The authorities in the American state of Washington have launched a manhunt for a father after the death of his three daughters. The children, aged five, eight, and nine, were found dead near a vehicle belonging to the man.
The car was parked at a campsite more than 200 kilometers east of the city of Seattle, writes NBC News.
The authorities suspect father Travis Decker of murder. They are using aircraft and drones to track him down. Police services such as the FBI are also participating in the search. The suspect is described as a veteran who may be dangerous. It is unclear whether he has weapons with him.
According to preliminary investigation results, the girls appear to have died of suffocation, writes The New York Times. They were also probably tied up.
Their mother raised the alarm last week after Decker did not bring the children back. According to a statement from the mother, the man would suffer from mental problems, including a borderline personality disorder.
A request for an amber alert was reportedly rejected because the case did not meet all the criteria, local police wrote on Facebook earlier this week.