CARROLL PLANTATION, Maine – The estranged wife of a local man reported missing along with their two children fears that he may harm the young girls or himself.

“Just bring them home. Just bring my babies home, please.”

That was Jodie Perfect’s plea Tuesday to her soon-to-be ex-husband, 44-year-old Peter Perfect, after he abruptly disappeared from their home in this rural Penobscot County town with their daughters, Aleah Perfect, 6, and Amara Perfect, 2. She reported them missing Monday morning after he failed to drop the children off early Sunday per their agreement. Perfect and his children were last seen at a Lincoln church on Sunday afternoon and have not been heard from since.

Perfect said Tuesday that she fears Peter might harm her, himself or maybe even the children. The Penobscot Valley Hospital nurse and emergency medical technician describes their 17-year marriage as “rocky.”

“He threatened to kill myself, or any boyfriends I might have. He said he would kill us all,” Perfect said. “He made that threat the night I served him [with divorce papers] on Aug. 17. I told him it was over on Aug. 10.”

With more than 24 hours elapsed, state police have issued a nationwide alert in their search for Perfect and his children, but have found no specific reasons beyond Jodie Perfect’s statements to fear for their safety.

“We have no concrete information other than he is overdue,” Stephen McCausland, state police spokesman, said Tuesday. “We are hoping that either he will see that we are looking for him or someone will tell us that they have seen him.

“We have some indication that he may have been going out of state, to Anchorage, Alaska, or any points in between,” McCausland added. “We are uncertain that he is still in Maine, but we are hoping that he will hear of this.”

Peter Perfect seemed to calm down since making the threats, Jodie said, and they continued to live together after his statements, but this new incident has reignited her fears.

“I don’t know what he will do,” she said. “He wants to hurt me the biggest way he can.”

Lincoln District Court Judge James MacMichael issued a temporary protective order Monday awarding Jodie temporary full custody of the children, court officials said Tuesday.

MacMichael’s order bars Peter Perfect, a construction worker, from abusing or threatening to abuse his wife and children, from having direct or indirect contact with the three, from entering the family residence and from possessing a firearm.

Perfect owns a .410-gauge semiautomatic rifle, his wife told the judge. It could not be immediately determined Tuesday whether Perfect had the rifle with him when he left with the children.

Except for some motor vehicle infractions and a single charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicants, Peter Perfect has no criminal record, court officials said.

Perfect typically leaves for Aroostook County after the weekend for a week of work. He and his children are believed to be traveling in Perfect’s gold and tan 2003 Saturn Ion with Maine license plates 3070 LH.

Perfect or anyone who has seen him or his children or knows anything of their whereabouts should contact state police at 1-800-432-7381.

“Once we locate him, obviously we can sort things out,” McCausland said.