GRUESOME DISCOVERY
Seven revelations from Brian Laundrie autopsy as it’s revealed his body was EATEN by animals & ‘suicide’ note was found
NEW information from the Medical Examiner's Office sheds light on the scene where Brian Laundrie, 23, was found dead at Florida's Carlton Reserve in October.
The full autopsy report released on Monday contains new information about his mysterious notebook and clarifies how severe the damage to his skeleton was.
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The FBI told The Sun in an email earlier this month that the case of 22-year-old Gabby Petito's murder is "still open pending administrative actions prior to closing" while investigators document every piece of information related to the case.
The FBI also confirmed in January that Brian's notebook "revealed written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito’s death."
The notebook confession
Brian's notebook has been the subject of much speculation since internet sleuths shared photos of the vlogger carrying journals on the road with Gabby.
In the Medical Examiner's report, there are references to a "notebook" and a "journal," but also something new.
The summary of the scene near where Brian's body was found indicates examiners found "a handwritten half-note."
The report doesn't explicitly detail which notebook contained a confession, or if the handwritten note was of any value to the investigators trying to solve her murder.
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Gun had two live rounds
After Brian disappeared, many speculated that Brian would not come out of the Carlton Reserve alive, and those fears were confirmed when he was found in October.
It took a whole month for investigators to release Brian's cause and manner of death: his autopsy confirmed that Brian died by suicide, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The gun was a European American Arms .38mm revolver, believed to be a Windicator.
In the cylinder were three rounds. One was used, and two rounds of live ammunition sat unused in the chamber.
The report doesn't indicate any other ammunition was found among Brian's belongings.
Brian's clothes left behind
One thing the full autopsy report clarifies is that Brian's remains were found at one site, but a "secondary site" close by included more evidence of his presence in the area.
At the "primary" location where Brian's remains were found, investigators also found his gun and his backpack, which contained the drybag, box and notebook.
His clothes were also there. An itemized list details the "pair of green shorts with a green belt, two slip-on shoes, and a white metal ring" were found on the scene.
Notably absent was a shirt, or details about any other clothing that may have been tucked away inside Brian's backpack.
More clothing was found at the secondary scene–a hat with the MOAB Coffee Roasters logo.
Moab, Utah is where Brian and Gabby were stopped and questioned by police, as shown in dashcam footage recorded days before Gabby was killed.
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Animal remains nearby
Also at the secondary scene were more skeletal remains–but not Brian's.
Animal remains were found at the scene, though the autopsy doesn't include details on type of animal these remains may have come from.
The report also doesn't make clear if the animal skeleton was full or partial.
The remains were near the mysterious "handwritten half note," which the report doesn't provide more information about.
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Inside the wooden box
Brian's notebook was found in a wooden box near Brian's body, sparking an extensive review of the notebook's contents.
New reports reveal the wooden box also contained photographs, including pictures of Brian.
It's not clear if the photos were from the trip, and also included Gabby Petito, if they were pictures of the pair's families, or if they had other sentimental meaning.
Authorities also haven't reported how many photos were contained inside.
Tents, flares and supplies
Brian's backpack indicated he had prepared, at some point, for a long-haul campout.
In the backpack found near his body was "associated gear" for camping, including emergency flares and a tent.
The tent was disassembled, inside the bag, not set up, and the report doesn't indicate that the site where Brian's body was found acted as his "home base" campsite.
Nothing in the report specifies what the other gear found onsite was, leaving some speculation open about the sleeping bag found in the Carlton Reserve in the weeks after Brian's death.
Remains damaged by animals
Upon discovery, Brian's remains were described as "skeletonized," with the bones picked clean by birds and animals.
Now, authorities know more about the extensive evidence of "animal predation" on his skeleton.
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In the medical examiner's report, it says most of the distal long bones, which comprise the arms and legs, had "moderately extensive carnivore activity evidenced by multiple gouging and gnawing marks."
The report indicates that the damage is consistent with the bites of coyotes, feral dogs, raccoons and rodents.
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