Officials found “what appears to be human remains” in a Florida nature reserve during today’s search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI’s Tampa division announced.
A backpack and notebook that appear to belong to Laundrie were also found during the search, according to the FBI.
Laundrie disappeared after his fiancée, Gabby Petito, was reported missing in the wake of a road trip through the Western US. Her body was found last month.
Remains were found in the search for Brian Laundrie today. Here's what you need to know.
Officials have found “what appears to be human remains” in a Florida nature reserve during today’s search for Brian Laundrie, FBI Tampa Division will be Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson announced.
Laundrie, the fiancé of Gabby Petito, was last seen by his parents 37 days ago. His disappearance came after Petito was reported missing in the wake of a road trip through the Western US. Her body was found last month.
Here’s what you need to know about today’s discovery and the case:
Items found in a previously underwater area: McPherson said investigators found what appear to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook, belonging to Brian Laundrie, in a Florida reserve. The items were found in an area that, up until recently, had been underwater.
Laundrie’s parents were on the scene: Laundrie’s parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were in the park when the discovery took place, family attorney Steve Bertolino said. “Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brian’s possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be,” Bertolino said. “Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments.”
How we got here: Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, traveled around the western US in a white van this summer, all while regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages. Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, though, and Laundrie then returned by himself to their home in North Point, where they lived with his parents, on Sept. 1. Laundrie declined to cooperate with the investigation into her whereabouts, and soon after, he also went missing. Petito’s remains were found in a national forest in Wyoming on Sept. 19 near where the couple had last been seen together. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide and said that she died by manual strangulation.
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Brian Laundrie's parents were at the reserve when human remains were found, family attorney says
Brian Laundrie’s parents were at the reserve when human remains and some of their son’s possessions were located Wednesday, family attorney Steve Bertolino told CNN.
Earlier today, the FBI said they found what appear to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie.
The apparent remains have not been identified.
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Remains and personal items were previously submerged in water, authorities say
From CNN's Josiah Ryan
The apparent human remains officials found today, as well as personal items of Brian Laundrie, were covered by water until recently, authorities said.
“Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook, belonging to Brian Laundrie,” FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said in a press conference.
The items were found near a trail that Laundrie frequented at a North Port, Florida, park, according to the family’s attorney.
Throughout the search for Laundrie, authorities have contended with sitting water. Early in the search, the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office deployed the Sheriff’s Underwater Recovery Force, which consists of “highly trained underwater specialists,” who were “called upon to search for evidence of crimes and victims of drowning, water accidents and foul play,” according to the sheriff’s office website.
Laundrie disappeared after his fiancée, Gabby Petito, was reported missing in the wake of a road trip through the Western US. Her body was found last month.
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JUST IN: Human remains found in search for Brian Laundrie
(WINK)
Officials have found “what appears to be human remains” during today’s search for Brian Laundrie, FBI Tampa Division will be Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson announced.
McPherson said they also found a backpack and notebook that appear to belong to Laundrie.
The apparent remains have not been identified.
Laundrie disappeared after his fiancée, Gabby Petito, was reported missing in the wake of a road trip through the Western US. Her body was found last month.
Last week, a Wyoming coroner ruled Petito’s cause of death was strangulation.
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SOON: FBI officials give an update on the search for Brian Laundrie
Officials with FBI Tampa are expected to give a statement to the media concerning today’s developments in the search for Brian Laundrie at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Officials will be speaking at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park entrance in North Port, Florida, according to Andrea Aprea from FBI Tampa Public Affairs.
Earlier today, a family attorney said “some articles” belonging to Laundrie were found off a trail that he frequented at the park.
Laundrie disappeared after his fiancée, Gabby Petito, was reported missing in the wake of a road trip through the Western US. Her body was found last month.
Last week, a Wyoming coroner ruled Petito’s cause of death was strangulation.
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FAA issues temporary flight restriction over Florida environmental park
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy and Greg Agvent
The Federal Aviation Administrationhas issued a temporary flight restriction over the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, shortly after Brian Laundrie’s family attorney Steve Bertolino said “articles” belonging to Brian were found off a trail there.
The order means that no aircrafts, including drones, are allowed to fly in the 10-mile diameter area above the park. Prior to the restriction, local news station helicopters had been providing live aerial footage.
The restriction is set to expire on Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. ET.
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FBI Tampa will provide an update regarding the search for Brian Laundrie at 4:30 p.m. ET
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess and Danielle Hackett
FBI Tampa will be making a statement to the media concerning today’s developments in the search for Brian Laundrie at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Officials will be speaking at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Entrance in North Port, Florida, according to Andrea Aprea from FBI Tampa Public Affairs.
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FBI Tampa confirms "items of interest" found at Carlton Reserve
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess
“Items of interest” were found at the Carlton Reserve this morning in connection with the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI Tampa confirmed in a tweet Wednesday afternoon.
According to the tweet, an FBI Evidence Response team is “processing the scene.” The reserve is closed to the public and no further details are available at this time, the FBI said.
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Additional teams of first responders are arriving on the scene
From CNN’s Leyla Santiago, Randi Kaye, and Jon Passantino
CNN can confirm the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team and Lee County Sheriff’s Office is now on scene along with a mobile unit and a tent.
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Here's a timeline of how Gabby Petito's case unfolded
From CNN's Christina Maxouris
Gabby Petito is pictured in a post on her Instagram account on August 25, 2021.
From gabspetito/Instagram
News that “some articles” belonging to Brian Laundrie were found in a Florida park comes days after Gabby Petito’s cause of death was ruled to be strangulation.
Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue made the announcement last week. He said that the time of Petito’s death was estimated to be about three to four weeks before her body was found on Sept. 19 in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.
Here’s what we know about the timeline in Petito’s case:
June: Petito and Laundrie embarked on a cross-country trip, according to North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison, who refers to Laundrie as Petito’s fiancé.
They planned to travel in Petito’s white Ford van to the West Coast and visit state and national parks across the western United States, Garrison said at a news briefing.
She had been excited to share her journey with her family and others on social media, he said.
“She maintained regular contact with her family members during her travels; however, that communication abruptly stopped around the end of August,” the police chief added.
Aug. 12: Moab, Utah, police had an encounter with the couple on Aug. 12, where officers described them as having “engaged in some sort of altercation.”
Although the two were described as getting into a physical fight following an argument, “both the male and female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn’t wish to see anyone charged with a crime,” a report from Officer Eric Pratt said.
At officers’ suggestion, the couple separated for the night, according to the report, which described Petito as “confused and emotional.”
The couple each had their own cell phones in case of emergency, the report added.
In a 911 audio recording from that day provided by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, a caller told dispatch he wanted to report a domestic dispute and described a white van with a Florida license plate.
The caller said as they were driving by, “the gentleman was slapping the girl.”
“Then we stopped,” the caller added. “They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off.”
Aug. 17: Laundrie flew to Tampa, Florida, from Salt Lake City on Aug. 17, according to Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino.
Laundrie “flew home to obtain some items and empty and close the storage unit to save money as they contemplated extending the road trip,” Bertolino told CNN.
Aug. 23: Laundrie returned to Salt Lake City to rejoin Petito, the attorney said, adding, “To my knowledge, Brian and Gabby paid for the flights as they were sharing expenses.”
Sept. 19: Remains were found in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest. Three days later, the FBI in Denver confirmed that the remains were Petito’s.
CNN’s Eric Levenson contributed reporting to this post.
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The medical examiner has been called to the scene
From CNN’s Leyla Santiago, Randi Kaye and Taylor Romine
The Sarasota County Medical Examiner has been called to the Carlton reserve area, CNN has confirmed.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a cadaver dog is on the scene as well as two spotters.
The Laundrie family attorney, Steve Bertolino, had no comment when asked about the coroner arriving on scene.
Earlier Wednesday, Bertolino told CNN that some articles of Brian Laundrie’s were found off a trail that Laundrie frequented at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
Bertolino also said earlier that Laundrie’s parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department Tuesday night that they intended to come to the park on Wednesday morning to search for Laundrie.
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"Some articles" belonging to Brian Laundrie found at Florida park
From CNN’s Taylor Romine and Randi Kaye
Brian Laundrie is pictured in a post on Gabby Petito's Instagram account on February 14, 2021.
From gabspetito/Instagram
“Some articles” belonging to Brian Laundrie were found off a trial that he frequented at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, according to the family’s attorney.
Brian’s parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, informed the FBI and the North Port Police Department Tuesday night that they intended to come to the park on Wednesday morning to search for their son, according to attorney Steve Bertolino. Law enforcement met them at the park Wednesday morning, he said.
After a “brief search” near a trail that he frequented, the family and law enforcement found “some articles” belonging to him, Bertolino said. He would not give any further information on what or how many items were found.
Bertolino said that law enforcement is now conducting a more thorough investigation of that area.
