U.S. Marshals declares Travis Decker dead, DNA results pending

(CNN, KYMA) - The United States (U.S.) Marshals Service filed a motion to dismiss the case against a Washington state man accused of murdering his three daughters.

Federal law enforcement declared Travis Decker dead after human remains were found last week on a mountain in Washington state.

They were found with personal items believed to be that of Decker's.

However, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office responded Wednesday saying it believes the U.S. Marshals' filing is premature as authorities in the area are waiting on results from the state's crime lab to confirm a DNA match.

Decker is the 32-year-old father and former U.S. Army Infantryman who had been a suspect after reporting his daughters missing on May 30.

The bodies of the three young girls, ages five, eight and nine, were discovered near a campground on June 2. The medical examiner determined their cause of death was suffocation.

The manhunt for Decker was the largest in the county's history.