Instagram Has Brian Laundrie been found?
Brian Laundrie has been found dead after his remains were discovered in a Florida nature reserve, it’s now been confirmed.
According to CNN, authorities used dental records to confirm the remains were Laundrie, the missing man who was a person of interest in the murder of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito.
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian’s,” family attorney Steven Bertolino said to CNN. “We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundrie’s privacy at this time.”
The human remains and a backpack were among items found on October 20, 2021, in a Florida nature reserve that has been a focal point in the search for the missing Florida man.
The remains were found during a search by Laundrie’s parents, their attorney confirmed in a statement. The Sun reported that Laundrie’s mom appeared to wipe a tear off his dad’s face after the remains were found.
“Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook, belonging to Brian Laundrie,” FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said in a press conference.
The medical examiner in Sarasota, Florida, was called to the park after the belongings and remains were found, at the request of law enforcement, Fox News and NBC News reported.
According to NBC News, the remains were found in Florida’s Carlton Reserve, the massive nature area that has been searched for weeks.
“These items were found in an area that up until recently had been under water,” McPherson told reporters, according to NBC News.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the remains are Laundrie’s. ABC7 reported that investigators first had to determine whether the remains are human. However, CNN reported that the FBI said “what appears to be human remains” were found.
Petito vanished while the couple was filming a cross-country YouTube series called “Van Life.” Laundrie returned — alone — to his parents’ home in Florida on September 1, but as media and law enforcement scrutiny of him increased, he, too, disappeared. Petito was found dead on September 19, and a coroner revealed she had been strangled to death at least three weeks earlier, NBC News reported.
In the days before Laundrie disappeared, Petito’s family attorney told CNN he’s “hiding,” not missing, and police ramped up the public attention on his refusal to speak with them about Petito. North Port (Florida) Police Chief Todd Garrison tweeted at Laundrie and his lawyer, “@NPPDPoliceChief Mr. Steven Bertolino, esq. the @NorthPortPolice needs your help in finding Gabby Petito. Please call us to arrange a conversation with Brian Laundrie. Two people left on a trip and one person returned! #wheresgabby #FindGabby #fbitampa #gabbypetito.”
Once he disappeared, news that Laundrie could be dead — again, still unconfirmed — blew up on Twitter, where the case has been heavily followed around the country.
I can’t cope with this information that Brian Laundrie could be dead. No peace for Gabby’s family, just a lifetime of wondering why, when, how. I feel sick, I’m so angry for her family and her friends. #GabbyPetito
Here’s what you need to know:
Laundrie’s Parents Were Searching the Area on Their Own
BREAKING NEWS: Coroner arrives at Florida park after items belonging to Brian Laundrie found t.co/vNauCnCCs5
Laundrie’s parents, who have been the subject of much controversy and scrutiny, feature prominently in the story of the found remains and belongings.
Fox News reported that a law enforcement officer told Laundrie’s parents on October 20, 2021, that authorities “might have found something.”
Steven Bertolino, a lawyer for the Laundrie family, told Fox News that Brian Laundrie’s parents searched areas of the park used by Laundrie in the past and “some articles belonging to Brian were found.” They had told law enforcement they planned to conduct the search, according to Fox News, which added that Laundrie’s parents claimed he “went to Myakkahatchee on Sept. 13, the day he was last seen.”
#BREAKING Brian Laundrie search: Possible human remains found near fugitive’s belongings in North Port park
According to NBC News, the belongings found included a backpack consistent with one used by Brian Laundrie, and the remains were found near it. “Chris and Roberta Laundrie went to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park this morning to search for Brian,” Bertolino said to NBC News, of Laundrie’s parents.
The involvement of Laundrie’s parents is already sending internet sleuths into overdrive.
“The FBI and NPPD were informed last night of Brian’s parents’ intentions and they met Chris and Roberta there this morning. After a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented some articles belonging to Brian were found. As of now law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area,” Bertolino told NBC.
ABC7 reported that the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office had confirmed that a “human remains detection team was requested by North Port Police to go to Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park” on October 20.
According to The Sun, the items “were discovered in a patch of brambles near to a trail Brian was known to use. They were carried away from the scene in a white bag.”
Police Had Focused Their Search for Laundrie in Carlton Reserve
Additional photos from the search for Brian Laundrie around the Carlton Reserve area. If you have seen him please use 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit online at t.co/vlIagGqNPE.
On September 18, North Port police began a massive search for Laundrie in Carlton Reserve, a 24,565-acre preserve located in Sarasota County, Florida.
“The North Port Police Department, FBI, and agency partners are currently conducting a search of the vast Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie. His family says they believe he entered the area earlier this week. More details when available,” North Port police wrote on Twitter at that time.
Police revealed in a statement that the attorney for Laundrie’s family called the FBI on Friday night (September 17) and indicated the family wanted to “talk about the disappearance of their son.”
The family “now claims that they have not seen Brian since Tuesday of this week,” police wrote at the time. He was “last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap.”
Police said they are frustrated because, for six days, they pleaded with the family to contact investigators regarding Petito. “Friday is the first time they have spoken with investigators in detail. It is important to note that while Brian is a person of interest in Gabby’s disappearance, he is not wanted for a crime. We are not currently working a crime investigation. We are now working a multiple missing person investigation.”
Brian Laundrie Was Named a Person of Interest in Petito’s Death
North Port police wrote in a news release on September 15 that Laundrie had become a “person of interest in this case.”
“The national search into the disappearance of Gabrielle Petito of North Port continues. Due to the parties in this case residing in North Port, Florida, the North Port Police Department will be the primary investigating agency, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. We will also continue to work with the Suffolk County Police Department, and we are thankful for their assistance,” the release stated.
PoliceBrian Laundrie’s van.
“Several detectives are working around the clock to piece this complex and far-reaching situation together. Gabrielle’s vehicle was recovered here in North Port at her home on September 11th. A home shared with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and his parents. That vehicle was fully processed for evidence along with FBI agents Tuesday evening. As of now, Brian has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators or has provided any helpful details.”
According to police, “We know Brian returned here to North Port on September 1st — ten days before her family reported her missing on September 11th. We have no information that a crime occurred here in North Port. Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in this case.”
“As a father, I can imagine the pain and suffering Gabby’s family is going through. We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks. The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out. We will help find Gabby and we will help find anyone who may be involved in her disappearance,” North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said in the release.
Petito’s family reported her missing because they considered it unusual not to hear from her while she was on the trip touring national parks, which began in July, Fox News reported.
“We had been in touch with her as she traveled,” Petito’s father, Joe, told The Daily Beast. “I’d speak to her once a week or so, her mom spoke to her two or three times a week. My son would talk to her often on Snapchat, FaceTime; my niece would be in constant contact with her.”
Petito’s dad has also been posting on his Facebook page urgent pleas to find his daughter. “Please Help Find Gabby. This is my daughter Gabby Petito. Please share and help find her. She was last seen headed to Yellowstone National Park from Salt Lake City, Utah,” he wrote with one plea.
A missing person’s alert for Petito was released by Suffolk County, New York, police. It says “Blue Point Woman Missing,” and added, “Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Date/Time: Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 6:55 p.m.”
The release states, “Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating the disappearance of a Blue Point woman who went missing while traveling. Gabrielle Petito was traveling in a white, 2012 Ford Transit van with Florida license plate QFTG03 with a companion when she stopped communicating with friends and family.”
It adds, “Petito was reported missing to the Suffolk County Police Department by her family on September 11 at approximately 6:55 p.m. According to family, they were last in contact with her during the last week of August. Prior to the last communication, Petito is believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.”
Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, told Fox News she last spoke with her daughter on August 25. She received a text from her on both the 27th and 30th but now says “I don’t know if she left Grand Teton or not…I don’t know if it was technically her or not, because it was just a text. I didn’t verbally speak to her.”
The couple’s YouTube series is called “VAN LIFE | Beginning Our Van Life Journey.” One of their videos has more than 145,000 views.
It’s eight minutes long and shows the couple walking on a beach together. They appear close in the video, which shows them together during various travels. It then shows them on the road. They kiss in one scene; they’re eating sushi in the next. In one frame, they’re in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. In another, they watch the sunset together on the beach.
They do cartwheels on the beach in front of an amusement park and ride a Ferris wheel together before kissing some more.
Their YouTube Channel, called Nomadic Statik, has more than 1.37 million users. The van life video is their only video.
“A glimpse into our van adventures! After our first cross country trip in a little Nissan Sentra, we both decided we to wanted downsize our lives and travel full time, but trying to fit everything for two people into the tiny little trunk of the car, also spending way too much on gas, food, and airbnb, was not the road to take,” the page says.
“We quickly realized we had to come up with a solution if we wanted to continue traveling and living nomadically, so that’s why we handcrafted our own tiny van, a simple 2012 Ford transit connect, utilizing space with unique designs and features. Creating a space for both artistic expression and distance hiking. Thank you so much for watching, and we hope you tag along on our journey wherever the van takes us!”
They added: “Follow our van life journey for some awesome van life ideas, tips, hacks, camping spots, and so many beautiful places to travel!”
The couple also had a website and a blog. The website, captioned Brian & Gabby, is password protected and sends readers back to the YouTube page.
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