Brian Laundrie likely committed suicide before manhunt even began: Police



Brian Laundrie likely killed himself before authorities even began looking for him, police said, according to a Saturday report from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Laundrie's partial remains were discovered in Florida's Carlton Reserve following a lengthy manhunt.

What are the details?

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman said that though Laundrie's initial autopsy results were inconclusive, he believed that it was possible Laundrie committed suicide soon after fiancée Gabby Petito's disappearance, later found to be her murder.

Hoffman said that Laundrie, a person of interest in Petito's strangulation killing, most likely took his own life before local authorities began seeking his whereabouts on Sept. 15.

Petito's body was discovered four days later on Sept. 19, and Laundrie's remains were discovered on Oct. 20.

"That guy went out there and by all accounts probably committed suicide, and he was right out there where we thought he was," Hoffman said, according to the outlet. "There was four feet of water out there at the time."

Friday night at a law enforcement panel at the South County Tiger Bay Club, North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison added that his team initially mistook Laundrie's mother — who was wearing a ball cap and carrying a backpack — for her son while keeping watch over the family's home on Sept. 15, leading the agency to believe that Laundrie was at home when he wasn't.

The mistake, according to report, initially led the chief to tell local media that he knew Laundrie's whereabouts, a statement that prompted him to apologize on Friday.

"The surveillance team told me, 'Chief, Brian was seen going inside the house,'" Garrison said. "Now, we know that, by the time we became the lead agency, Brian had already left the house and presumably had already been deceased out in the Carlton Reserve."

He continued, "Later on, we found out that Brian had left the house and now the parents on Friday wanted to report him missing. There was nobody more surprised about that than me. In fact, when my officers went out to the house to do the report with the FBI, I sat with the deputy chief in my office, hoping that they would find Brian hiding in a back bedroom. I was hoping, maybe it was a ploy. It wasn't."

Garrison lauded the department for officers' work.

"I can tell you one thing," Garrison said, "the amount of work that was done, behind the scenes, 24 hours a day, from our team and the FBI team working on the second floor of the police department, was phenomenal work."

More Questions Arise After Remains Of Brian Laundrie Foundwww.youtube.com

Human remains allegedly found near Brian Laundrie's possessions in Florida nature reserve



Law enforcement officials searching for Brian Laundrie have discovered what they believe to be partial human remains in a Florida nature reserve nearby several personal items belonging to the fugitive, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.

According to Fox News, investigators found "what appear to be human remains" during a cadaver dog search in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, alongside "some articles belonging" to Laundrie.

Laundrie's parents coordinated with law enforcement and assisted investigators in the Wednesday search, family's attorney Steven Bertolino said.

The site where the apparent human remains were found was previously underwater, NBC News reported.

The remains have not been confirmed to be Laundrie's, but the Sarasota County medical examiner has been called to the scene to begin the process of identification. The FBI is now also leading a thorough search of the area and is expected to address the discovery in a news conference later this afternoon.

In a statement, Bertolino said, "Chris and Roberta Laundrie went to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park this morning to search for Brian."

He added: "The FBI and NPPD were informed last night of Brian's parents' intentions and they met Chris and Roberta there this morning. After a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented, some articles belonging to Brian were found. As of now, law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area."

The news comes just shortly after a blogger noticed a small change on Laundrie's Pinterest account that potentially indicated that he was still alive.

Laundrie, 23, who is the sole person of interest in the Gabby Petito murder case, has been missing for more than a month since returning home to North Port without his fiancé in early September.

Petito's remains were discovered Sept. 19 in Wyoming near a campsite in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and a medical examiner later determined that she had been strangled to death weeks before being found.

The 22-year-old had been missing since Sept. 11. She and Laundrie were traveling on a cross-country trip when she inexplicably disappeared.

In recent weeks, law enforcement have led an exhaustive search for Laundrie centering on the Carlton Reserve in Florida where he frequently visited.

Given their location of nearby personal items belonging to Laundrie, it would not be surprising if the apparent remains were found to be Laundrie's. However, it should be noted that the manhunt for Laundrie has turned up at least five bodies of missing persons.

Apparent Human Remains Found After Brian Laundrie's Possessions Located In FL Park www.youtube.com

Brian Laundrie's dad joins search for missing son at request of law enforcement; Gabby Petito's father: 'I want to see him in a jail cell for the rest of his life'



In the latest update on the disappearance of Gabby Petito's former fiancée, the father of Brian Laundrie was at the Florida nature preserve to help track down his missing son at the request of law enforcement.

The manhunt for Brian Laundrie enters its third straight week on Friday. There was a new member of the Brian Laundrie search party – Chris Laundrie, the father of the missing 23-year-old fugitive.

"Chris Laundrie is assisting Law Enforcement today in the search for Brian," a statement from Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino said. "Chris was asked to point out any favorite trails or spots that Brian may have used in the preserve.

"Although Chris and Roberta Laundrie provided this information verbally three weeks ago it is now thought that on-site assistance may be better," the statement added. "The preserve has been closed to the public and the Laundries as well but the parents have been cooperating since the search began."

North Port Police said they didn't make the request for the dad to assist with the search, noting that such a request would have come from the FBI – the lead agency on the case.

Chris Laundrie entered the reserve around 10 a.m. and left the park just after 1:30 p.m., according to WTVT.

"There were no discoveries but the effort was helpful to all," Bertolino said Thursday afternoon. "It seems the water in the Preserve is receding and certain areas are more accessible to search. The entire Laundrie family is grateful for the hard work of the dedicated members of law enforcement that have been searching the Preserve for Brian over the last few weeks. Hopefully Brian will be located soon."

Earlier this week, the attorney was asked if Brian's parents believe he is in the preserve or another area, and he responded, "No, they don't believe he's in another area. They believe he is in the preserve."

Gabby Petito's father reveals what he wants to happen to Brian Laundrie

During a "Dr. Phil" interview that aired Wednesday, Gabby Petito's family from Long Island, New York, articulated what has been going through their mind since the murder of their 22-year-old daughter in Wyoming.

"Petito's body was found about a five-to-ten-minute walk from where her van was last seen near the entrance to the Grand Tetons, on the border of Bridger-Teton National Forest," the family said according to WFLA-TV.

"You could see where the rocks had been moved to make the fire ring," said Gabby's stepfather Jim Schmidt. "It's definitely not an area that was heavily trafficked."

Petito's family told host Dr. Phil McGraw that they called and texted Brian's parents when they couldn't get in touch with Gabby, but the couple never replied.

"A normal parent, when you text someone that 'you're gonna call the cops cause you can't find your child' they would reply," Gabby's father Joseph Petito said. "No response. No nothing."

"I do believe they know a lot more information than they're putting out there," Gabby's mother Nichole Schmidt said of the Laundrie parents.

Gabby's family told Brian, "Turn yourself in."

"You're only making it worse. For us, and for himself, and for his family. Let us have some closure," Jim Schmidt said.

"I want to look him in the eyes," Nichole Schmidt said of Brian Laundrie.

Joe Petito said he wants Laundrie found alive so he can spend the rest of his life behind bars.

"I want to see him in a jail cell for the rest of his life where – he's an outdoorsman – being in that concrete cell and he can't go see those trees and hug – and smell the fresh air like that," the grieving father said.

In late September, Laundrie's parents released a statement through their attorney, "Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him. The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong."

Brian's sister said she has been cooperating with authorities "since day one." Cassie Laundrie addressed the accusations that her parents may have assisted their son during a "Good Morning America" interview that aired on Tuesday.

"I don't know if my parents are involved," Cassie Laundrie said. "I think if they are, then they should come clean."

Cassie also gave a message to Brian, "I would tell my brother to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess."

"I worry about him. I hope he's OK, and then I'm angry and I don't know what to think," Cassie continued. "I hope my brother is alive because I want answers just as much as everybody else."

Brian Laundrie remains a person of interest in the Gabby Petito case, but has not been named a suspect in her homicide.

The U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie for bank fraud charges. Laundrie reportedly used a debit card and PIN number for accounts that did not belong to him, according to the indictment. He allegedly ran up charges totaling over $1,000 between the dates of Aug. 30 and Sept. 1. A grand jury indicted him for his "use of unauthorized devices."

Exclusive: Gabby Petito's Family Speaks Out www.youtube.com

Brian Laundrie's sister urges him to turn himself in, is unsure whether their parents are involved in his disappearance — and says he briefly came home after physical altercation



Cassie Laundrie has urged her brother, Brian Laundrie, to turn himself in after going missing following his girlfriend's murder and said that she doesn't know whether her parents are involved in his inexplicable disappearance.

She also revealed that her brother returned home to Florida — without the late Gabby Petito — approximately five days after Utah police questioned the two about a domestic dispute in which Brian was reportedly seen hitting Petito.

What are the details?

In remarks caught on camera and obtained by News Nation, Cassie said Brian flew to the family's Florida home around Aug. 17 without Petito, but returned to Petito's side before she went missing and was ultimately found dead.

Cassie, who delivered the remarks to a group of people gathered outside her home, said that she visited with her brother during his mid-August visit and that nothing seemed amiss, adding that he did not state that the two got into an argument.

"He was telling me where they were going next," she recalled. "I FaceTimed with Gabby and [my] kids on that trip."

When asked if she believed her brother killed Petito, or if her brother was even alive, she answered, "I don't know."

Elsewhere during the interview, Cassie said that there was a rift between her family concerning the ongoing case.

When asked if she believed that her parents were involved in Brian's disappearance or had an idea on his whereabouts, she responded, "I don't know."

"I am losing my parents, and my brother and my children's aunt and my future sister-in-law on top of this, and you are not helping," she told the crowd. "This is not how we want the world to find out when we're angry and upset. But I can't have my kids crying for three days in a row."

When asked why she felt that she was "losing" her parents, she responded, "[B]ecause they are not talking to us, either."

She added that she had no idea why her parents refused to speak with her or her husband.

"If I knew, I would say," Cassie continued. "I don't know."

Cassie's husband, James Luycx, told those gathered, "The sooner he is found, the sooner this is over for us."

Brian remains a person of interest in Petito's death after her remains were discovered Sept. 19 near a Wyoming park, and there is an active warrant out for Brian's arrest on fraud charges for purportedly using someone's bank card around the time that Petito disappeared.

What else?

Cassie doubled down on her suggestion that Brian come forward, and on Tuesday told "Good Morning America" that if her parents are involved, they also "need to come clean."

During the interview, Cassie said that she simply didn't know "what to think" about what happened between her brother and Petito during their cross-country trip that this was the end result.

She added that if her parents — Christopher and Roberta Laundrie — had anything to do with their son's disappearance, they need to own up.

"I don't know if my parents are involved," Cassie said. "I think if they are, then they should come clean."


She continued, vowing that if she'd heard from her brother, she would have turned him in.

"I really wish he had come to me first that day with the van because I don't think we'd be here," Cassie insisted. "I would tell my brother to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess."

Cassie added that she waffles between concern and anger, but that at the end of the day, she wants answers.

"I worry about him. I hope he's OK, and then I'm angry and I don't know what to think," she admitted. "I hope my brother is alive because I want answers just as much as everybody else."

Neighbors say Brian Laundrie, parents went on a trip in new camper after Gabby Petito disappeared



Brian Laundrie and his parents reportedly took a weekend camping trip on the same day Gabby Petito was reported missing.

Charlene and William Guthrie live directly across the street from the home of the Laundries in North Port, Florida. The couple claim they saw the family take a camping trip in a new "attached camper." The Daily Mail reported the family took the trip on Saturday, Sept. 11 — the same day the now-deceased Gabby Petito was reported missing,

"I was doing some work in the front yard and I noticed they got a new camper for the back of the pickup," William Guthrie said during an appearance on Fox News' "The Story." "I didn't think anything unusual."

"Then when they prepared for their trip, I saw them load the camper," he told Martha MacCallum.

William thought it was "odd" that the parents and their 23-year-old son went on a trip together in a "small camper that's on the back of the truck."

Charlene Guthrie said the Gabby Petito case has been a "nightmare."

In an earlier interview with Fox News, William Guthrie remembered the last time he saw Gabby.

"Right when we moved in ... in June, they were working on the van, I guess to get ready for the trip," he said. "She was in the back of the van doing something, and as we pulled away she turned, waved, I waved back, and she smiled, and we drove away. That's the last time we saw her."

"She was a pretty girl and you see her turn around and just smile," Guthries said of the "van-life" girl. "You see the images on their trip of her smiling, it was a haunting sight and memory."

William Guthrie also criticized the actions of the Laundrie family after Petito was reported missing.

"If their son was innocent, I don't feel like they should have lawyered up as soon as he came back into the state," the neighbor stated. "I felt that if he had nothing to do with it they should have released a statement somehow stating his innocence."

"I'm really upset now because … [the Laundries] should have absolutely come forward now," Charlene Guthrie told Fox News. "I mean, I just … can't believe they didn't do something. I'm really angry now that they … let this go. And that everything was so natural and they remained so normal through the whole thing, you know, while they were here, till he went on the run."

Laundrie neighbors describe last time they saw Gabby Petito alivehttps://t.co/GsJQVjsqpB https://t.co/cGwwocGYNP

— Fox News (@FoxNews) 1632184811.0

Petito's body was found on Sept. 19 near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where the couple had stayed during a cross-country trip. The remains were found in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Teton County Coroner Brent Blue, who conducted a preliminary autopsy on Petito's remains, said his "initial determination" is the manner of her death was homicide.

"The FBI's commitment to justice is at the forefront of each and every investigation," FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said. "The FBI and our partners remain dedicated to ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms. Petito's death is held accountable for their actions."

Brian Laundrie is currently a "person of interest" and not a suspect in the death of his fiancé.

Authorities will continue to search for Laundrie on Thursday in the Carlton Reserve, a large nature preserve in Florida where his parents claimed he went hiking over a week ago. Law enforcement has used drones, swamp buggies, ATVs, airboats, dive teams, and scent-sniffing dogs to attempt to track down Laundrie in the swampy 24,565-acre nature preserve park near his family's North Port home.

As of Tuesday, the preserve is closed until further notice, according to the nonprofit group Friends of Carlton Reserve.

Laundrie hasn't been seen since Sept. 14, according to investigators. He returned to his parents' North Port home on Sept. 1 in the Ford camper, but Petito was not with him.

Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, last heard from Gabby on Aug. 27, but described the last communication as "odd," according to a search warrant obtained by WFLA-TV.

Neighbors recall Laundrie family's trip after Brian's return in Gabby's vanwww.youtube.com

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