The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Friday that Brian Laundrie accepted responsibility for the death of his fiancée, Gabrielle Petito, as it prepared to settle a case that had sparked extensive investigation by amateur investigators and galvanized social media.
The FBI said that a notebook recovered beside Laundrie's body in October had a written confession as part of a "final investigative update" on a case that drew thousands of tips from the public and enlisted the help of law enforcement agencies around the country.
FBI: Brian Laundrie admitted to killing Gabby Petito
The FBI said the notebook had "written remarks by Laundrie admitting responsibility for Petito's killing," but it did not go into depth about the implicating allegations. Petito, 22, went missing on September 11, 2021, when she failed to return on a months-long cross-country trip with Laundrie, 23. As members of the public combed through the couple's images and videos on Instagram and YouTube seeking clues, the case acquired national attention.
The case's tight media coverage spurred accusations that it was an example of "missing white woman syndrome," in which situations of missing white women receive disproportionate attention compared to cases of missing persons of color. On September 1, Laundrie went home to North Port, Florida, in the white Ford van that the couple had used for the vacation and that was registered to Petito. Laundrie's parents alerted the police on September 17 that they hadn't seen him since September 14, as per NY Times.
Petito's body was discovered on September 19 in Wyoming's Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, where she and Laundrie were last seen together. According to the FBI, she died of "blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation" as determined by the Teton County Coroner's Office. Laundrie's remains were discovered on October 20 in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota County, Florida, according to the FBI.
A medical examiner determined that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators discovered a journal, a backpack, and a handgun beside Laundrie's body.
A lawyer for the Petito family, Richard B. Stafford, issued a statement thanking the FBI and its victim services department for assisting the family in "navigating through the worst moments of their lives." A lawyer for the Laundrie family, Steven Bertolino, also issued a statement on the case's conclusion. Schneider praised the public for the hundreds of tips he received.
Chris and Roberta, Laundrie's parents, got up early on October 20 and drove to the swamp, where the floodwaters had retreated after blanketing the area for weeks. They returned to the location where their lawyer said they had been ordering police to search since mid-September, accompanied by two law enforcement officers and a Fox News Digital reporter.
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Laundrie, Petito family reach an agreement
Per Fox News, Chris Laundrie zigzagged his way through the brush till he came to a drybag in a clearing. The parents were only a few yards away from where law authorities would uncover their son's body later that morning.
A revolver was also discovered by the authorities. A group of demonstrators demanding answers from the Laundrie parents noticed Petito's water bottle in the same clearing a few days later.
Gabby Petito's family stated on Friday that information acquired by the FBI proves "without a shadow of a doubt" that the young woman's fiancé Brian Laundrie "murdered" her. Laundrie was the only person of interest in connection with Petito's disappearance.
Meanwhile, Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told Insider on Thursday that the Laundries and the Petito family had reached an agreement over the couple's leftover property, which included their belongings in the FBI's possession as well as their belongings at their home in North Port, Florida.
Related Article: Gabby Petito Case: Brian Laundrie's Autopsy Reveals He Died of Suicide With Gunshot Wound to The Head
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