A manhunt is under way for an ex-soldier suspected of kidnapping and murdering his three daughters in Washington state.

Officers said Travis Decker, 32, has “extensive” military training and could pose a “significant risk” but they aren’t sure if he’s armed.

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 – 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.

Evelyn, Paityn and Olivia Decker attended Lincoln Elementary in Wenatchee school district.

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Decker is said to have ‘extensive’ military training. Pic: Wenatchee Police Department

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.

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The public have been warned to not approach Decker and to call 911 immediately.

Questions are being asked 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.

Washington State Patrol public affairs director Chris Loftis said a parent not returning their child on time was a “rather common occurrence and not something where you just automatically assume abduction”.

“We’re people too, you know, so the loss of a child, the loss of two children, the loss of three children is… devastating,” he said.