FBI: Human remains found at Florida reserve are those of Brian Laundrie

The FBI has confirmed that the human remains found Wednesday at a Florida reserve are those of Brian Laundrie.

News 12 Staff

Oct 21, 2021, 9:21 PM

Updated 1,140 days ago

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The FBI has confirmed that the human remains found Wednesday at a Florida reserve are those of Brian Laundrie.
Officers briefly visited the Laundrie family home in North Port, Florida, Thursday.
According to the Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, Brian Laundrie’s parents have been informed that the remains belong to their son.
"Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian’s," Bertolino wrote in a statement. "We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundrie’s privacy at this time.”
The reserve where the remains were found has been the focus of the search for Brian Laundrie, the only person of interest into the death of his fiancé and Blue Point native Gabby Petito.
Brian Laundrie’s parents went inside the nature reserve with law enforcement Wednesday to search hiking trails that their son was known to frequent.
When they looked in an area that had previously been flooded, the FBI says remains were found along with a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie.
Residents in Blue Point are feeling a sense of uncertainty after the FBI’s confirmation that the remains belong to Brian Laundrie, who had been the sole person of interest in the homicide of Petito when they were on a cross-country road trip.
Some in the Blue Point community say this is another twist of the knife to Petito’s family.
“The Petito family doesn’t have closure,” one resident said.
Law enforcement expert Ralph Cilento, of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, says the news regarding Brian Laundrie’s remains is “totally damaging” to finding out the truth in regard to what happened to Petito.