The Sarasota County medical examiner found that Brian Laundrie, the only person of interest in the death of Gabby Petito, died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
“The cause of death has been determined to be a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death has been determined to be suicide,” read a statement from the medical examiner Tuesday.
The finding closes one of the last questions in the case that made headlines across the country. Petito was on a cross-country van trip with Laundrie, her fiancé, when she disappeared. Suspicion fell onto Laundrie, who also disappeared from his family’s home and became the object of a massive manhunt.
Laundrie’s remains were found in the Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve weeks after the remains of Petito were found at the Teton-Bridger National Forest. A medical examiner found that she had been killed by strangulation.
His remains, including part of a skull, were found next to a backpack and several of his personal items, including a notebook. Laundrie’s father was the first person to find the remains, as he had joined the law enforcement search for his son.
Police had only issued a warrant for the arrest of Laundrie over his fraudulent use of a debit card after Petito died.
Prior to the newest finding of the medical examiner, Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman said that it was likely Laundrie had committed suicide before the manhunt for him had begun.
“That guy went out there and by all accounts probably committed suicide, and he was right out there where we thought he was,” Hoffman said. “There was four feet of water out there at the time.”
Laundrie’s family has said they will cremate his remains and not hold a funeral for him.
The case received increased interest when an hourlong video of an interaction between Petito, Laundrie, and several law enforcement officers was released to the public. Petito admitted that she hit Laundrie, but she claimed that he had grabbed her throat, something he denied. Police decided to release them after the long interview and classified the incident as a “mental/emotional health break.”
Petito was killed several days later.
Here’s more about the death of Brian Laundrie:
Brian Laundrie’s Death Determined To Be Suicide, According To Family Attorney
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