Full Breakdown
Worcester Police Say Body Believed to Be Karen Solomon Found After Week-Long Manhunt
8/25/2026, 7:55:11 AM
Core Event: Discovery of Suspected Body
On August 24, 2026, Worcester police announced that a body recovered in a wooded area off May Street near Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital is believed to be Karen Solomon, the 58-year-old wife of Officer Kurt Solomon. Two hospital workers discovered the remains during an afternoon walk and alerted officers. Police also recovered a handgun near the site; the weapon was not the department-issued service gun. Identification remains “preliminary” pending confirmation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Background & Context
Officer Kurt Solomon, 57, a 31-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department, was found dead in the couple’s Wildwood Avenue home on August 18. Authorities said he suffered fatal injuries from a sharp object. Karen Solomon, a mental-health advocate who co-founded the nonprofit First H.E.L.P., was charged the following day with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and described as “armed and dangerous.” A multi-agency search—including state police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and federal investigators—focused on the 90-acre Coes Pond area surrounding the home.
Timeline
- August 18 – Officers respond to a 5:30 a.m. call; Kurt Solomon is found dead; doorbell footage captures Karen Solomon walking nearby.
- [date unspecified] – An arrest warrant is issued for Karen Solomon on the assault-and-battery charge.
- August 24 – Two Fairlawn workers locate a body in the woods; police recover a handgun and announce the probable identification as Karen Solomon.
Data & Statistics
- Karen Solomon: age 58; charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
- Kurt Solomon: age 57; 31 years of service; injuries described as caused by a sharp object.
- Search area: roughly 90 acres around Coes Pond; the body was found about 0.6 miles from the location where Karen Solomon was last seen on surveillance video.
Official Statements & Responses
Police Chief Paul Saucier said the department believes the case is a “tragic murder-suicide” and emphasized that investigators still have “plenty of work to do.” District Attorney Joseph Early reiterated that the handgun is not a police service weapon and that its ownership is under review. Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty expressed personal grief for Officer Solomon, noting his “caring personality” and long-standing community ties. Police union president Thomas Duffy confirmed there was no history of domestic violence in the Solomon household and praised Kurt Solomon’s “tremendous, giving, caring way.” The Solomon family described the week as a “nightmare” that left them “heartbroken and rudderless,” while thanking local, state, and federal agencies for their assistance.
On-the-Ground Reports
Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital employees reported spotting the body just before 1 p.m. on August 24. Officers secured the scene, recovered the handgun, and began standard evidence collection. In the days preceding the discovery, city officials closed several recreational areas around Coes Pond, including Columbus Park boardwalk and Stearns Tavern, to support the search. Divers, drones, tracking dogs, and sonar equipment were deployed throughout the investigation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The medical examiner has not yet issued a definitive identification of the remains, leaving the status of the body as “preliminary.” No official cause of death for Karen Solomon has been released, and investigators have not confirmed whether the handgun was used. Similarly, the precise nature of Kurt Solomon’s injuries remains undisclosed beyond the reference to a “sharp object.” These gaps mean that the full circumstances of both deaths remain under active investigation.
