Following the discovery of human remains thought to belong to suspect Brian Laundrie, investigators are reportedly calling Gabby Petito's death "murder."
Announcing the discovery at a campground at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, the FBI special agent in charge of the Tampa office, Michael McPherson, said at a news conference that it would take time to establish whether the remains belonged to Laundrie.
Per The Independent, the Teton County Coroner declared the case a homicide, and this is thought to be the first time her death has been referred to as murder by a law enforcement authority.
FBI calls Gabby Petito's case a murder
Because homicide is a broad term that encompasses both the legal and unlawful killing of one person by another, the difference between homicide and murder is a major legal issue. A murder, on the other hand, is when someone is killed illegally and with malice or intent. All homicides are murders, but not all murders are homicides.
Authorities issued a federal warrant for Laundrie's arrest on fraud charges for allegedly using someone else's credit card as the countrywide quest for him continued.
Although Petito's cause of death was determined to be manual strangulation, which means it was done with bare hands rather than an instrument, Laundrie's arrest warrant was nevertheless based on fraud.
Police often issue warrants for the crime with the lowest burden of proof so that suspects may be detained for questioning, and police anticipate Brian Laundrie to face more charges once he is apprehended.
Following the finding of human remains at a campground where Laundrie is thought to have slept, the homicide has been renamed a murder.
Brian Laundrie's parents grieve over discovery of apparent remains
The FBI said human remains were discovered alongside a backpack and notebook belonging to Gabby Petito's fugitive boyfriend on Wednesday, and Brian Laundrie's parents are "grieving," as per The Sun.
The tragic discovery was uncovered in the Carlton Reserve, where Chris and Roberta Laundrie claim he went for a hike on September 13, the last day they saw him.
According to WABC Channel 7's Kristin Thorne, who talked with the couple's attorney Steven Bertolino, they are "grieving and they're not going to make any comment" until the remains have been formally identified.
The FBI said the bodies were discovered in an area that had been flooded earlier in the investigation during a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon. He went on to say that the reserve will stay closed while the inquiry is ongoing, and he encouraged the people to be patient.
Teams are likely to stay on the ground for many days, and the region has been declared a no-fly zone. As the press briefing drew to a close, FBI officers refused to answer questions and were greeted with a chant of "Justice for Gabby."
The story sparked widespread interest, but it also raised unpleasant concerns about the lack of attention paid to the hundreds of missing or killed Native American and other minority women around the country.
On September 1, Laundrie came home alone in the Ford van that the couple had taken on their trip. He went missing after informing his parents on September 14 that he was going for a stroll in the Carlton Reserve, a Sarasota County nature park that has been a focal point in the hunt for weeks.
He is accused with illegal use of a debit card in a federal Wyoming indictment, which would allow officials to apprehend him if he is discovered alive.
It claims Laundrie made unlawful withdrawals or charges totaling more than $1,000 using a Capital One Bank card and someone's personal identifying information. It doesn't specify who owned the card or what kind of charges were made, ABC7 reported.
Related Article: Gabby Petito's Mom Believes Brian Laundrie's Parents Know Everything About Her Death, Fugitive's Mother Allegedly Wants Son to Marry Coworker
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