A week after a Worcester police officer was found dead at home, searchers found a woman’s body in nearby woods with a handgun close by.
Story Snapshot
- Police say the body appears to be Karen Solomon, pending medical examiner confirmation.
- A handgun was found near the body in the wooded area off May Street.
- Investigators had been searching for Solomon in her husband’s death.
- Police framed the case as a likely murder-suicide during a press briefing.
Body found during active search in Worcester
Worcester police said two employees from Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital reported a body in woods near 189 May Street around 12:49 p.m. on August 24, 2026. Officers arrived and secured the scene.
Police Chief Paul Saucier said his team found a handgun near the body. He said the person appeared to be Karen Solomon, but the medical examiner would make the final identification. The discovery ended days of active searching in and around the city.
Karen Solomon, wife wanted in Mass. cop hubby's death, found dead after going on the lam https://t.co/I7pAmahGQY pic.twitter.com/n6VT1erWxr
— New York Post (@nypost) August 24, 2026
Chief Saucier added that investigators believed the case to be a tragic murder-suicide. He stressed that detectives still had work to do before closing the file.
That stance followed a multi-agency search that began after officers found Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon dead in his home on Wildwood Avenue earlier in the week. Police had asked the public to stay alert during the manhunt.
From a death at home to a citywide manhunt
Police had identified Karen Solomon as a suspect after finding her husband, Officer Kurt Solomon, dead at their home. The Worcester County District Attorney said authorities wanted to question her about what happened at the house.
Police described her as “armed and dangerous” as the search widened. The alert covered parks, neighborhoods, and areas with trails and thick brush in Worcester and surrounding towns.
The police union identified Officer Solomon as a 31-year member of the department. He served the city for decades and was well known among officers and neighbors.
His death drew heavy attention and brought a fast law enforcement response. Patrols, detectives, and partner agencies worked around the clock while tips came in from across the region.
Wooded terrain, a handgun, and a preliminary ID
Search teams focused on open spaces, trails, and wooded strips that cut through the west side of the city. The May Street site sits near healthcare buildings and a tangle of paths that are hard to see from the road.
Police said the handgun found near the body will go through testing. Ballistics, fingerprints, and DNA can help confirm whether it ties to the home scene and the person found in the woods. The medical examiner’s work will confirm identity and manner of death.
WORCESTER POLICE FIND BODY OF KAREN SOLOMON IN SUSPECTED MURDER-SUICIDE
Police in Worcester, Massachusetts have found the body of Karen Solomon, who was being sought in the killing of her police officer husband. The mental health advocate has disappeared from her home six days…
— Worldwide News Network (@WorldwideNNX) August 25, 2026
Chief Saucier called the identification preliminary. That is common in fast-moving cases when visual or situational clues point to a likely match. Final confirmation depends on the medical examiner.
That office may use fingerprints, dental records, tattoos, or DNA to confirm who was found. Toxicology and wound analysis can also help explain the timeline and the role of the firearm at the scene.
Why police moved fast and what comes next
Police often push clear warnings when a violent suspect may be at large. That helps protect the public and officers in the field, and it can drive tips.
The label “armed and dangerous” reflects risk, not a verdict. In this case, the early call looked warranted. Officers had a dead colleague, an identified spouse who was missing, and signs that a gun was in play at both scenes.
Murder-suicide events are rare but strike hard when they happen. Studies place the annual rate well below one case per 100,000 people. That rarity is why these cases draw wide coverage and a sharp police response.
The scale of attention in Worcester matched that pattern. The medical examiner’s confirmation and any ballistics link will close the loop on the city’s worst week in years.
What common sense says about clarity and duty
Police owed the city two things at once: protect people and speak plainly. They did both. They warned the public, searched the right places, and told the truth about what they knew and what was pending. That builds trust.
Waiting for the medical examiner while sharing a likely identification shows the right balance. The facts to date support their framing of events, and the lab work will put a period on the sentence, not change the subject.
Sources:
newsnationnow.com, abcnews.com, youtube.com, bostonherald.com, apnews.com
