Updated

Updated · WCVB Boston · Aug 24

Karen Solomon Found Dead Near Worcester Hospital as Police Probe Suspected Murder-Suicide

Updated

Updated · WCVB Boston · Aug 24

Karen Solomon Found Dead Near Worcester Hospital as Police Probe Suspected Murder-Suicide

Q: Why was a handgun found near the wife's body when the slain officer's fatal injuries reportedly involved a sharp object?

There is no confirmed contradiction at this point. Police have said Kurt Solomon’s fatal injuries involved a sharp object, but that does not rule out Karen Solomon also possessing or later obtaining a handgun. Authorities had already warned during the search that Karen Solomon should be considered “armed and dangerous,” even though Kurt Solomon’s service weapon was found at the home and was not missing. After the body believed to be Karen Solomon was found, Worcester police said the handgun recovered nearby was not a Worcester Police Department-issued firearm. That suggests it was a separate weapon, not necessarily connected to Kurt Solomon’s fatal injuries. Based on what has been released publicly, the handgun could have been carried for protection while she was missing, could be relevant to how she died, or could simply be additional evidence investigators are now examining. Police have not said whether the gun was fired, whether it belonged to Karen Solomon, or whether it had any role in Kurt Solomon’s death. The key point is that investigators have disclosed only limited details because the case remains active and is being handled under domestic-violence-related privacy restrictions. Until the medical examiner and police release more findings, the presence of a handgun near her body should be viewed as a separate evidentiary detail, not proof that the officer was killed by a gun.

3 articles · Updated · WCVB Boston · Aug 24

Karen Solomon’s body was found just before 1 p.m. Monday in woods off May Street near Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, after two hospital workers spotted it during a walk.
A handgun was recovered near the body, and Worcester police chief Paul Saucier said investigators believe the case was a tragic murder-suicide, though work on the investigation continues.
Kurt Solomon, 57, a 31-year Worcester police veteran, was found dead at his home on Aug. 18; a warrant for Karen Solomon’s arrest followed the next day on an assault charge causing serious bodily injury.
The discovery ended a weeklong search centered on nearby Coes Reservoir, where divers were still searching Monday and the city had closed several recreational areas.
Family members thanked first responders and the community, while police said the case has deeply affected the department ahead of Kurt Solomon’s wake Tuesday and funeral Wednesday.