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Brian Laundrie, the man wanted for questioning in the murder of his girlfriend Gabby Petito, has been confirmed dead by authorities,
The Denver Division of the FBI confirmed the news on Twitter Thursday, stating that remains found on Wednesday in Florida match his dental records.
Reads this message:
“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.”
Medical examiners used a comparison of dental records to positively identify the remains, the same department wrote in a press release on Thursday.
During a search for Laundrie in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park earlier this week, partial human remains were discovered, along with a backpack in an area that was previously underwater.
A spokesperson for the North Port Police told NBC News the remains were “skeletal.”
Laundrie went missing shortly after he returned home on September 1 following a cross-country trip with girlfriend Gabbi Petito.
He did so without Petito, whose parents reported her missing on September 11.
Three days later, Laundrie’s mother and father said their son had left home and they did not know where he had gone.
Laundrie did not speak with police prior to his disappearance, and he was never labeled a suspect in the death of Petito, a 22-year old vlogger who was found dead on September 19 in Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Her death was ruled a homicide (via strangulation) a short time later.
“Mr. Brian Laundrie has been named a person of interest,” Michael Schneider, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Denver office, said last month.
“Anyone with information concerning Mr. Laundrie’s role in this matter or his current whereabouts should contact the FBI.”
The couple had spent the summer traveling across the country in a white van together, documenting their adventures on YouTube along the way.
At one point in August, a 911 call was placed because an onlooker claimed that a man (later identified to be Laundrie) had struck a woman in the face.
For the first week of Petito’s missing persons investigation, the Laundrie family refused to cooperate with authorities, directing all questions to their lawyer, police said.
They claimed he was last seen on September 13 after supposedly leaving their house to hike in the nearby Carlton Reserve
The FBI and local Florida authorities eventually launched a search for Laundrie in the 25,000-acre nature preserve, wading waist-deep through snake- and alligator-infested swamps in certain areas.
While police were attempting to locate Laundrie in Florida, separate search teams continued looking for Petito, who, as referenced above, was discovered in Wyoming.
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian’s,” said Laundrie’s parents on Thursday afternoon to TMZ.
They added:
“We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundrie’s privacy at this time.”
Due to the mystery surrounding her vanishing, along with Dog the Bounty Hunter joining in the search for Laundrie, this case made national headlines over the past two months or so.
As of this writing, Laundrie’s cause of death has not yet been determined.
He was never charged with Petito’s death or disappearance, and a suspect for those crimes has not yet been named.
Sadly for Gabby’s family, they may never receive any answers now in regard to what actually happened to their loved ones.
“The worst fears of any parent have been realized with the recovery of Gabby,” a family friend wrote on a GoFundMe page dedicated to search-related expenses after Petito was found murdered.
“We are devasted [sic] and heartbroken.
“On behalf of the entire family, we send a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed and donated to help in our search for Gabby.
“We still do not have the words that seem appropriate to truly express how grateful we are and how uplifting this support has been during this challenging time.”
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