ROME -- On Wednesday, Pope Francis met with the parents of Beau Solomon, the 19 year old American student from Wisconsin who was allegedly murdered by a homeless man. The Pope expressed his 'sentiments of sincere compassion' towards Solomon’s parents and said that their young son who had died so tragically was 'being held in his prayers to the Lord', said the director of the Vatican press office, Father Federico Lombardi.

 The man who has been arrested on suspection of murdering Solomon by pushing him into the river is called Massimo Galioto, reportedly a homeless man of around 41 years old who lives in a tent under the Garibaldi Bridge with his girlfriend. According to the girlfriend’s description of the night’s events, Solomon came down to below the bridge with what seemed like two Moroccan men, who proceeded to rob the student of his wallet and phone and then run off. She reported that Solomon then stumbled upon Galioto by the river edge and initiated a violent fight with the homeless man.  She said that the fight ended badly and after much pushing, Solomon fell into the water. The woman claimed that after Solomon had fallen into the river, Galioto did not escape but went back into his tent with her to sleep.

 Galioto has said that he used to work for the military in Somalia, but the army has not confirmed this. It is likely that he was part of a gang who specifically targets tourists in the Trastevere neighbourhood close to the river. Galioto has been described as belonging to a group of ‘punkabbestià’; groups of young homeless people who live marginalised from society with their dogs in very poor living conditions. Links have allegedly been drawn between the death of Solomon and the mysterious disappearance of 27 year old street artist Federico Carnicci one year ago, who also went missing under the Garibaldi Bridge, and whose body was found in the river 10 days later. Although the presence of Galioto at the time and place of Carnicci’s disappearance was not confirmed, it has been suggested that he was responsible for the death of the street artist.

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