A recent Baruch graduate who passed away in August has left family members and friends devastated and haunted with questions about the suspicious circumstances of his death.
Arturo Laulo, 21, was on vacation in Italy when he was found dead at a beach near his hotel. Authorities in Italy have described Laulo's death as an accident, but evidence has led family and friends to question whether there is more to the story.
Laulo's body was discovered "at the bottom of the sea in front of the Grand Hotel's beach in Cesenatico in Florence, Italy," according to a document provided by Jeanette Shuck of the Office of Student Life.
No autopsy was conducted, but according to the post, "external medical examination suggested death by severe head trauma and no water in the lungs."
According to Laulo's Sigma Beta Rho fraternity brother, Arslaan Saleem, Laulo reportedly drowned after hitting his head on a rock and receiving a concussion.
But those close to Laulo find the situation unlikely.
"From a personal account we are told by one of Arturo's friends that he was staying with […] the rocks the authorities are referring to are very deep into the beach and Arturo did not know how to swim, so we do not feel as if he would have made a journey out that far," said Saleem in an email.
According to the document, Laulo's body was discovered "some 250 meters off the coast […] in a supine position at the bottom of the sea some 3 meters deep."
Laulo's family reports that they have received little help from the Italian authorities, who closed the case after determining that an accident was the likely scenario.
"Still in the process of trying to figure out what has happened to my brother," sister Luz Laulo wrote on Facebook early last week. "There were no witnesses as to exactly what happened to him."
The family is anxious to have an autopsy conducted but delays in having Laulo's body transported from Italy added to their confusion and caused fears that the wait could affect the results of the autopsy. Luz finally reported on Facebook that the body was expected to arrive in the United States on Tuesday night.
A memorial vigil is expected to be held on Saturday evening at the family home.
In the meantime, the Baruch community has been offering its support. Sigma Beta Rho launched a fundraising campaign to help the family transport Laulo's body.
Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Ben Corpus encourages grieving students and faculty to take advantage of Baruch's counseling services. The Baruch College Counseling Center, which is located on the 9th floor at 137 East 25th Street, is available to all students and can be contacted at 646-312-2155.
In an email sent to students on Wednesday night, Corpus encouraged students to "make yourselves available to one another and to friends and classmates of Arturo to provide support at this time of grief."
This is an updated version of an article that appeared online on September 1.
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