Brian Laundrie, the subject of a massive law enforcement manhunt after his fiancée Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito was found dead in a Wyoming campground in September, died of Suicide, His family’s attorney said in a statement on Tuesday.
Attorney Steven Bertolino said Laundrie’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.
“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and hope that these findings help bring the family together,” he said.
Laundrie, 23, was the only person of interest in Petito’s strangled death. In a story that went viral on social media and captured worldwide attention, the couple embarked on a cross-country trip in her van before Laundrie returned to their Florida residence without her and subsequently refused to cooperate with authorities.
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Then, Laundrie went missing on her own, sparking a weeks-long search in the swampy woods of southern Sarasota County that involved dozens of law enforcement officers from the FBI and agencies across Florida.
Authorities found Laundrie’s remains on October 20 at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where he was reported missing by his family. Authorities said a notebook and other personal items were discovered along with his remains.
At the time, the North Port Police Department in Florida issued a statement from the medical examiner’s office asserting that the remains were identified through dental records and not DNA.
The initial autopsy did not find a cause of death, and his remains were given to anthropologists for more precise testing.
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Before his remains were discovered, Laundrie is wanted on federal charges for using Petito’s debit card to withdraw cash.
The case surrounding Laundrie and Petito has attracted global interest, dominating cable news for weeks. On October 12, a Wyoming coroner ruled that Petito died of strangulation, adding that her body had been “outside the wilderness” for three to four weeks before being found. .
