The search remained concentrated around Coes Pond Friday, with residents told to stay away as police disclosed an arrest warrant had been issued for Solomon earlier in the week.
Worcester officials closed parks and recreational areas surrounding Coes Pond on Friday as the search for Karen Solomon stretched into another day, three days after her husband, longtime Worcester police officer Kurt Solomon, was found dead at their Wildwood Avenue home.
The city announced shortly before 3 p.m. Friday that Coes Pond Parks and Stearns Tavern would remain closed until further notice because of the ongoing Worcester Police Department investigation in the area. Police shared the city’s announcement and again instructed residents to stay away.
The closures include Coes Pond Beach, also known as Binienda Beach; Columbus Park and its boardwalk; Knights of Columbus Park; Coes Park Playground; and Stearns Tavern. Coes Pond Beach Family Day has been moved to Logan Field.
Police Chief Paul Saucier, providing an update from the search area Friday afternoon, said authorities would issue another reverse-911 alert to surrounding neighborhoods and reiterated that police intend to continue searching until Solomon is located.
“We will not stop until we find her,” Saucier said.
Saucier also publicly confirmed Friday that an arrest warrant had previously been issued for Karen Solomon on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. Asked when the warrant was issued, Saucier said it had been issued approximately two days earlier.
The disclosure changes Solomon’s publicly known legal status in the case. Authorities had previously described her as a person they wanted to locate and question about what happened at the Wildwood Avenue home and had not publicly announced that a warrant had been issued.
Saucier also said Friday that Kurt Solomon’s injuries involved a sharp object, but declined to discuss the evidence or provide further details about the circumstances of his death.
The chief said Kurt Solomon’s service weapon was located at the residence and is not missing. Police nevertheless continue to believe Karen Solomon may be armed and dangerous.
Authorities remained focused Friday on the Coes Pond area, where law enforcement officers, dive teams and other resources have been searching since earlier this week. Saucier asked the public to stay out of the closed areas while investigators continue their work.
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr., speaking alongside Saucier Friday, said investigators are not backing away from the search despite the passage of time.
“The search will go on,” Early said.
Early described the situation as difficult for the officers involved and urged patience as investigators continue searching and evaluating evidence.
Karen Solomon has been missing since early Tuesday, when police responded to her Wildwood Avenue home at approximately 5:28 a.m. for a report of a person down. Officers found her husband, Kurt Solomon, dead at the residence.
The New England Police Benevolent Association has since identified Kurt Solomon as a 31-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department and member of NEPBA Local 911. Saucier said during a Tuesday news conference that Solomon had spent three decades as a Worcester patrol officer and was off duty when he died.
Saucier remembered Solomon on Friday as both a longtime member of the department and “an awesome person.”
Authorities had previously declined to disclose how Kurt Solomon died or publicly detail the circumstances surrounding his death. Early said Tuesday that authorities were treating the investigation as a domestic violence case and were limited in what they could release.
As the search expanded this week, police released surveillance footage and a photograph showing what they said was an updated image of Karen Solomon on foot. The footage appears to show her dressed casually in shorts and flip-flops.
“The Worcester Police Department is still actively searching for her and continues to believe she is armed,” police said in releasing the images Wednesday. “We ask the public to remain vigilant.”
The footage helped focus attention on the Coes Pond area, where a substantial police presence and search activity have continued in the days since Solomon disappeared. Friday’s decision to close the surrounding parks and Stearns Tavern marked the latest indication that investigators remain focused on that part of the city.
The search began early Tuesday morning after police found Kurt Solomon dead at the Wildwood Ave. residence he shared with Karen Solomon. City property records list the two as co-owners of the home, according to the Telegram & Gazette.
During a news conference later that day, Early said authorities wanted to locate Karen Solomon both because she was believed to have been at the house and because investigators needed to determine what happened there.
“With regard to this case, we want her for questioning,” Early said Tuesday. “She was at the house. We’d be able to ask her with regard to what happened at the house, what went on at the house.”
The search has involved an unusually large collection of local, state and federal law enforcement resources. Early said Tuesday that Worcester police were using all available resources, with assistance from Massachusetts State Police units including the Air Wing, search teams, K-9 teams and troopers assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
Federal agencies assisting in the search have included Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Marshals Service. Saucier said Tuesday that the FBI had also contacted Worcester police and offered assistance if needed.
Police also issued a reverse-911 alert covering an area of approximately 2½ miles around the Wildwood Avenue residence. Saucier said Friday that another reverse-911 notification would be sent to neighborhoods surrounding the search area.
Karen Solomon is the founder and president of First H.E.L.P., a nonprofit organization that works to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health among first responders and address suicide within the profession.
According to her biography on the organization’s website, Solomon has worked extensively on law enforcement suicide, post-traumatic stress and officer wellness and is the author of “Hearts Beneath the Badge” and “The Price They Pay,” books focused on law enforcement officers and their families.
She has also served as co-chair of the Data and Research Committee of the National Consortium on Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention and participated in federal efforts surrounding the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act, according to First H.E.L.P.
The organization issued a statement Tuesday acknowledging both the death of the Worcester officer and the search for its co-founder.
“Our first concern is for the officer who lost his life, his family, his colleagues, and the Worcester law-enforcement community,” First H.E.L.P. said. “We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy.”
The organization said its board would continue its programs and services and would not comment further on the circumstances of the active investigation.
NEPBA, meanwhile, remembered Kurt Solomon as “an incredibly dependable officer, colleague and friend” and said his death was being felt throughout the Worcester Police Department and the union.
“Thirty-one years of service represents an extraordinary commitment to a community and to the profession of law enforcement,” the association said. “Officer Kurt Solomon answered that call for more than three decades, and his service, friendship and dedication will not be forgotten.”
Karen Solomon is described as a 58-year-old white woman with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police have said she was last seen wearing pajama shorts and a tank top.
Police are warning anyone who sees Solomon not to approach her. Information can be provided to Worcester police dispatch at 508-799-8606 or the Detective Bureau at 508-799-8651. Anonymous tips may be sent by texting TIPWPD followed by a message to 274637.
The investigation remains active.
