A Massachusetts police officer’s wife was found dead after investigators spent days searching for her following the death of her husband, whose body was discovered inside their home last week.
Worcester police officer Kurt Solomon was found dead the morning of Tuesday, August 18. The Worcester Police Department announced in a news release that day that officers were searching for Karen Solomon in relation to his death, and expressed concern she was potentially armed.
During the search for Karen, 58, an arrest warrant for her was issued, charging her with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier, who said Kurt had been harmed by a “sharp object” ahead of his death, the Associated Press reported.
The afternoon of Monday, August 24, a body believed to be Karen’s was located in the woods in Worcester, police said in a Facebook update, which included a statement from the Solomon family.
The Solomons’ deaths are a suspected murder-suicide, Saucier said during a Monday conference, per CBS News.
The police chief expressed that the couple did not have “any history of domestic abuse.”
“I want to make myself absolutely clear, at this point that has nothing to do with this case,” Saucier said. “We believe this case is a tragic murder-suicide that occurred, and we still have plenty of work to do as far as wrapping up all the pieces to this.”
In the statement police shared on Facebook, the Solomon family said, “The nightmare of the past week has left our family heartbroken and rudderless.”
“The compassion, dedication and empathy of all the agencies involved have given us light in the face of darkness,” the statement continued. “The selflessness of those who have helped us weather the storm cannot be expressed in simple words.”
Kurt had served as a Worcester police officer for 31 years ahead of his death, according to the city’s mayor, Joe Petty.
“Officer Solomon dedicated more than three decades of his life to serving and protecting our city, earning the respect of his fellow officers and our community,” Petty wrote in a Saturday, August 22, Facebook post. “But Kurt was much more than the uniform he wore. He was a proud son of Worcester, a father, son, brother, friend, neighbor, and U.S. Army veteran.”
Kurt’s wife, Karen, was known as an advocate for mental health, and was involved in establishing the advocacy organization First H.E.L.P, according to the Associated Press.
