Disturbing Details Found In Brian Laundrie's Autopsy Report
Aspiring van life Instagram influencer Gabby Petito went missing in late 2021 and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who traveled with Petito, was a person of interest in the case, according to CNN. Shortly after news of Petito's disappearance made headlines, Laundrie returned to his parents' home in Florida, only to disappear a short time later. Gabby Petito's remains were then found in Wyoming, where the couple had traveled, and her cause of death was ruled to be homicide. After an intensive manhunt, Laundrie's remains were uncovered in a nature reserve near the Laundrie family's Florida home. Disturbing details have now emerged from Laundrie's autopsy, per The New York Post.
Signs of trouble between Laundrie, 23 at the time, and Petito, who was just 22 when she died, first showed up in mid-August of 2021. Witnesses had seen Laundrie and Petito engaged in a fight near where the couple was traveling in Utah and called the police. Authorities checked in with Petito and Laundrie, and found Petito upset. Witnesses said she'd been slapped by her boyfriend, per CNN. The couple were advised by police to spend the evening apart. Laundrie was back home in Florida a short time later. Petito was no longer with him.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
The manhunt for Brian Laundrie
By September 17, the Laundrie family admitted that they had not seen their son for some days, after at first refusing to speak with the police, via Insider. The very next day a manhunt commenced, including both local Florida law enforcement agencies and the FBI, per CNN. At that point, the FBI had yet to find Petito's remains and they continued to search for signs of the young woman in Wyoming, primarily focusing on Grand Teton National Park. By September 19, human remains had been found in that area, which were later determined to be Petito's. Those conclusions were confirmed on September 21 by the Teton County coroner. It was officially ruled that Petito had been strangled, also according to CNN's report
At that point, Laundrie was wanted not just for questioning regarding the death of Petito, but for also using the young woman's debit card and PIN after it's believed she had died. It was for this reason that authorities were able to issue an arrest warrant for Laundrie.
In an effort to find Brian Laundrie, authorities searched a nearby nature reserve where his parents said their son had gone camping after he had arrived back in Florida, and where he said he was going when he subsequently disappeared. By October 20, items that were believed to be Laundrie's as well as human remains were discovered at the Carlton Reserve where authorities were searching. The next day those remains were confirmed to be Laundrie's.
Brian Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head
What prevented the evidence of Brian Laundrie from showing up sooner at the Carlton Reserve was that the area in which it was found had been covered by water. The remains were otherwise unobscured. The fact that the body parts had been submerged in water also made the human remains found difficult to identify. The belongings that authorities discovered included articles of clothing and shoes, as well as a backpack, a tent, and some flares, alongside some other personal effects, via The Daily Beast. Authorities also found a notebook and in it, Laundrie reportedly admitted he had killed his then-fiancée, Gabby Petito, per CNBC. Authorities also found a handgun, with which Laundrie had killed himself. The body parts found at the scene included an assortment of human bones, parts of a skull, and a mandible with teeth still attached.
According to The Daily Beast, what's most disturbing of all about Brian Laundrie's remains is that there were signs that Laundrie's remains were eaten by animals, with "moderately extensive carnivore activity evidenced by multiple gouging and gnawing marks," according to the coroner's report. "These areas are consistent with carnivores and/or omnivores including canines such as feral dogs and coyotes along with rodents and raccoons" (via The Daily Beast). The remains were determined to be Laundrie's through dental records and DNA analysis. The gun that was discovered nearby Laundrie's remains was a European American Arms revolver (a .38). Two rounds remained in the chamber, while one round had been spent, via The Daily Beast. According to CNN, the Gabby Petito case is now closed.