ROME — A student at Bates College in Maine who was studying abroad through a program sponsored by Trinity College in Hartford has died, a Trinity spokesperson said Saturday.
John Durkin, of Rye Beach, N.H., was a junior at Bates. He was reported missing earlier this week.
Trinity spokesperson Michele Jacklin said that on Saturday morning, Durkin’s family released the following statement: “It is with much sadness that the Durkin Family informs you of the loss of John Nolen Durkin and thanks everyone for their support during the past few days.”
Durkin was one of six Bates students studying through the Trinity in Rome program, Jacklin said. The program has a total enrollment of 55 students from several U.S. colleges.
He was last seen on Feb. 20 in the Campo de Fiori section of Rome, according to Trinity’s statement. The circumstances of his death are under investigation by Italian authorities and have not been released.
Durkin was an economics major at Bates and a member of the college’s football team.
Trinity’s statement Saturday said that Durkin’s death “appears to have been an isolated incident.”
“Trinity is doing everything possible to help the students in Rome during this time of duress, including making counseling available to any student who desires it,” the college said. “Counseling also will be available to students on the Trinity campus who may have known John or who feel a need to talk about this incident.”
By Kelly Glista, Hartford Courant.