Massachusetts mental-health advocate found dead, police say murder-suicide suspected
Police say a body believed to be Karen Solomon, a mental-health advocate sought after her husband’s death, was discovered in a wooded area, and investigators suspect a murder-suicide.
Worcester police announced Monday that a body found in a wooded area near a gun is believed to be Karen Solomon, a mental-health advocate for law-enforcement officers who had been wanted in connection with the death of her husband, Officer Kurt Solomon. Police chief Paul Saucier said officials are awaiting confirmation of the identity.
Investigators said the deaths of Karen and Kurt Solomon, the latter discovered on Aug. 18 at the couple’s home, appear to be the result of a murder-suicide. The chief described Karen Solomon as armed and dangerous during the multi-agency search that involved the U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Solomon family released a statement describing the past week as a “nightmare” that left them “heartbroken and rudderless,” and thanked those who offered prayers and sympathies.
Kurt Solomon, a Worcester police patrol officer for more than three decades, was off-duty when he was found dead, an incident police described as “an act of domestic violence” with no prior history of abuse reported. Karen Solomon, who co-founded the First H.E.L.P. organization and authored two books on law-enforcement stress, had long advocated for officer mental health.