After an over month-long manhunt searching for Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the strangulation death of his fiancée Gabby Petito, his partial remains were found on Wednesday and positively identified by the FBI.
Human remains found confirmed by FBI to be Brian Laundrie
Authorities found “skeletal” remains in Florida’s Carlton Reserve on Wednesday, along with a backpack and a notebook.
The discovery came after Laundrie’s parents directed FBI agents and North Port police to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, NBC reported.
Police had focused on and searched the area extensively after Laundrie’s parents reported their 23-year-old son missing on September 17 after he had left to hike in the reserve, the Daily Mail reported.
Brian Laundrie’s identity was confirmed by dental records, according to the FBI, Fox reported.
“#UPDATE: On October 21, 2021, a comparison of dental records confirmed that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park are those of Brian Laundrie. @FBITampa,” the FBI Denver wrote in a tweet.
Last week, the County coroner ruled that Gabby Petito’s death was by strangulation, by someone’s bare hands, and she had likely died 3 to 4 weeks before her body was found. Petito’s death was ruled a homicide.
Parents initially directed authorities to location, but it was underwater previously
“These items were found in an area that up until recently had been under water,” Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Tampa office, told reporters on Wednesday.
The discovery came a day after the park reopened.
“The parents had assumed that the experts, the FBI and all the tracking teams they had would be able to locate Brian based upon the information that we had provided them, to the specific areas and trails in the park that Brian liked to visit,” said Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie family.
Bertolino added that Chris and Roberta Laundrie were the ones to discover the items (backpack and notebook) off a trail their son used to frequent.
“This is the very area of the park that we initially informed law enforcement on, I believe it was September 17th, that Brian would be most likely in the preserve in this particular area as I know it, near the bridge,” Bertolino continued. “If that water had cleared two weeks ago, perhaps could have circled back and looked again. Perhaps they meant to. Perhaps they were further, deeper into the park and never got back to this park because it is so near the entrance, Chris and Roberta went to this area first, and as happenstance was, they stumbled upon these items.”
FBI will continue processing area for several days, park closed
According to officials, teams from the FBI will continue to be on the scene in the reserve, processing potential evidence for several days. The park has closed again and will remain closed to the public until further notice, NBC New York reported. The FBI said its Denver team is leading the investigation.
