New clues in knife man hunt

A $10,000 reward is on offer for Mr Soltys' whereabouts

Police in California have revealed new details about the Ukrainian immigrant wanted for the murders of six close relatives.

Detectives believe a family feud may have prompted Nikolay Soltys, 27, to go on a killing spree in a rural area north of Sacramento, California, on Tuesday.

A massive manhunt has been launched for Nikolay Soltys

They have also given details of a car they think the suspect may be driving.

Investigators say they are learning more about the kind of cold-blooded killer they are dealing with.

They say a scribbled note on the back of a family photograph suggests the six murders - which included three children and Mr Soltys's pregnant wife, Lyubov - may have been some sort of revenge for his relatives gossiping outside the immediate family.

Cardboard box

The lead detective on the case suggested the final victim, Soltys's three-year-old son, Sergey, may have been molested before he was brutally stabbed to death.

He said the boy appeared to have been enticed into a cardboard box with new toys that were found at the scene.

Police had hoped the boy - who disappeared, apparently with his father, after five members of the Soltys family were stabbed to death on Monday - might still be alive.

The child has significant trauma, there is blood in the box

Sergeant James Lewis

Finding his body was "probably the most distressing of all because there was a great deal of hope throughout the department that we would be able to find this child safe and sound", Sacramento County Sheriff spokesman Sergeant James Lewis said.

A note written in Russian on the back of a photograph of Mr Soltys' wife found in his abandoned car gave investigators clues to where to find his son's body.

Green Ford Explorer

After an extensive search, police found the three-year-old's body hidden in a small, white box near a rubbish tip.

"The child has significant trauma, there is blood in the box," said Sergeant Lewis.

Mr Soltys is thought to be responsible for two attacks in which his wife, elderly uncle and aunt and two young cousins were killed.

The bodies of Lyubov and Sergey were found separately

Following a tip-off, the police believe the suspect may be driving a green Ford Explorer.

The massive manhunt is being extended throughout the United States.

A $10,000 reward has been put up for information leading to his arrest.

The Ukrainian immigrant is known to have relatives in Washington state, North Carolina and New York. They are all under police protection.

Police say Nikolay Soltys had a history of domestic violence and mental problems and was in financial difficulties.