An arrest warrant has been issued for a mental health advocate who remained missing on Sunday, more than five days after police found the Massachusetts officer she had been married to dead in their home. Karen Solomon, 58, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the death of Kurt Solomon, a 31-year veteran of the Worcester police force.
Officer Found Dead at Home; Wife Missing
Karen Solomon was last spotted in a doorbell camera video, walking down a street in a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops early Tuesday morning, just minutes after Worcester police officers responded to a call from the home where Kurt Solomon was found dead. Worcester police chief Paul Saucier said the warrant charges Karen Solomon with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Saucier said Kurt Solomon was mortally injured with a sharp object, though he would not specify the exact weapon.
Meanwhile, the city of Worcester said Friday that public spaces around Coes Pond will remain closed as a search involving dive teams and police dogs continues. The search efforts have focused on locating Karen Solomon, who has not been seen since Tuesday.
Chief Remembers Kurt Solomon
“Kurt was a hell of a guy,” Saucier said. “He was an awesome police officer and an awesome person, and he’s going to be truly missed.” A wake will be held on Tuesday and his funeral on Wednesday, the chief said.
Karen Solomon wrote two books about the physical and psychological experiences of first responders and helped start First Help, an organization that advocates for their mental health. The Solomons shared a home and had been married, court records indicated, but authorities declined to discuss their current relationship, citing domestic violence privacy rules.
Domestic Violence Statistics
In the US, intimate partner violence is common, affecting millions of people nationwide each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than one in three women (nearly 43.5 million) and more than one in six men (20.7 million) have reported experiencing physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes, according to a study cited by the CDC.
