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Laundrie Family Hopes for Answers After Remains Found

Supporters of Gabby Petito hold up photos of Gabby after a news conference in North Port, Fla., on Oct. 20, 2021. (Chris O'Meara/AP Photo)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Family members were hoping for more answers from law enforcement regarding the cause of death for Brian Laundrie, who was a person of interest in the death of girlfriend Gabby Petito while the couple was on a cross-country road trip, an attorney said Friday.

“I was informed by law enforcement yesterday that perhaps by mid-day today we’d have some more information,” the Laundries’ attorney Steve Bertolino told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday.

FBI on Thursday identified human remains found a day earlier in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie. A notebook and backpack believed to belong to Laundrie were also found in the wilderness park, the FBI said. area where they were found had been underwater during previous searches.

A statement from the FBI did not list a cause of death. It was not clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water.

Petito’s body was found Sept. 19 at the edge of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited.

“We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries’ privacy at this time,” the FBI statement said.

Michael McPherson, chief of the Tampa FBI office, makes a statement to the media during a briefing in North Port, Fla., on Oct. 20, 2021. (Chris O’Meara/AP Photo)

Richard Stafford, attorney for Petito’s family, said they would have no immediate reaction to the identification of Laundrie’s remains.

“y are grieving the loss of their beautiful daughter,” Stafford said in an email. “Gabby’s family will make a statement at the appropriate time and when they are emotionally ready.”

discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state, and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parent’s home in North Port, Florida.

investigation into Petito’s slaying, however, is not yet concluded. But only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case.

Petito’s family reported her missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie’s case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that’s home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes, and numerous other creatures.

couple first met as teenagers on Long Island, New York, and more recently moved to Florida’s Gulf Coast to live with his parents.

y first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media.

This police camera video provided by Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend, FBI identified human remains found in a Florida nature preserve as those of Brian Laundrie, on Oct. 21, 2021. ( Moab Police Department via AP)

coroner in Wyoming concluded Petito died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.

couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed.

Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the van the couple took on their trip. van was later impounded by authorities. He was reported missing after telling his parents he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve.

Dozens of unconfirmed tips poured into authorities about spotting Laundrie from Wyoming to the Appalachian Trail, but none panned out.

remains were found Wednesday as searches concentrated on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found. That park is directly adjacent to the Carlton Reserve, both of which are about 35 miles south of Sarasota, Florida.

By Curt Anderson

Pezou : Laundrie Family Hopes for Answers After Remains Found