Photo via CNN
October 21, 2021, 10:07 am*
The Laundrie family attorney said during a CNN interview that he believes “the probability is strong” that the human remains found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida belong to Brian Laundrie, former fiancé of Gabby Petito. Though authorities have yet to confirm the identity of the body found in Florida, it was found next to Laundrie’s personal belongings including a backpack and notebook that his parents say are his.
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The discovery of the remains could signal the end of a long manhunt for the blogger and van lifer after becoming a person of interest in the Petito case. Lawyer Steven Bertolino reports that Laundrie’s parents are devastated by the discovery.
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“It’s quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son’s belonging alongside the remains,” he said. “That’s got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken.”
The remains were found shortly after Laundrie’s parents went to the Florida park in order to search for signs of him on a trail they knew he used to frequent. The area had been previously inaccessible to searchers due to high water levels, possibly containing alligators and snakes, but once the water receded, it seems that it only took a short time to discover the body and backpack.
“As they went further in, Chris ventured off the trail into the woods. He was zigzagging in different areas, law enforcement was doing the same thing. And Roberta Laundrie was walking down the trail,” Bertolino said. “At some point, Chris locates what’s called a dry bag. The dry bag is a white bag, laying in the woods, say 20 feet or so off the trail.”
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FBI Tampa special agent Michael McPherson says it could take days before the identity of the remains can be determined.
The case of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie has captured the nation’s attention in part due to the fact that the couple had a fairly strong social media following before Petito disappeared. The couple liked to travel and camp in parks across the U.S. in their van, promoting the idea of a simpler way of living. When Petito stopped posting or answering her phone, her fans and family became alarmed. When Laundrie returned from their final trip together without her and refused to speak with the Petito family or police, many feared the worst.
Petito’s remains were soon found in the Wyoming park where her last communications to her family came from, and investigators ruled her death a homicide by strangulation. Millions speculated that Laundrie was the one to kill her, though authorities never did upgrade his status to “suspect” even as they launched a massive coordinated search for the 23-year-old, who family lawyers say went into hiding, feeling he would be presumed guilty.
CNN further reported that a source told them the remains found next to Laundrie’s belongings “appear to have been there a while.”
“Based on the condition of the remains, it may take some time to officially identify. It is going to be a very thorough process with the medical examiner.”
The sensationalism of this case has led to widespread theories about Petito, Laundrie, and anyone and anything related to them. Meanwhile, many thousands of other women go missing or are found murdered every year in the U.S., many of them women of color.
*First Published: October 21, 2021, 10:06 am
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