NORTH PORT, Florida — The parents of Brian Laundrie are "heartbroken" after finding potential human remains and items that apparently belonged to him in a Florida wilderness park, Laundrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino says.
"It's quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son's belonging alongside the remains," Bertolino told CNN. "That's got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken."
The lawyer added that "the probability is strong that it is Brian's remains."
Late Wednesday, the FBI announced the discovery in the sprawling Carlton Reserve, potentially ending the search for the missing fiance of murdered blogger Gabby Petito. Laundrie has been named a "person of the interest" in Petito's death.
Law enforcement officials had searched the reserve for weeks, but FBI Tampa special agent Michael McPherson said the backpack, notebook and remains were found in an area that was previously underwater. McPherson said identification of the remains could take days and that the investigative team would be on scene for several days.
"I know you have a lot of questions, but we don’t have all the answers yet,” he said Wednesday. “We are working diligently to get those answers for you.”
More:Gabby Petito died by strangulation 'three to four weeks' before body was found, Wyoming coroner says
Laundrie's father found his son's bag
Laundrie's parents told the FBI and the North Port Police Department on Tuesday night that they intended to search the park Wednesday morning, Bertolino said. Law enforcement met them there Wednesday morning.
The parents walked the trail with law enforcement personnel nearby when Chris Laundrie ventured off the trail "zigzagging in different areas" and found a white bag in some brambles. Chris Laundrie then found law enforcement officers who had found a backpack and remains, Bertolino said.
Bertolino dismissed as "hogwash" a suggestion that Chris Laundrie had planted the dry bag.
Petito's body found in Wyoming
Petito and Laundrie were high school sweethearts from New York's Long Island.
They left from Long Island in July on a months-long tour of national parks and other sites, bound for Oregon, occasionally posting happy social media photos and stories along the way. Laundrie returned to his parents' house in Florida, where had been living with Petito, alone Sept. 1, and 10 days later, Petito's parents filed a missing persons report after not hearing from her since late August.
Petito's body was found Sept. 19 near a Wyoming campground. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue ruled Petito's death a homicide by strangulation, saying Petito's body had been "outside in the wilderness for three to four weeks" before it was found.
Laundrie is the sole person of interest in Petito's death. He has not been charged in Petito's death, but he does face charges of unauthorized use of a debit card and several accounts involving more than $1,000. The documents do not state whom the cards or accounts belong to.
The indictment also charges Laundrie with unauthorized access of a device and says he used the bank accounts without permission from about Aug. 30 through Sept. 1.
More:Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie and the tragedy of domestic violence
Signs of a troubled relationship emerged
After Petito's disappearance, police video emerged of problems between the couple, and officers at one point separated Petito and Laundrie for a night after a domestic dispute had turned physical.
In Utah, the Grand County sheriff's office released a 911 call from Aug. 12 in which the caller says he drove by the couple's van and witnessed that "the gentleman was slapping the girl."
Body camera video showed Petito in tears during a police stop on the side of a highway near Arches National Park in Utah. The footage shows a police officer speaking with Laundrie, who said friction had been building between the two for several days, though authorities at the scene took no action other than telling the couple to separate for the night.
Bacon reported from Arlington, Virginia
Source link
