Brian Laundrie's Death Ruled a Suicide

The Moab Police Department via AP

After a month of searching, the body of Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of the deceased Instagram influencer Gabby Petito was found in October, almost exactly a month ago. The coroner was able to confirm Laundrie’s identity through dental records, but the final determination on what caused his death was inconclusive.

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Until now.

TMZ uncovered some details. WRKO reports:

Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of Gabrielle ‘Gabby‘ Petito and the lone person of interest in connection to her disappearance and death, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his family’s attorney, Steve Bertolino, confirmed to TMZ.

Bertolino said both Chris and Roberta Laundrie were notified that their son’s cause of death was officially ruled as a suicide and were still mourning the loss of their son.

The attorney said the couple hopes “these findings bring closure to both” themselves and the Petito family.

Closure that might have come sooner for Gabby Petito’s family, if not for the shady dealings of Laundrie’s parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie. When Brian Laundrie returned from the couple’s cross-country trip on September 1 without Gabby Petito, no alarm bells were raised by the Laundries. When Petito was reported missing, the Laundrie’s refused to cooperate with police and allowed Brian Laundrie to take off, leaving behind his wallet and phone. Only after Brian Laundrie’s car was found did his parents start cooperating with law enforcement in their search for him. Much of it was too little, too late.

Last month, the initial autopsy results for Laundrie were inconclusive, Bertolino in a statement to NBC News, adding that the 23-year-old’s remains would be sent to an anthropologist “for further evaluation.”

On October 21, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed human remains found in Florida on Wednesday, October 20, matched Laundrie.

“The FBI is grateful for the tremendous investigative support from our partners: North Port Police Department, Sarasota Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Charlotte County Sheriffs Office, Lee County Sheriffs Office, Sarasota County Sheriffs Office, Teton County Sheriff’s Office, Teton County Search and Rescue, the Florida Wildlife Commission, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service,” FBI Denver announced in a news release shared on its verified Twitter account.

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The FBI’s handling of the case appeared to not do either family any favors. It was days after Laundrie’s disappearance around September 14 that the FBI raided Chris and Roberta Laundrie’s home and designated it a crime scene.

Brian Laundrie was only ever named a “person of interest” in the Petito case, and formal charges were never filed against him on the discovery of Gabby Petito’s body and her confirmed death.

The case remains open.

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