Police: Slayings suspect detailed order, reasons

Police say Soltys left a note saying that his wife was slain "for her tongue."

SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- The man accused of killing his son, pregnant wife and four other relatives detailed the order and reasons for the slayings on photographs found inside his abandoned car, sheriff's officials said Wednesday.

Nikolay Soltys, a 27-year-old Ukrainian immigrant, remains at large two days after authorities say he killed six family members in suburban Sacramento. Police say Soltys is driving a Ford Explorer, having left his 1995 silver Nissan Altima in a strip mall parking lot on Monday.

"Anybody associated with him, or (who) knows where this individual is at, is at risk for being his next victim," said Sacramento County Sheriff Lou Blanas.

Soltys was last seen picking up his 3-year-old son at his mother's house at 8 p.m. Monday, just hours after the slaying of his pregnant wife and four other relatives at two sites and apparently shortly before his young son also was killed.

Authorities found Soltys' Altima on Monday night, discovering photographs with notes scribbled on the back concealed in a door panel inside the car.

VIDEO The missing child of Nikolay Soltys, sought in the deaths of five of his family members, was found dead north of Sacramento, California (August 21) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Sacramento authorities say the suspect is a member of the victims' family of Ukrainian immigrants (August 20) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES Case puts spotlight on Ukrainian-American community     EXTRA INFORMATION • Gallery: Sacramento killings rampage   • Map: Key locations in California slayings   • Anyone with information on Nikolay Soltys' whereabouts should call either (916) 874-4321 or (916) 874-5414     RESOURCES Family violence     AUDIO Sgt. James Lewis says language barriers have hindered the investigation 243k / 22seconds WAV sound Inna Yaskinsky comments on the community's reaction 243k / 7 seconds WAV sound

One of the notes led investigators to Soltys' son, Sergey. The child was found dead in a cardboard box on Tuesday in a garbage-littered area of Placer County, adjacent to Sacramento County.

Detective Ron Garverick, the lead investigator in the case, said officials found a set of adult footprints along with a set of toddler footprints leading from where a vehicle had been to the grassy area where the box was found. Another, lone set of adult footprints led from the box back to the vehicle.

"The child was found in a cardboard container that's about two feet by three feet … with his head down," Garverick said. "It appears that he received a very serious wound … consistent with a knife wound."

The wound was similar to those found on other the victims, added Garverick.

Investigators found several new toys in the bottom of the box, "as if the father enticed the boy into the box with toys," he said.

Other photographs found inside the car laid out the killings in a numbered sequence, according to police.

The first pertained to Soltys' wife, saying her killing was "for her speaking" or "for her tongue."

The second killing, the notes said, was for Zoya -- the mother of 9-year-old Tatyana Kukharskaya, a cousin of Soltys' who was stabbed to death -- for the girl's mother's "speaking" or "for her tongue," similar to the first note.

And the third notation referred to the father of slain 10-year-old Dimitry Kukharskiy, Tatyana's brother, saying this killing was for the boy's father's "tongue."

Besides these two children, the suspect's elderly aunt and uncle were also found dead on Monday, 5 to 10 miles away from where Soltys' wife was found fatally stabbed.

"His reference to the wife could merely have been her explaining marital matters to somebody outside the family," Garverick said. "We're really uncertain. Because of the cultural problems, different things mean different to (these native Ukrainians) as opposed to us."

"The motivation is still not exactly clear," Garverick added. "I don't want to say he planned everything out, but this is not a spur-of-the-moment thing."

Lt. Larry Saunders said Soltys is likely still in the United States, given his expected difficulty crossing the Mexican or Canadian borders. But authorities haven't ruled out the possibility he's receiving assistance in eluding capture, he said.

The Sheriff's Department, which is working with the FBI on the case, announced a new number Wednesday for the 24-hour tip line for anyone with information on Soltys: 916-874-4321 or 916-874-5414.