Brian Laundrie’s full autopsy and forensic reports were released by the medical examiner, revealing new details about the circumstances around his death.
ended the massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, two weeks after the 23-year-old returned alone to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida.
Petito’s family reported the 22-year-old woman missing Sept. 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and, in Laundrie’s case, focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundrie home. It is a densely wooded, swampy area that’s home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures.
An autopsy in Wyoming concluded Petito died by strangulation and that it was a homicide. Laundrie was listed as a "person of interest" in her killing, but he was charged only with fraudulent use of a debit card that was not his.Investigators also said Laundrie sent text messages to intentionally deceive people that Petito was still alive.
The FBI did not specify what, exactly, Laundrie had written in the texts he’d sent to mislead. The texts were sent between Laundrie’s phone and Petito’s phone, according to the statement. The couple documented their trip on Instagram. They crossed Colorado and on Aug. 12 were stopped by police near Moab, Utah, after the two got into a scuffle.. Police concluded Petito was the aggressor, but officers decided to separate them for the night rather than file charges.The Moab City Police Department in eastern Utah have released bodycam footage of 22-year-old Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, being pulled over on Thursday, August 12.