KAREN SOLOMON: SIX-DAY MANHUNT ENDS WITH A DEVASTATING DISCOVERY

The massive search for Karen Solomon, the Massachusetts woman wanted in connection with the death of her husband, has ended with a devastating discovery.

Police found a woman’s body Monday, Aug. 24, in a wooded area behind Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital in Worcester. A handgun was recovered nearby, and authorities said they were confident the remains belonged to Solomon, though formal identification was still pending.

Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said investigators believe the case was a “tragic murder-suicide.”

IT BEGAN WITH A 5:30 A.M. EMERGENCY CALL

On Aug. 18, officers responded to the Solomon home shortly before 5:30 a.m. after a report of a medical emergency.

Inside, they found Kurt Solomon, 57, a veteran Worcester police officer who had served the department for 31 years, dead from injuries involving a sharp object.

Karen, 58, was no longer at the home.

Authorities soon began searching for her and warned the public that she could be armed and dangerous. An arrest warrant was later issued charging her with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.

THE SURVEILLANCE VIDEO THAT BECAME A KEY CLUE

As investigators searched Worcester, surveillance footage showed Karen walking away from the area shortly after police were called to the home.

The footage became an important part of the search as investigators attempted to determine where she had gone.

Police deployed multiple resources, including tracking dogs, drones and other specialized teams, while searches concentrated around Coes Pond and surrounding areas.

Then, nearly a week after Kurt’s death, the search took a devastating turn.

A BODY FOUND IN THE WOODS

Around 1 p.m. Monday, two employees at Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital were walking through a wooded area when they discovered a body.

Police responded and found a handgun near the remains.

Chief Saucier said investigators believed the deceased woman was Karen Solomon. The final identification was still to be completed by the medical examiner.

Authorities said the handgun was not Kurt Solomon’s Worcester Police service weapon.

 POLICE NOW BELIEVE IT WAS A MURDER-SUICIDE

The discovery changed the direction of the investigation.

Saucier said police believe the deaths of Kurt and Karen were part of a murder-suicide.

But investigators still have work to do to reconstruct exactly what happened inside the home and during the days that followed.

One particularly striking detail is that police said there was no known history of domestic abuse in the Solomon household.

KURT SOLOMON’S 31 YEARS OF SERVICE

Kurt Solomon had spent more than three decades serving Worcester.

He was a father of two and a longtime member of the city’s police department. His death came just days before services honoring his life were scheduled to take place.

His family described the loss as devastating and thanked law enforcement and the community for their efforts during the search.

 KAREN’S LIFE WAS DEVOTED TO HELPING FIRST RESPONDERS

The tragedy is especially striking because Karen was herself known for advocating for police officers and first responders.

She co-founded First H.E.L.P., an organization focused on first-responder mental health and suicide awareness, and authored books examining the challenges faced by law-enforcement families.

Her public work had centered on helping families cope with the pressures of police service.

Now, her own family is facing an unimaginable tragedy.

THE MANHUNT IS OVER — BUT THE QUESTIONS REMAIN

Karen’s death brings an end to the intensive search that began after Kurt was found dead.

But investigators still need to establish the complete timeline:

What happened inside the Solomon home that morning?

Why did Karen leave?

Where did she go during the nearly six days that followed?

And what happened during the final hours before her body was discovered?

Those questions will be answered through the ongoing investigation and forensic examination.

The search is over.

Police believe the case was a murder-suicide.

But behind the headlines are two deaths, a family devastated, and a community mourning a veteran officer who spent 31 years serving Worcester.