(This story is being updated as information becomes available)
A body believed to be that of Karen Solomon was found in a wooded area off May Street near Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital Monday afternoon, bringing the nearly weeklong search for the Worcester woman wanted in connection with the death of her husband, Worcester police officer Kurt Solomon, to an apparent end.
Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said during a Monday afternoon news conference that two Fairlawn employees walking in the woods discovered the body and alerted authorities. Saucier said investigators believe the woman is Karen Solomon, although a formal identification had not yet been made.
A handgun was recovered near the body, Saucier said. The weapon was not issued by the Worcester Police Department.
Saucier also said during the briefing that the deaths appear to be a case of murder-suicide. Authorities have not yet released final findings or formally confirmed Karen Solomon’s cause or manner of death.
Worcester police subsequently confirmed the discovery in a statement Monday, saying “the remains of a female believed to be Karen Solomon were recovered in a wooded area off of May Street this afternoon.”
The discovery prompted a heavy police presence near Fairlawn, where officers restricted access to the property and reporters gathered in a lower parking area Monday afternoon.
It came six days after Kurt Solomon, 57, a 31-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department, was found dead early Tuesday at the Wildwood Avenue home he shared with Karen Solomon.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Karen Solomon, 58, on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. Saucier disclosed the warrant Friday during an update on the investigation. Authorities have said Kurt Solomon suffered fatal injuries from a sharp object and that his Worcester police service weapon was found inside the Wildwood Avenue residence.
In a statement released through Worcester police Monday, the Solomon family described the past week as a “nightmare” and thanked the numerous local, state and federal agencies involved in the search.
“The nightmare of the past week has left our family heartbroken and rudderless,” the family said. “The compassion, dedication, and empathy of all the agencies involved have given us light in the face of darkness.”
The family thanked Worcester police and Massachusetts State Police, along with Worcester and Holden fire departments, Auburn police and fire departments, Quincy and Scituate police, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other federal partners.
“You men and women have taken time out of your lives to help us find answers, if there ever will be any,” the family said. “You have given us comfort knowing that you were working on our behalf, FOR us. God Bless you all.”
The family also thanked people in Massachusetts and elsewhere who offered prayers and condolences.
“For those in Massachusetts, and throughout the world who have offered up prayers and sympathies, they have helped us through each minute of the day,” the statement said. “Thank you for your basic human compassion.”
Karen Solomon had been missing since shortly before police found her husband dead Tuesday morning. Surveillance video released by Worcester police showed her walking away from the area of the couple’s home, dressed in shorts and flip-flops.
Police repeatedly warned during the search that Solomon should be considered armed and dangerous.
The search stretched across several areas of Worcester but became heavily concentrated around Coes Pond and the Mill Street area. Search crews used divers, police dogs, drones and other equipment as investigators combed the pond, surrounding woods and nearby neighborhoods.
Worcester officials closed Coes Pond parks and Stearns Tavern on Friday because of the ongoing investigation, and crews continued searching the area through the weekend.
The investigation drew an extensive multi-agency response involving Worcester police, Massachusetts State Police and numerous other local, state and federal agencies.
Karen Solomon is the founder and president of First H.E.L.P., a nonprofit organization focused on reducing mental health stigma among first responders and supporting officers and families affected by suicide.
First H.E.L.P. acknowledged the investigation last week and expressed condolences following Kurt Solomon’s death, saying its “first concern is for the officer who lost his life, his family, his colleagues, and the Worcester law-enforcement community.”
The organization said its board would continue its programs and services and would not comment further on the circumstances of the active investigation.
Kurt Solomon was remembered by the New England Police Benevolent Association as “an incredibly dependable officer, colleague and friend” who had devoted more than three decades to the Worcester Police Department.
“Thirty-one years of service represents an extraordinary commitment to a community and to the profession of law enforcement,” NEPBA said in its statement last week. “Officer Kurt Solomon answered that call for more than three decades, and his service, friendship and dedication will not be forgotten.”
Monday’s discovery brought the intensive search for Karen Solomon to an apparent conclusion, though authorities were awaiting formal identification and the investigation into both deaths remained ongoing.
This is a developing story. The Worcester Guardian will update it as additional information is confirmed.
