Family, Community Devastated by Killings

In one short morning, Nikolay Soltys is suspected of killing half a dozen of his closest family members--young and old, wife and kin.

The eldest victim was Soltys’ uncle, Petr Kukharskiy, 75. A religious man, he came to America in 1996 seeking freedom in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s fall.

He never learned much English, said neighbor Leda Massey, but still overcame language barriers. He smiled and waved to everyone outside the family’s home, a collection of duplexes on a leafy curve of Mills Station Road in this Sacramento suburb.

“He’d come over and help me rake the leaves,” Massey said. “He was just so cheerful.”

Kukharskiy’s wife, Galina Kukharskaya, worked tirelessly at Bethany Slavic Missionary Church. She was the one who always showed up to cook for big events.

She prayed morning and evening. Family members, some of whom had left parents behind in Ukraine, considered Galina a surrogate mother or sister.

“They always prayed for Nikolay,” said Inna Yasimsky, one of the broad collection of extended family shaken by the tragedy. “They prayed for them to have a happy family.”

Soltys’ wife, Lyubov Igorevna, was known as shy, devoutly tending her garden at the Sacramento County home she had occupied for only a few months.

They had married in Ukraine and their son was born there. But when Soltys came to the United States with his parents, she stayed behind.

She feared an outbreak of the domestic violence that had marred the marriage in its first years, family members said.

But in America, “they were happy,” Yasimsky said, puzzling over how things could have turned so wrong.

Tatyana Kukharskaya, 9, never really knew another home. She came to the United States as an infant. Towheaded and bright, she excelled at White Rock Elementary School. Her cousin, Dimitriy Kukharskiy, was known affectionately as Dima.

“They were nice,” said Rondell Jenkins, 10, who attended school with the youngsters. “We played on the monkey bars, kickball, basketball, GI Joe.”

Principal Fay Kerekes said the two cousins were “very special kids” as well as “wonderful learners.”

They would have started fourth grade next week.

The youngest victim, Sergey Soltys, 3, never had a chance for elementary school. Family members say he worshiped his father and the father doted on the son.

Hundreds of parishioners gathered at Bethany church Tuesday evening to offer prayers for the victims.

They worried that the rampage would taint their community as dangerous, devoid of morals. They called on Soltys to surrender.

“It’s terrible,” one neighbor said of Soltys. “He’s not father. He’s with demons inside of him.”

“Why he kill his wife and kid?” asked Paul Kalenuk, 15. “They didn’t do anything to him.”

Deep in mourning, Soltys’ extended family turned to prayer for solace.

“That gives comfort to our hearts,” Yasimsky said. “They’re in a better place. There’s no violence anymore.”

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Times staff writer Nancy Vogel contributed to this story.