Laundrie Family Hopes for Answers After Remains Found

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Family members were hoping for much answers from instrumentality enforcement regarding the origin of decease for Brian Laundrie, who was a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the decease of woman Gabby Petito portion the mates was connected a cross-country roadworthy trip, an lawyer said Friday.

“I was informed by instrumentality enforcement yesterday that possibly by mid-day contiguous we’d person immoderate much information,” the Laundries’ lawyer Steve Bertolino told ABC’s “Good Morning America” connected Friday.

The FBI connected Thursday identified quality remains recovered a time earlier successful a Florida quality sphere arsenic those of Brian Laundrie. A notebook and backpack believed to beryllium to Laundrie were besides recovered successful the wilderness park, the FBI said. The country wherever they were recovered had been underwater during erstwhile searches.

A connection from the FBI did not database a origin of death. It was not wide however agelong the remains whitethorn person been submerged successful water.

Petito’s assemblage was recovered Sept. 19 astatine the borderline of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, which the mates had visited.

“We person nary further remark astatine this clip and we inquire that you respect the Laundries’ privateness astatine this time,” the FBI connection said.

Michael McPherson, main of the Tampa FBI office, makes a connection to the media during a briefing successful North Port, Fla., connected Oct. 20, 2021. (Chris O’Meara/AP Photo)

Richard Stafford, lawyer for Petito’s family, said they would person nary contiguous absorption to the recognition of Laundrie’s remains.

“They are grieving the nonaccomplishment of their beauteous daughter,” Stafford said successful an email. “Gabby’s household volition marque a connection astatine the due clip and erstwhile they are emotionally ready.”

The find of the remains concluded a monolithic hunt involving federal, state, and section instrumentality enforcement that began soon aft Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, 2 weeks aft the 23-year-old returned unsocial to his parent’s location successful North Port, Florida.

The probe into Petito’s slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But lone Laundrie has ever been identified by instrumentality enforcement officials arsenic a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the case.

Petito’s household reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a hunt that garnered worldwide media attraction and, successful Laundrie’s case, focused mostly connected the Carlton Reserve wilderness parkland adjacent the Laundrie home. It is simply a densely wooded, swampy country that’s location to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes, and galore different creatures.

The mates archetypal met arsenic teenagers connected Long Island, New York, and much precocious moved to Florida’s Gulf Coast to unrecorded with his parents.

They archetypal gained an online pursuing portion connected their travel successful a converted Ford Transit van successful videos filled with blessed scenes that whitethorn person concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the lawsuit became a true-crime obsession connected societal media.

This constabulary camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito talking to a constabulary serviceman aft constabulary pulled implicit the van she was traveling successful with her boyfriend, The FBI identified quality remains recovered successful a Florida quality sphere arsenic those of Brian Laundrie, connected Oct. 21, 2021. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

The coroner successful Wyoming concluded Petito died of strangulation and her assemblage had been wherever it was recovered for 3 oregon 4 weeks.

The mates was stopped Aug. 12 by constabulary successful Moab, Utah, aft they had a carnal altercation, but nary home unit charges were filed. The constabulary section determination is conducting an interior reappraisal to find if argumentation was followed.

Laundrie returned location unsocial Sept. 1 successful the van the mates took connected their trip. The van was aboriginal impounded by authorities. He was reported missing aft telling his parents helium was going for a hike successful the Carlton Reserve.

Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities astir spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but nary panned out.

The remains were recovered Wednesday arsenic searches concentrated connected the adjacent Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, wherever a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That parkland is straight adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, some of which are astir 35 miles southbound of Sarasota, Florida.

By Curt Anderson