An autopsy report released on Tuesday has finally revealed that Brian Laundrie, whose disappearance sparked a nationwide manhunt in September after his fiancee, Gabby Petito, went missing and was later found murdered, did in fact commit suicide.
In confirming the autopsy results, attorney for the Laundrie family Steven Bertolino stated that “Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the manner of death was suicide.
“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families.”
Laundrie’s remains were found in a Florida nature preserve in late October, one month after 22-year-old Petito was found strangled to death on the edge of Wyoming’s Grand Teton national park, where the couple had been travelling together in a van.
23-year-old Laundrie was named a person of interest in the case after he returned to his parents’ home in Florida alone in early September, then disappeared himself.
The couple had been travelling across North America in a converted van and documenting their travels across social media platforms. The case gained national attention as authorities searched for both.
Petito’s remains were found in Wyoming on the 19th of September, with her death being ruled a homicide by strangulation. Laundrie’s remains were found in an area of the park that had previously been under water during searches of the 25,000-acre nature reserve in North Port, Florida.
Laundrie was never charged in connection with Petito’s death, but a federal arrest warrant was issued after a grand jury indicted him for the unauthorised use of a debit card which Petito’s family say was hers.
FBI investigators have been searching for clues in belongings found near Laundrie’s body, including a water-damaged notebook, but are yet to release any statement on the progress of its investigation.
Image: Getty Images
This article first appeared on Over60.