Human remains found in Florida confirmed to be Brian Laundrie
The human remains found Wednesday at a Florida reserve belong to Brian Laundrie, the FBI said Thursday. The discovery comes after a weeks-long manhunt at the Carlton Reserve following the disappearance and death of his 22-year-old fiancée, Gabby Petito.
"A comparison of dental records confirmed that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park are those of Brian Laundrie," the bureau said.
The Laundrie family has been informed of the findings, attorney Steven Bertolino said in a statement. They did not comment further. The Petito family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bertolino asked the public to show compassion to the Laundrie family in an interview with NBC News on Thursday night.
"There are two young people that have now lost their lives," Bertolino told NBC's Tom Llamas. "There are parents that are suffering. Now, I understand that whatever happened or whatever didn't happen, whatever people know, this is tragic for two families. And anybody with a child, and anybody with a sense of humanity can understand the frustration that both families feel."
The announcement comes one day after officials said they found the remains near several items — including a backpack and a notebook — that belonged to Laundrie.
Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the FBI's Tampa field office, said Wednesday that the remains were found in an area that had previously been underwater.
Petito was reported missing by her family on September 11, and Laundrie's parents reported him missing days after. Laundrie had returned from a cross-country trip at the beginning of September without her.
Petito's body was found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19. Earlier this month, a Teton County coroner determined that Petito was strangled to death, and that the manner of death was a homicide. He said he believed her body had been outdoors for 3-4 weeks.
Laundrie has not been charged in Petito's death. But a court in Wyoming issued an arrest warrant for him in late September, accusing him of using a debit card to make unauthorized withdrawals of more than $1,000 between August 30 and September 1.