any incidents of domestic violence but acknowledged “moments of power or control,” according to the affidavit.

“She described instances where he would suddenly leave without explanation or wake her by screaming in the middle of the night. Whitney also revealed that, toward the end of their marriage, Travis was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and she believes he is not currently taking his prescribed medication,” the affidavit states.

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Travis Decker body found

Preliminary findings suggest the remains are those of Travis Decker, 32, whom authorities have been searching for more than three months. The remains were found south of the town of Leavenworth during a search, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said. A DNA analysis will be done, the office said.

Three weeks into the manhunt, authorities released a detailed statement questioning whether Travis Decker—a military veteran, National Guardsman, and seasoned outdoorsman described by the local sheriff—was still alive.

Investigators revealed they had redirected resources toward recovering Decker’s remains, noting that the likelihood of his death “increases every day.”

On June 10, officials said they believed they had traced Decker to an area near the isolated campsite where his daughters were discovered dead days earlier, about 130 miles east of Seattle.