By Karina Tsui and Holly Yan, CNN
(CNN) — Months after the bodies of three young sisters were found abandoned in the Washington state wilderness, authorities believe they’ve found the remains of the man accused of killing them: their father.
Investigators found human remains in the dense woods south of Leavenworth – just a few miles from the campground where the girls’ bodies were found. The grisly discovery this week could mark the end of a manhunt that stretched deep into the wilderness and yielded false alarms across states where tipsters thought they had spotted Travis Decker.
“While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker,” the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in a Thursday statement.
The remains – including bone fragments, along with clothing and other personal items – were found in deep brush on Grindstone Mountain, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison told CNN affiliate KIRO.
“It was not an area we had previously searched before,” the sheriff said.
With the help of a drone, authorities found the remains at an elevation of 4,000 feet, Morrison told KIRO. Detectives were hoisted down from a helicopter to the scene of the discovery, which would take about three hours to hike up to, he said.
Collected items have been sent to a state police crime lab “to see if we can get DNA confirmation if it is Mr. Decker,” Morrison said.
Decker – an Army veteran skilled in wilderness survival – had been on the loose since May 30, when he failed to bring his daughters home after what was supposed to be a three-hour custody visit.
Three days later, the bodies of 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn and 9-year-old Paityn were found with plastic bags over their heads at an abandoned campsite in the Washington Cascades.
After the gruesome discovery, Decker’s truck was found June 2, abandoned in the area of Rock Island Campground. His daughters’ bodies were nearly 100 yards away down a small embankment, along with zip ties and plastic bags found strewn throughout the area, according to a police affidavit.
Authorities also found a bloody fingerprint on the truck’s tailgate, as well as Decker’s dog, which was taken to a humane society for care.
DNA samples obtained from the bags and cable ties found near the girls’ bodies matched the profile for Decker, the sheriff’s office said. No other DNA was found on the bags or the cable ties, authorities said at the time.
In the months since, local, state and federal officials have searched for Decker without knowing whether he was still alive.
Drones, a swift water team, cadaver dogs and even GoPros have been used in a multiagency search complicated by treacherous terrain and the fact that Decker had a three-day head start.
Decker likely escaped on foot after leaving behind his truck, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison has told CNN. He also left behind equipment, meaning he was unprepared unless he stashed supplies out in the woods.
As the arduous manhunt may have come to an end, CNN has reached out to the US Marshals Service for more information.
The sheriff’s office has been in touch with the Decker family about the investigation and its findings, the agency said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Cindy VonQuednow, Alaa Elassar, Danya Gainor and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
