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CNN Live At Daybreak

Police Search for Suspected Killer in California

Aired August 21, 2001 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, police are looking for a killer in California. The suspect is Nikolay Sostys -- Soltys rather. He is wanted in the stabbing deaths of five members of his own family.

Rusty Dornin is in Sacramento now with the latest -- Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Sacramento sheriff's deputies did find the car belonging to Nikolay Soltys. But it turned up very few clues. It was discovered in the parking lot behind a home improvement store in Sacramento. There was an aerial search and a ground search with dogs, but it turned up no sign of Soltys.

Now, this was in an area that there is a large Ukrainian population. And police say there is a possibility that someone could have taken him in, or he may have been transferred to another vehicle. Of course, that makes things more complicated, because it will be more difficult to track him.

Now, 27-year-old Soltys is suspected of stabbing his wife and driving across town and killing his aunt and uncle and two young cousins. An act of deliberate rage, and here to tell us a little bit more about what they have been able to discover about his background is Captain John McGinness with the Sacramento Sheriff's Department.

Captain, is there any indication from his background in the Ukraine that something like this -- that he had this kind of temperament?

CAPTAIN JOHN MCGINNESS, SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Apparently, he did have a domestic violence history with a former wife in the Ukraine. In terms of specific details, frankly, we don't have that yet. But there is evidence to support that there was some domestic violence in that relationship.

DORNIN: Also I understand that he applied to get into the Ukrainian Army?

MCGINNESS: That's correct. And he was denied enlistment into the Ukrainian Army for apparently mental reasons. But more specifically, frankly, we don't know.

DORNIN: Now, it seems unusual, I mean, the act of rage -- very intense to stab his wife, drive another 12 miles and kill four more people. Also his behavior was unusual in that incidence. Can you describe that?

MCGINNESS: Yes, very much so. After having apparently killed his wife in a very violent fit of rage, traveled those 12 miles that you referred to, and then engaged in conversation with the relatives of that home and appeared to be very normal, before he ultimately apparently took their lives as well.

DORNIN: Now, I understand he was unemployed, and there is no indication of motive at this point.

MCGINNESS: No indication of motive. He had just recently terminated employment, for what reason, frankly, we don't know. And he was to enroll in community college yesterday. That was the plan, but it didn't materialize

(CROSSTALK)

DORNIN: Thank you very much. Captain John McGinness from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

Apparently no motive -- also no sign of Nikolay Soltys. There is a national manhunt under way, and of course, they are concerned that he is armed and dangerous -- Carol.

LIN: All right. We'll check the situation throughout the hour as well -- thanks, Rusty.

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