Suspected Murder-Suicide Involving Mental Health Advocate and Police Officer

A mental health advocate was discovered dead six days after disappearing from her Massachusetts home. Authorities had named Karen Solomon a suspect in the death of her husband, Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon. He was found dead at their residence on August 18. Karen Solomon, 58, vanished soon after his death.

Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier announced on Monday that the case is believed to be a murder-suicide. Human remains found by workers at Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital were likely those of Karen Solomon, though final identification is ongoing. A handgun was located nearby but wasn’t a police service weapon.

Authorities had released doorbell footage showing Karen Solomon walking in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops minutes after police found her husband’s body. Kurt Solomon, a 31-year veteran of the police department, died from injuries inflicted by a sharp object.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. stated Karen Solomon was in the house on the morning of her husband’s death. Authorities sought to question her, leading to an arrest warrant for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Police distributed flyers with her image and conducted a large-scale search involving drones, boats, and tracking dogs near the couple’s home and a nearby reservoir.

Karen Solomon co-founded First H.E.L.P., a group advocating for police mental health. She authored two books on first responders’ experiences and highlighted the lack of support for officers’ families on the “Dr. Phil” show in 2020.

The Solomon family expressed gratitude to law enforcement for providing some answers and described the experience as heartbreaking. “The compassion, dedication, and empathy of all agencies involved have given us light in face of darkness,” they stated.

A wake and funeral for Kurt Solomon are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Local police union president Thomas Duffy described him as “a tremendous human being.”