The search for Travis Decker continues, as authorities confirm that bones discovered near a Washington campsite that were thought to be his are not human remains.
According to a press release issued by the FBI’s Seattle Division on Wednesday, Sept. 3, the remains discovered near the Rock Island Campground near Leavenworth on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 do not belong to the missing father.
He has been missing since late May, when he picked up his three young daughters, Paityn (9), Evelyn (8), and Olivia (5), from their mother Wendy Decker’s house.
Days later, on June 2, the girls were discovered dead at the campsite after being reported missing during a planned visit with Decker. He has now been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office, stated in a press release on Wednesday that “Central Washington University has reviewed the bones and assessed that they are not human.”
“While we do not anticipate further updates related to this specific search, the investigation continues,” according to his statement.
According to Herrington, the “extensive search” has been ongoing for about three months.
Throughout this time, authorities have been working to “discover signs of his whereabouts” and “find any other evidence of the murder of his three daughters.”
“In two days, the search team cleared almost 250 acres by carefully covering rough terrain on foot, and further efforts can build on the knowledge we gained through the electronic mapping of the area,” Herrington remarked.
“I think it just further shows that we’ve done a thorough search of the area,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told the Seattle Times on Wednesday.
The sheriff went further: “We’ll continue to expand out and search additional areas when we have resources available.”
He stated that the current teams would receive assistance this month, but did not specify which agency would be assisting.
“I don’t know if they want to make themselves public yet,” Morrison told the outlet. “We’ll have some additional state resources coming out here next week to do an assessment of some of their specialists.”
The girls were discovered dead with plastic bags over their heads, and at least one was restrained with zip ties, according to an affidavit obtained by PEOPLE. According to PEOPLE, a medical examiner determined they died from asphyxiation.
In a press release issued on August 19, authorities stated that the former military man is the “only suspect involved in committing these homicides.”
In addition, the US Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads directly to Decker’s arrest. He remains a suspect, armed and dangerous.
