A University of Wisconsin-Madison student who vanished just hours after arriving in Italy to study abroad has been found dead.
Beau Solomon, 19, disappeared after going to a bar in Rome with friends on Thursday night.
"It's a murder investigation," his brother Cole said.
Cole Solomon said his brother's body was found in the Tiber River with a wound on his head and blood on his shirt. Thousands of dollars were charged to Solomon's credit card after his disappearance, he said.
UW-Madison officials confirmed that Solomon's death was being treated as a criminal investigation by local authorities in Rome and said the school was working with John Cabot University, as well as American and Italian authorities, in the investigation. Other UW-Madison students participating in a John Cabot program were safe and accounted for, university officials said.
Solomon's body was found without a wallet or cellphone, leading police to believe he was robbed before being thrown into the river, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
On Friday, John Cabot officials reported to Italian authorities and the U.S. Embassy that Solomon was missing after arriving in Rome the day before. The university said Solomon's roommate alerted school officials that he had lost contact with him about 1 a.m. Friday while they were together at a bar in the city, and was worried when he didn't see Beau at orientation that morning.
Another Solomon brother, Jake, described him as "an awesome brother" with "a big heart" who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. He also called him the "toughest S.O.B. that we've ever met."
The 19-year-old battled cancer for 10 years until the age of 12, after which he went on to participate in high school sports, work as a camp counselor for Badger Boys State and teach at youth quarterback camps around Wisconsin.
His parents, Nick and Jodi Solomon, left for Italy Sunday to assist in the search.
Beau was the third of four boys.
Solomon, a Spring Green native, had just completed his first year at UW-Madison in personal finance. He previously studied at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and University of Wisconsin-Richland.
John Cabot University, founded in 1972, describes itself as "an American university in the heart of Rome." The liberal arts school offers undergraduate degrees and study abroad programs to English-speaking students from around the world.
UW-Madison officials said that, based on the investigation so far, there is no indication of a broader risk to students in Rome.
