Officials in Worcester, Massachusetts, said that they believe they have found the body of Karen Solomon, days after her husband, Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon, was discovered dead in their home. Karen, 58, was wanted on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with her husband’s death, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said Friday, August 21, according to MassLive.
Employees of a rehabilitation hospital found the body in the woods, Fox News reported. The body was found near a Worcester rehab facility on Monday, August 24, after a seven-day search, according to Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier.
Official forensic verification from the medical examiner is still pending. However, officials believe the deceased individual is Karen.
Karen Solomon’s cause of death
While an official cause of death has not been revealed, Saucier said during a press conference Monday afternoon that they believe the Solomons’ deaths to be a murder-suicide. A handgun was found near Karen’s body, but it was not a service weapon. Kurt and Karen reportedly had no known history of domestic abuse.
Karen was best known as the co-founder of First H.E.L.P., formerly known as Blue H.E.L.P., a nonprofit that tracks first responder suicides and provides support for their families. In interviews, she often framed suicide and mental health as issues that land first on families’ doorsteps, including her own, which she said includes many first responders. She said during one podcast appearance that she was struck by how badly police departments treated officers who needed help, and “how poorly we treat the families after a suicide.”
Karen explained that her husband was initially uneasy about her advocacy moving “into his space” and the spotlight, but later “adapted” and became supportive.
Police found Kurt’s body at his Wildwood Avenue home in Worcester around 5:40 a.m. on August 18. Saucier said investigators believe that the fatal injuries were caused by a sharp object.
Karen was last seen in Worcester, Massachusetts, near 200 Mill St., close to Coes Pond, around 5:45 a.m. on August 18, police said. Worcester police on August 19 shared security camera footage of Karen walking away from her home toward Wescott Street around 5:40 a.m. the previous day. She was last seen wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
