Brian Laundrie shot himself in the head, family attorney says
Laundries hope cause of death confirmation will bring ‘closure’ to two families
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Brian Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, family attorney Steven Bertolino has revealed.
Mr Bertolino said Laundrie’s parents Chris and Roberta hoped it would bring “closure” for the family of Gabby Petito, who was strangled and buried in a shallow grave in the Grand Teton National Park in what authorities have described as a “domestic” homicide.
Laundrie, 23, was reported missing on 17 September after telling his parents he was going hiking in the Carlton Reserve near their home in North Port, Florida.
His remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek on 20 October, and confirmed as belonging to the missing fugitive the next day.
An autopsy failed to establish a cause of death, and the remains were sent to a forensic anthropologist for further evaluation.
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide,” Mr Bertolino said in a statement.
“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families.”
Laundrie and his girlfriend Ms Petito,22, had been on a months-long “van-life” tour of the United States, when she suddenly stopped communicating with her family.
Laundrie returned to his parent’s home on 1 September alone and ignored texts and phone calls from Ms Petito’s parents.
On 15 September, he was named as a person of interest in the disappearance of Ms Petito.
Her remains were found four days later near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
The Petito family lawyer, Richard Stafford, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The FBI’s Denver office are leading the active investigation into Ms Petito’s death.
They did not immediately respond to a request for comment.