The hunt for Brian Laundrie captured the world's attention – and with the
release of some new details, the story has officially come to a gruesome end.
Aspiring van life influencer Gabby Petito went missing in late 2021 and her fiancé,
Brian Laundrie, who traveled with Petito, was a person of interest in the case.
Shortly after news of Petito's disappearance made headlines,
Laundrie returned to his parents' home in Florida, only to disappear a short time later.
Gabby Petito's remains were then found in Wyoming, where the couple had traveled,
and her cause of death was ruled to be homicide. After an intensive manhunt, Laundrie's remains
were uncovered in a nature reserve near the Laundrie family's Florida home on October 20.
"Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains
along with personal items such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie."
Signs of trouble between the 23-year-old Laundrie and the 22-year-old Petito first
emerged in mid-August of 2021. Witnesses had seen Laundrie and Petito engaged in a fight
near where the couple was traveling in Utah and called the police. Authorities checked in with
Petito and Laundrie, and found Petito upset. The couple were advised by police to spend the
evening apart. Laundrie was back home in Florida a short time later. Petito was no longer with him.
By September 17, amid increasing public scrutiny,
the Laundrie family admitted that they had not seen their son for a few days.
A manhunt commenced, including both local Florida law enforcement agencies and the FBI.
At that point, the FBI had yet to find Petito's remains and they continued to search for signs of
the young woman in Wyoming, primarily focusing on Grand Teton National Park. By September 19,
human remains had been found in that area, which were later determined to be Petito's.
Those conclusions were confirmed on September 21 by the Teton County coroner. On October 12,
it was announced that her cause of death was homicide by strangulation.
In an effort to find Brian Laundrie, authorities searched the nearby Carlton
nature reserve where his parents said their son had gone camping after he had arrived
back in Florida, and where he said he was going when he subsequently disappeared.
At that point, Laundrie was not just a person of interest, wanted for questioning regarding
the death of Petito. He was also the subject of a federal arrest warrant for unauthorized use of
access devices, accused of using Petito's debit card and PIN after she was believed to have died.
By October 20, items that were believed to be Laundrie's as well as human remains were
discovered at the Carlton Reserve where authorities were searching.
The next day those remains were confirmed to be Laundrie's.
"23-year-old Brian Laundrie, the only person of interest in Gabby Petito's death is dead,
confirmed by FBI Denver in a release on Twitter moments ago."
Authorities said that what prevented the evidence of Brian Laundrie from showing up
sooner at the Carlton Reserve was that the area in which it was found had been covered by water.
The remains were otherwise in the open and unobscured.
The fact that the body parts had been submerged in water also made
the human remains found difficult to identify.
The belongings that authorities discovered included articles of clothing and shoes,
as well as a backpack, a tent, a handgun, and some flares, alongside some other personal effects.
Authorities also found a notebook in which Laundrie admitted to killing Gabby Petito.
The body parts found at the scene included an assortment of human bones, parts of a skull,
and a mandible with teeth still attached.
What's most disturbing of all about Brian Laundrie's remains is that there were signs
that Laundrie's remains were eaten by animals, with "moderately extensive carnivore activity
evidenced by multiple gouging and gnawing marks," according to the coroner's report.
Carnivorous and omnivorous animals that the coroner noted regularly feature in the area
Laundrie's remains were found include canines such as feral dogs, coyotes, rodents, and raccoons.
The remains were determined to be Laundrie's through dental records and DNA analysis. It was
also noted that the gun that was discovered nearby Laundrie's remains was a .38 caliber European
American Arms revolver. Two rounds remained in the chamber, while one round had been spent.
With the release of these findings,
the Gabby Petito case is now considered by authorities to be officially closed.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse,
you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.