ROME -- A 41 year old man has been arrested for the murder of 19 year old American student Beau Solomon, police said on Tuesday morning. The suspect is said to be a Roman man with no fixed address, who has been accused of murdering Solomon without any real motive by throwing him into the river. The man’s arrest is awaiting validation from the preliminary investigation magistrate (GIP).

 Solomon disappeared only a few hours after his arrival in Rome from Spring Green, Wisconsin. He came to the capital to undertake a five month course at John Cabot University, but went missing the night before his first class was due to take place on the morning of July 1. He was last seen by his roommate with whom he was spending the evening at a bar in Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere neighbourhood, who reported that Solomon had said ‘I’m going to the bathroom’, and then was not seen again. The roommate confirmed that Solomon had not been under the influence of alcohol. The following morning, when Solomon did not come to the orientation class, his roommate alerted the university.

 Solomon’s body was pulled out of the Tiber by firemen and river police, just under the Marconi Bridge, where it had become entangled in the undergrowth. His phone and wallet had been stolen, and 1500 dollars had been spent on his credit card in Milan. Two witnesses have allegedly said that they saw a man throw him into the river from the Garibaldi Bridge on the night of June 30, before they quickly ran away. The parents of the boy, who came to Rome from Wisconsin on the hearing the news, have officially identified the body of their son.

 The results of an initial external examination of Solomon’s body shows wounds on the head and body, all of which seem to confirm a fall and sustained immersion in water. According to one hypothesis, Solomon died from drowning after having been knocked out and thrown into the river. The chief prosecutor, Marcello Monteleone, has called for an autopsy to take place which will confirm the exact cause of Solomon’s death. Rome’s operational team and the Trevi neighbourhood police have been investigating the incident since they were alerted of Solomon’s disappearance by the director of John Cabot University.

 Investigators are working to build a more detailed image of the final hours of Solomon’s life. He has been described by everyone who knew him as a sporty and outgoing boy, who had overcome a rare form of cancer. His family has been active in raising awareness of his disappearance on social media, and his older brother circulated a post on facebook which stated that Solomon had been missing for 48 hours and calling for people to share a photo of him and keep him in their prayers. On finding out about his murder, Solomon’s brother allegedly said that he had always tried to look out and care for his younger brother, but was not able to from a different country. Solomon has been described by his family as a responsible and sensible person, and for this reason they are said to have immediately feared the worst after finding out about his disappearance. 

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