FBI: Remains found in Florida park ID'd as Brian Laundrie

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The FBI connected Thursday identified quality remains recovered successful a Florida quality sphere arsenic those of Brian Laundrie, a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the decease of woman Gabby Petito portion the mates was connected a cross-country roadworthy trip.

The remains, a backpack and notebook believed to beryllium to Laundrie were discovered Wednesday successful a Florida wilderness park, according to the FBI. The country wherever they were recovered had been nether h2o during earlier searches.

The FBI's Denver bureau said successful a quality merchandise that a examination of dental records confirmed that the remains were Laundrie. A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, besides confirmed successful a connection they were told the remains were those of their son.

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

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

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The probe into Petito's slaying, however, is not yet concluded. Still, 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 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 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.

The aggravated absorption connected Petito’s lawsuit has led to renewed calls for radical to wage greater attraction to cases involving missing Indigenous women and different radical of color. Petito, 22, was white.

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Her assemblage was recovered Sept. 19 connected the borderline of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, which the mates had visited. The coroner determination concluded she 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, which was aboriginal impounded by authorities. He was reported missing aft telling his parents that helium was going for a hike successful the Carlton Reserve.

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.

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Laundrie was charged successful a national Wyoming indictment with unauthorized usage of a debit card, which alleged Laundrie utilized a Capital One Bank paper and someone’s idiosyncratic recognition fig to marque unauthorized withdrawals oregon charges worthy much than $1,000. It does not accidental to whom the paper belonged oregon what benignant of charges were made.

Had Laundrie lived, that indictment would person permitted authorities to apprehension him.

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