The son of a former supreme court judge leapt from his family's 16th floor Manhattan apartment after beating his mother to death, according to police sources.
The naked body of Doug Solomon, 26, was discovered in the court yard of a high-rise flat block in the exclusive Upper East Side of New York at roughly 10.30am, on Tuesday. His mother Diane Gallagher, 65, was found dead in a bedroom of the family apartment with head trauma believed to have been caused by a piece of furniture, a source close to the investigation said.
Neighbours reportedly heard screaming and shouting from the family home before the tragedy, according to the Mirror. While the evidence so far suggests murder-suicide, there is no history of violence or mental illness relating to the family, reports say.
Another resident of the East 79th Street building, reported the New York Post, said: "It was the loudest thud. At first I thought it was an air conditioning unit. I looked down and he was right below my window… he was butt naked."
Charles Solomon, the husband and father of the two dead, is a retired New York Supreme Court judge. During three decades as a top judge before he retired in 2017, he heard many high-profile cases including Sean “P-Diddy” Combs’ nightclub shooting trial, in 2001.
Another neighbour in the building said they heard "arguing". They said: "I heard a bunch of voices. I thought it was construction workers arguing. I thought it was just people angry with each other."
While a resident of the block of flats has said that she is "heartbroken" to hear that Ms Gallagher had died and that she had been an important friend. The 79-year-old woman told the New York Post: "She’s just one of the most amazing people. Bright, articulate, dancer.
"I just called her when I heard that something happened in the building. She was my go to person… That’s the kind of friendship we had."
She also told that Ms Gallagher taught music and dance, and had a daughter who would be getting married soon. She added: “Really just a very capable everything. A great mother, a great wife, a great everything and really a great friend. I only have good things to say about her, and such a good listener. Always listened to me and my problems. She’s an amazing person.”
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
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