A manhunt is underway after a housekeeper allegedly murdered his pregnant wife and stepdaughter with a knife before going over to his neighbour’s house and shooting him dead with a .38 calibre revolver.

The suspect, who has been named as 21-year-old Wanderson Mota Protacio, is currently at large after allegedly having stabbed his pregnant wife and eight-month-old stepdaughter dead before going over to his neighbour’s house and killing the 73-year-old farmer.

The incident took place in the municipality of Corumba de Goias, which is located in the west-central state of Goias in Brazil, and the suspect is also alleged to have attempted to rape the elderly man’s wife before shooting her in the shoulder and fleeing on the evening of Sunday, 28th November.

The elderly man’s wife was taken to hospital, but her current health status is unclear.

Police chief Tiberio Martins is quoted as saying that the suspect fled to the town of Alexania, where he asked family members for help before fleeing “to Abadiania and is hiding in the countryside between these towns”.

The man, who works as a housekeeper, is said to have gone to ask his boss for help regarding his pregnant wife, claiming that she was feeling sick.

The man’s boss left and went to the house to help the housekeeper’s wife. This is when the housekeeper, according to the police, entered his boss’ home and stole a .38 calibre revolver.

Then he went to the neighbour’s house where he allegedly shot the elderly farmer dead before he stole a pickup truck and fled the scene, still according to the police.

The bodies of the housekeeper’s wife and stepdaughter were then found stabbed to death in the housekeeper’s home.

The wife of the 73-year-old man told the police that the young man was known to the family and after he arrived on the property, he spoke to her husband, named as Roberto Clemente, drank a fizzy drink and then pulled out the gun and shot him.

An excerpt from the police report reportedly says, according to local media outlet G1: “The [old man’s wife] tried to run and Wanderson said he would kill her, but she ran anyway.

“He knocked her down, hit her in the face and tried to rape her. Failing to do so, he also shot her, hitting her in the shoulder.

“Lying on the ground, she pretended to be dead. Then he took the victim’s pickup truck and fled. The woman managed to get to the neighbouring property to ask for help.”