Travis Decker: Manhunt underway for ex-soldier, 32, suspected of murdering his three daughters in Washington state - public warned not to approach

Police, the FBI and US marshals are all involved, with drones and aircraft deployed to scour remote forested areas. The alarm was raised on Friday when the girl's mother reported her daughters - aged nine, eight and five - were missing after Decker didn't return following a planned visit of three hours.

Wenatchee police began the search over the weekend, looking for the white pick-up Decker is believed to live out of. The truck was found on Monday near a campground west of Leavenworth, about 70 miles east of Seattle, with the girls' bodies found in "relatively close proximity", according to police.

Their mother told police the girls didn't return as planned at 8pm on Friday and that Travis Decker's phone went straight to voicemail. A detective for the Wenatchee force said she "expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and... is currently experiencing some mental health issues".

Officials said Decker joined the US Army in 2013 and moved to the Washington National Guard in 2021, becoming part time in the last few years, but stopped attending drills about a year ago. The public have been warned to not approach Decker and to call 911 immediately.

Officers said Travis Decker, 32, has "extensive" military training and could pose a "significant risk" but they aren't sure if he's armed. Questions are being raised about whether time was wasted in escalating the search after police requested an amber alert from state patrol on Friday night but it didn't meet the criteria. It wasn't until Wenatchee detectives provided extra information on Saturday that an endangered missing person alert was issued.