Brian Laundrie's Remains Are Found, But Questions Remain About What Happened To Gabby Petito

Last week, the body of Brian Laundrie was found in the Carlton Reserve in North Port, Florida, closing one chapter of the Gabby Petito saga. An initial autopsy to determine the cause of death proved inconclusive.

FBI says a comparison of dental records confirmed the remains are Brian Laundrie.
Brian Laundrie is dead.

— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) October 21, 2021

Laundrie was seen as the prime suspect in the murder of travel influencer Petito. The pair were on a cross-country trip in August before Laundrie returned ahead of schedule and Petito did not. She was later found strangled in Wyoming. Her death sparked a media frenzy, and the internet closely monitored every aspect of the case, all while Laundrie went missing for over a month.

While Laundrie has not been convicted of Petito's murder yet, the circumstantial evidence against him led many to assume he was the killer. In addition to Laundrie being one of the last people to see Petito alive, police video from weeks prior to the killing shows the pair having a domestic dispute. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told CNN that the manual strangulation on Petito could indicate an "emotional element" to the killing, casting doubt on the notion that Petito's killer could be an unidentified third party.

The discovery of Laundrie's remains closes one aspect of the case, but it still is not enough for officials to give a determination on if he was Petito's killer. Investigators instead will look through items like Laundrie's notebook for clues about his motives, feelings towards Petito, and the events that led to her killing.

Questions about Laundrie's parents also linger. Laundrie stayed with them before disappearing in September, and the pair were unable to aid authorities during their search, leaving many to question if they were intentionally obstructing justice.

"Did they help him escape? Did they help destroy evidence?" said Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg on CNN. "What did they know?"