Gabby Petito Case: Brian Laundrie's Autopsy Reveals He Died of Suicide With Gunshot Wound to The Head : Crime & Justice : HNGN

(Photo : Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images)
NORTH PORT, FL - OCTOBER 20: Police tape restricts access to Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, 2021 in North Port, Florida. The FBI announced human remains and personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie have been found there. Officials have been searching for Brian Laundrie in connection with the death of his fiance Gabby Petito, whose body was found in Wyoming.

Brian Laundrie, the man who is at the center of the investigation in the death of his fiancee, 22-year-old Gabby Petito, who was reported missing by her parents on Sept. 11, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Laundrie's family attorney more than a month after the official autopsy of the man's remains. Officials previously discovered Laundrie's body in wetland areas in Florida's Carlton Reserve on Oct. 20 which were identified on Oct. 21.

Laundrie's Suicide Death

At the time, the man's family attorney, Steven Bertolino, said that the manner or cause of death of Laundrie was not determined. A press release from the Florida District Twelve Medical Examiner's Office, a forensic anthropologist and a forensic odontologist, have since been analyzing the man's remains.

Experts used dental comparison, skeletal reconstruction, and DNA analysis to confirm whether or not the remains actually belonged to Laundrie and the manner in which he died, said the office. On Sept. 14, Laundrie disappeared, two weeks after he returned to his Florida home, Yahoo News reported.

Bertolino said that Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were notified of their son's cause of death, which was officially recorded as suicide. Several media outlets have attempted to get in contact with the Laundrie family attorney to ask how the deceased was able to possess a gun.

Laundrie and Petito were traveling across the country over the summer driving a converted van and posting their trip on social media. The former later returned home to his parents' home located in Florida on Sept. 1 without Petito. He then went missing on Sept. 13 or Sept. 14 as police were questioning his family about his fiancee's whereabouts.

Continued Investigations

Authorities discovered Petito's remains in Wyoming on Sept. 19, and official analysis found that her death was a homicide by manual strangulation. The family of the victim said that they were "aware of the circumstances" regarding Laundrie. However, they noted that they were not making an official comment at the request of the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Teton County Prosecutor's Office in Wyoming.

The statement released by Petito's family said officials asked them not to make any comments regarding the issue while the investigation into their daughter's death was still ongoing. The medical examiner's office responsible for confirming that Laundrie's death was by suicide said they will not make the autopsy report public "until the law enforcement investigation is complete," CNN reported.

Authorities in charge of the investigation surrounding Petito's death said they have not identified any other persons of interest. However, the situation comes as Laundrie's parents are the targets of unproven claims by protesters and internet sleuths that are believed to have helped their son avoid the police.

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Wyoming said that they will be dropping fraud charges against Laundrie for allegedly using more than $1,000 on Petito's debit card a few days after she was last seen alive, the New York Post reported.