Myakkahatchee Park map shows where Brian Laundrie ‘belongings’ found near where his Mustang was discovered
HUMAN remains were found near a notebook and backpack belonging to Brian Laundrie at a Florida nature reserve on Wednesday, five weeks after the fugitive fiancé of Gabby Petito vanished without a trace.
Laundrie, 23, has been missing since at least September 13 after allegedly telling his parents he was going hiking in the Carlton Reserve, in Sarasota County, but never returned home.
His parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were at the 24,000-acre park assisting with a police search when a number of articles belonging to Laundrie were found this morning.
It was initially unclear what was found by officers, but the items were discovered in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which is adjacent to Carton Reserve, in a patch of brambles near to a trail Brian was known to use.
A short while later, unnamed sources told NBC that investigators had found "what appear to be human remains."
NOTEBOOK AND BACKPACK FOUND
The identity of those remains is unclear, though the FBI confirmed in a press conference this afternoon that investigators found human remains near a backpack and notebook believed to belong to Laundrie.
"These items were found in an area that up until recently have been under water," FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said.
Read our Brian Laundrie live blog for the very latest news and updates...
A spokesperson for the Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Offices confirmed they had been called to the scene but declined to elaborate further.
In a texted statement to The Sun, the Laundrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino wrote: "Chris and Roberta Laundrie went to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park this morning to search for Brian.
The discovery on Wednesday marked the first significant development in the search for Laundrie for several weeks.
Curiously, it came just one day after the park was reopened to the public amid a month-long search by law enforcement.
The uncanny timing of the discovery has raised suspicions online from followers of the case, with some alleging - without evidence - that Brian's parents "planted" the evidence.
"How absolutely convenient The Cartlon Reserve opens to public, 1st time Chris & Roberta Laundrie go together after a short search ‘find’ articles belonging to Brian Laundrie (More likely planted)," one said. "Hope if there’s no body etc they’re finally arrested for tampering."
"Doesn't it seem odd that 'articles of Brian's' were found the day after the Park reopened? I'm thinking 'perhaps it was planted'?" another said.
The pair were seen moving in and out of areas of the brush, before separating for roughly 12 minutes when Chris lead the two men into the brush on the left side of a trail.
He returned without the cops and the couple continued on. They later found a white bag and a dark-colored object after moving through a patch of brambles at the edge of a clearing, Fox reports.
They then could be seen putting the object into the bag and handing it over to the law enforcement officer shortly thereafter, who later took it from them.
The couple reportedly made a phone call and then received a call, before Chris and Roberta were seen talking with the officer in footage in which Laundrie's dad appeared to shed a tear.
The couple then left the park at 8.45am.
Meanwhile, a stream of police vehicles were seen entering the park, in addition to a K9 unit and officials from the coroner's office.
No further updates are being shared by law enforcement at this time.
PROBE CONTINUES
Laundrie has been on the run since September 13, two days after Gabby Petito was reported missing by her mother in New York.
Her remains were discovered at a campsite in Teton County, Wyoming on September 19.
A coroner later ruled that she had been strangled to death by a "human force" and that she'd been killed between three to four weeks before she was found.
The pair had been on a cross-country road trip touring the US' national parks at the time of Gabby's death.
Brian has not been named as a suspect but is the only named person of interest in the case.
He returned home to Florida without her on September 1 in the couple's repurposed van before disappearing himself 12 days later.
Brian's parents initially claimed to have last seen him on September 14 but later revised that date in a statement issued through their attorney.
After finally reporting him missing on September 17, they told police they had driven to the reserve in search of him.
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While they say they didn't find Brian, they did find his silver Ford Mustang and drove it back to their home before contacting the cops the next day.
Chris and Roberta Laundrie are not currently facing any charges in relation to the case.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:
- June 2021 - Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 - Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 - Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
- August 12 - Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 - Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
- August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "more and more tension" between her and Brian.
- August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 - Gabby is seen for what's believed to be the final time. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 - Gabby's parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 - Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 - Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 - Brian's parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 - Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
- September 21 - Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said Gabby's official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 - Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 - Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
- September 26 - Gabby's funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
- October 12: Gabby's autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie's personal items were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
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