(Additional photographs below.)
The state medical examiner is ruling late Haverhill Police Officer Katelyn M. Tully, who died unexpectedly last Sept. 26, succumbed to an unknown heart condition.
The findings of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner were released in the form of a death certificate early Wednesday afternoon by Haverhill Police Chief Wayne J. Tracy. It concluded Tully died from “cardiac dysrhythmia” of an unknown cause. The result appears consistent with her family’s statement last fall that she died of a “stress-induced” heart attack. Tracy said in a statement he hopes the information will end “speculation and inaccurate information.”
“It is our hope that the release of these official findings will provide clarity and help put those rumors to rest, allowing Officer Tully’s family, friends, and colleagues the space to continue grieving and remembering her life and service with dignity,” he said.
The first confirmation of Tully’s death came the same day in September when the Haverhill Police Patrolman’s Association simply posted a photograph of a Haverhill police badge with a mourning band around it.” Without releasing her name during those early hours, the union expressed its grief.
“…we lost our sister in arms—a dedicated officer whose presence left a lasting impact on everyone she served beside. She was more than a colleague; she was family. Her quiet strength, unwavering integrity and fierce loyalty to her duty set a powerful example for all of us. She approached each challenge with grace and resilience, never backing down when others needed her most.”
In his statement, Tracy went on to express the department’s loss.
“Officer Tully’s passing has had a profound impact on this department and the community she served. She is deeply missed by her fellow officers, friends and family. Her dedication, professionalism and compassion left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege to know and work alongside her.”
A week after her death, a vigil in Tully’s honor took place in front of the Haverhill Police Station. Haverhill Police Patrolman’s Association President Conor Clark spoke to the crowd.
“She lived every day with purpose—not just as an officer but as someone who truly believed in making the world a little bit better. Her laugh could cut through the chaos and her presence brought a calm that no training could ever teach. She was the first to show up, the last to leave and always the one to lift others up,” he said.
Tully, of Haverhill, graduated from Methuen High School with the Class of 2012 and served a six-month active service in Afghanistan after enlisting in the U.S. Army National Guard in 2014. She was honorably discharged and joined the Haverhill Police Department the first time in 2016. She left for a time to serve as a police officer in Newbury before rejoining the Haverhill Police Department in 2024.
Haverhill Police Officer Katelyn M. Tully is sworn in by Haverhill City Clerk Kaitlin M. Wright last year for her second stint as a city police officer. (Courtesy photograph.)
Funeral procession in Wilmington. (Photograph via Gary Huber, Essex Alert.)