The judge, Charles Solomon, told police he left for work around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, officials said. He said his wife, Diane Gallagher, and son, Doug Solomon, were sleeping in their respective beds when he left their East 79th Street home. Their bodies were discovered about two hours later after Doug Solomon jumped. He had no criminal record and neither did his mother. Charles Solomon told detectives that he and Doug were not close, but that Doug was close to his mother, senior law enforcement officials said. He also said that he and his wife had discussed their son’s future the night before. It was unclear whether that conversation could have led to an argument the next day between mother or son. No possible motive has been released. Charles Solomon told authorities his son struggled in college and dropped out, then became heavily involved in alcohol and marijuana in recent years, senior law enforcement officials said. However, he said there was no known psychiatric history surrounding Doug and that his son was not taking any psychiatric medication. And there were no previous domestic incidents between Doug and Diane, officials tell investigators Charles Solomon. They revealed chilling new details about the deaths on Wednesday, saying Diane Gallagher suffered severe blunt force trauma to her head and face. She had a massive gash on her forehead and behind her right ear, senior law enforcement officials said. There appeared to be signs of trauma that could have been caused by strangulation or excessive force to the skull, they said. A bedside lamp found close to her body is believed to be the murder weapon. Doug Solomon jumped from a great height and was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:45 am. of Tuesday. Officials said there were multiple abrasions on him consistent with injuries he would have sustained while trying to squeeze his body through a narrow bedroom window. Charles Solomon retired in 2018 after serving three decades on the bench, during which he oversaw high-profile cases such as the 2001 nightclub shooting trial of Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, as well as a case involving former Gov. of New York Eliot Spitzer. and one of his mistresses.
