Brian Laundrie, the man wanted for questioning in the murder of his girlfriend Gabby Petito, has been confirmed dead. The Denver Division of the FBI confirmed on Twitter that remains found on Wednesday in Florida match his dental records. “On October 21, 2021, 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 statement read.
Petito’s disappearance during a camping trip with Laundrie caused a media firestorm in recent weeks, which escalated when her body was found in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sept. 19, and an autopsy concluded she died by homicide.
Laundrie and Petito embarked on a cross-country van trip in July 2021 that was set to last for four months. After multiple eyewitness reports of altercations between the couple, Laundrie flew from Wyoming to his family home in Florida on Sept. 1 without speaking of Petito’s whereabouts or cooperating with police. On Sept. 14, his parents claimed that he had gone hiking without a phone or a wallet, and he hadn’t been spotted since. Though he was not been charged in the murder of Petito, the FBI issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of fraud via unauthorized use of a debit card.
Petito’s murder quickly became a top story on cable news channels, as well as TikTok, with amateur sleuths trading theories. The case also drew media criticism due to a lack of comparable coverage of missing women of color. Additionally, Dog the Bounty Hunter started a high-profile hunt for Laundrie, which he was attempting to shop to networks as a series.