The Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that Brian Laundrie had left a written confession about the death of Gabby Petito before committing suicide.
The disappearance of Petito in September grabbed national headlines after her fiancé, Laundrie, returned to his parents’ home without her during a cross-country road trip in their van. Her remains were later discovered at the Grand Teton National Park, and a medical examiner found that she had died as a result of “blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation.”
A manhunt for Laundrie ensued when the family told law enforcement officials that he had left to go hiking at the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve in Florida near their home. His remains were discovered alongside a backpack, a notebook, and a revolver.
In a statement released Friday by the Denver office of the FBI, officials made their final investigative update on the case related to the death of Petito.
They said that Laundrie made written statements in the notebook claiming responsibility for the death of Petito. They also indicated that Laundrie had texted from Petito’s phone in an attempt to deceive authorities into believing she had still been alive.
The Petito family released a statement about the development through their attorney Richard Stafford.
“We truly appreciate the FBI’s diligent and painstaking efforts in this extremely complicated case,” the family said. “The quality and quantity of the facts and information collected by the FBI leave no doubt Brian Laundrie murdered Gabby.”
Laundrie was never charged with the death of Petito, but police had been searching for him as a person of interest in the case. He had only been charged with fraudulent use of Petito’s debit card after she died.
The FBI said the statement concluded their investigation.
Here’s more about the murder confession:
Brian Laundrie claimed responsibility for Gabby Petito’s death in notebook, FBI says
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