Police in Worcester, Massachusetts, said Monday a body has been discovered that is believed to be that of Karen Solomon, a mental health advocate suspected of killing her police officer husband.
Police said the body was recovered in the woods, with a firearm nearby. Investigators are attempting to identify the registered owner of the weapon.
Solomon, an advocate who advocated for improvements and increased awareness of police mental health issues, went missing after Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon was discovered dead at their home shortly before 5:30 a.m. on August 18. Karen Solomon was called a suspect by officials, who indicated she was armed.
Solomon was last seen in a doorbell camera footage last week, going down a street in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, just minutes after Worcester police officers responded to a report from the residence where Kurt Solomon was discovered deceased.
Kurt Solomon, who had worked for the police department for 31 years, was fatally injured with a sharp item, according to investigators.
According to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr., Karen Solomon was present at the house on the morning of her husband’s death, and investigators planned to question her. Over the weekend, an arrest warrant was obtained, charging her with assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
Police distributed fliers with her photo to drivers in the area. An extensive law enforcement search involving local, state, and federal authorities focused on the region around the couple’s Worcester home and a reservoir about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away. Authorities had dispatched drones, boats, and tracking dogs.
More than five days after authorities discovered Worcester police officer Kurt Solomon’s body in their house, an arrest warrant was filed for Solomon.
Saucier confirmed the warrant and charged Karen Solomon with assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Police believe this is a “tragic murder suicide.”
Karen Solomon, 58, co-founded First H.E.L.P., which promotes for police officers’ mental health. She also wrote two books about the physical and psychological experiences of first responders, “Hearts Beneath the Badge” and “The Price They Pay”.
In a 2020 interview on Phil McGraw’s “Dr. Phil” show, she said that police departments frequently provided minimal assistance to the families of cops who committed suicide.
“The nightmare of the past week has left our family heartbroken and rudderless,” the Solomon family said in a statement. “The compassion, dedication, and empathy of all agencies involved have given us light in face of darkness. The selflessness of those who have helped us weather the storm cannot be expressed in simple words. However, we, the members of the Solomon family, will try.”
“We thank the Worcester Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, the Worcester and Holden Fire Departments, the Auburn Police and Fire Departments, the Quincy Police Department, the Scituate Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations Unit, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and all the respective federal partners. You men and women have taken time out of your lives to help us find answers. If there ever will be any, you have given us comfort knowing that you are working on our behalf. For us, God bless you all. For those in Massachusetts and throughout the world who have offered up prayers and sympathies, they have helped us through each minute of the day. Thank you for your basic human compassion. May God be with all of us, the Solomon family,” the family added.
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