Enrika (8), who was found murdered along with her mother Jolanta, in Killorglin, Co Kerry

Interpol and Lithuanian police are assisting the gardai in a massive man hunt for the murderer of Jolanta Lubiene and her daughter Enrika.

Gardai investigating the brutal double murder believe that the victims knew their killer and are concerned that he may have fled this jurisdiction.

Garda Superintendent Flor Murphy, who is leading the investigation, confirmed that Gardai had sought the assistance of Interpol in their attempts to apprehend the killer.

The helpless mother was stabbed more than 20 times as she ran through her home in a bid to flee from her crazed attacker.

The grim details of the final moments of the Lithuanian mother and her daughter emerged last night as gardai widened their hunt for the killer overseas.

Jolanta Lubiene (27) was attacked initially in an upstairs room of her semi-detached house in Killorglin, Co Kerry, and was then chased by the killer as she tried to escape through the back door.

But the thug caught her in the kitchen and began stabbing her again until she slumped to the floor in a pool of blood.

Her daughter Enrika (8) was stabbed in the throat on an upstairs landing by the frenzied attacker.

An examination of CCTV footage from a supermarket in the town showed that Jolanta had been shopping there and was in Langford Street at 1.50pm on Saturday.

Jolanta was stabbed repeatedly in the body and was also struck on her arms and hands as she bravely tried to defend herself.

The trail of blood found by gardai indicated that the killer started his savage assault upstairs.

The little girl immediately fell to the ground but her mother desperately tried to flee from the house, despite her injuries.

She managed to run into the kitchen, where, minutes before the killer had arrived, she had been cooking food.

But she was grabbed there again by her attacker, who inflicted further wounds to her body before running from the house in the Langford Downs estate.

Gardai believe the mother and daughter were murdered some time between 2.15pm and 5.30pm on Saturday. Their bodies were not found until a friend called to the house on Sunday night.

Gardai last night renewed their appeal to anybody who spotted a man in an obviously agitated state in the area on Saturday afternoon.

They said the killer would have had a number of bloodstains on his clothing and would have been looking distressed.

Gardai think that a large knife was probably used but so far have not found the weapon.

The hunt for the killer was extended abroad yesterday as gardai made contact with police in Lithuania and enlisted the help of Interpol.

Earlier that morning, she had agreed to babysit her sister's son but when her sister arrived at the house between 5pm and 5.30pm she got no response at the front door and left again with the boy.

Officers are satisfied that Jolanta knew her killer and let him into the house. But a motive for the double murder has not yet been established.

Post-mortem examinations of the bodies were completed yesterday by assistant state pathologist Dr Margot Bolster. They confirmed the details of the stabbings.

Gardai said last night that they were pursuing

several lines of inquiry here and overseas.

The divisional search team continued to check the house and officers interviewed neighbours and others who knew the family.

Officers believe that checks of Jolanta's phone records and her recent internet activity could be vital to their inquiries.

Meanwhile, the grieving husband and father of the victims has appealed to anybody who may have seen something suspicious to contact the gardai.

Breaking down as he made his plea, Marius Lubys (29) said: "Please give all the information that you know."

Mr Lubys, who learned of the murders on Sunday night and flew to Ireland from Stockholm on Monday, is struggling to cope with the scale of the tragedy.

He said if he could speak to the killer he would ask him: "Why, why did you do this? Why? You can go to hell."

Trying to find words in English to express his heartbreak, he added: "I can't talk. I was in Sweden when I was told. They were nice, friendly. I am so sad."

Mr Lubys was being comforted by his distraught sister-in-law Kristina and her husband, Vaidas Kulevicius. They live in Milltown, about 10km from Killorglin.

Mr Lubys had lived in Killorglin with his wife and child until six months ago, when he left to work in Sweden.

The couple had arrived in Kerry in 2005 and planned to spend a few years here before returning to Lithuania.

The family are determined to take the two victims home for burial, despite the prohibitive costs.

"I want to bring home the bodies. But it is very expensive, it is around ¿20,000," said Mr Lubys.

"It is better to have the funeral in Lithuania because we want to have our family and friends there."

Jolanta's parents, Rimantas and Rumote, are being kept informed of developments in Ireland on a daily basis.

Funeral

Her father, Rimantas Sante, had wanted to travel to Ireland in order to be closer to Kristina but illness has prevented him from travelling. He is gravely ill with liver cancer.

His son-in-law, Mr Kulevicius, said the family based in Ireland was planning to travel back to Lithuania for the funerals, once the bodies have been released back to the family.

"It's just so hard, so hard for everyone to understand," he said.

The family had been due to be reunited in Lithuania in July and plans were well under way for the move at the time of the murders.

Neighbours and friends, both from the Lithuanian and Irish communities, have continued to call to the house with floral tributes to the tragic mother and daughter.

Gardai used spades, rakes, a strimmer and a chainsaw as they searched for the murder weapon near the house, in the grounds of a nearby bakery and on both sides of the avenue leading to the Langford Downs estate.

Supt Flor Murphy, of Killorglin, appealed to the public to remain calm but to also be responsible and help gardai to catch the killer.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact Killarney station on 064 6671160 or to phone the confidential line, 1800 666 111.

Irish Independent