Karen Solomon co-founded a mental health nonprofit years before authorities began seeking her for questioning in her husband’s death.
WORCESTER, Mass. — A woman known for years of advocacy on police and first-responder mental health remained the subject of a law enforcement search Thursday after a veteran Worcester police officer identified as her husband was found dead at their Massachusetts home.
Karen Solomon, 58, is a co-founder of First H.E.L.P., an organization that works on mental health issues affecting police officers, other first responders and their families. Authorities are now seeking her for questioning about the death of Worcester Police Officer Kurt Solomon, 57, a 31-year department veteran who was found dead Tuesday morning. Police have said Karen Solomon may be armed, but no criminal charge against her has been announced.
The contrast between Solomon’s public advocacy and the investigation surrounding the officer’s death has drawn attention beyond Worcester. First H.E.L.P. said its work includes supporting families, reducing stigma around seeking mental health care and increasing awareness of mental health challenges among first responders. The organization said after the death that its first concern was for the officer, his family, colleagues and the Worcester law enforcement community.
First H.E.L.P. also said the circumstances surrounding the case were an active law enforcement matter and indicated it would not comment further on the investigation. Solomon has written books addressing the physical and psychological pressures faced by first responders, including works focused on the experiences of police officers.
Investigators have not publicly suggested that Solomon’s advocacy work is connected to Kurt Solomon’s death. Authorities have also not released a motive, cause of death or manner of death. Police have said only that Karen Solomon was at the residence and that investigators want to speak with her about what happened. Officials have characterized the case as a domestic incident.
Officers responded to the Wildwood Avenue home at about 5:28 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of a person down. Kurt Solomon, who was off duty, was found dead. Authorities soon began searching for Karen Solomon and warned that she could be armed. Surveillance footage later released by police showed her walking in the area shortly after the emergency response.
Authorities have been cautious in publicly describing the relationship between Kurt and Karen Solomon, citing privacy requirements related to domestic violence cases. Public records reviewed by news organizations show they jointly owned the Worcester home and had been married. A 2016 bankruptcy filing identified Karen Solomon as Kurt Solomon’s wife, and Worcester officials have since publicly referred to her as his wife.
Kurt Solomon’s death has also focused attention on his three decades of service in Worcester. The local police union said he served the city for 31 years and was regarded as reliable and committed to his work. Worcester Mayor Joe Petty described the officer’s death as a painful event for the city, Solomon’s family and members of the Police Department.
The case remains an active death investigation rather than a filed criminal prosecution against Karen Solomon. Authorities have not publicly disclosed evidence establishing who caused Kurt Solomon’s death, and Solomon has not appeared in court to answer charges in the case. Investigators continue to seek her as they work to establish a fuller account of what occurred at the home.
As of Thursday morning, authorities had not publicly announced that Karen Solomon had been found. The search continued while Worcester police and outside agencies pursued information about her movements and investigators awaited answers to the central questions surrounding Kurt Solomon’s death.
Author note: Last updated August 20, 2026.