The 26-year-old son of a retired Manhattan supreme court judge fatally bludgeoned his mother with a piece of furniture at the family’s posh Upper East Side co-op Tuesday and then jumped 16 floors to his death, police and law-enforcement sources said.
Doug Solomon, 26, was found naked and bleeding in the courtyard of the East 79th Street building around 10:30 a.m. after the rage fueled-attack and was heard screaming on his way down, cops and witnesses said.
Solomon’s mother, Diane Gallagher, 65, was found dead in an apartment bedroom with head trauma after her son beat her with a piece of furniture, law-enforcement sources said.
Police are investigating the deaths as a murder suicide but sources noted there was no history of domestic violence or mental health issues in the family.
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The killer son (in white striped Lacoste polo) & his mother he murdered (right, in navy top)
The victim, Diane Gallagher (below)
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Charles Solomon, who retired as a New York Supreme Court judge in 2017 after three decades on the bench, is Doug’s father and Diane’s husband. In 2001, Charles oversaw Sean “P-Diddy” Combs’ nightclub shooting trial and in 2017, he
approved a plea deal for Svetlana Travis Zakharova, one of Eliot Spitzer’s Russian prostitutes who the former “Lov Gov” accused of extortion.
Following a bout with cancer, Solomon was forced to retire and most recently worked for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, records show.
It’s not immediately clear if he still works there. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
One resident, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, lives a few floors below the family’s apartment and heard yelling this morning. “I heard a bunch of voices. I thought it was construction workers arguing,” the resident told The Post. “I thought it was just people angry with each other.”
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The Upper East Side building where the crime occurred. The killer was found naked & bleeding in the courtyard.
Martine, a neighbor of Gallagher’s who declined to share her last name, said the two had been friends for years and she’s heartbroken over her death. “She’s just one of the most amazing people. Bright, articulate, dancer,” the 79-year-old said.
“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.”
Martine said Gallagher used to teach music and dance and has a daughter who’s getting ready to get married.
“Really just a very capable everything. A great mother, a great wife, a great everything and really a great friend,” said Martine.
“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.”
Police were unable to confirm further details about the incident.
Units in the building start at about $1.6 million and go up to $3.5 million, according to listings at StreetEasy.com.
