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Brian Laundrie's Family Calls Apparent Discovery Of Gabby Petito's Remains 'Heartbreaking'
Remains likely belonging to Gabby Petito were discovered in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park as her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in her disappearance, remains missing in Florida.
The lawyer representing Brian Laundrie and his parents has called the apparent discovery of Gabby Petito’s remains over the weekend “heartbreaking.”
Petito went missing during a cross-country trip with Laundrie, her boyfriend, and he has been named a person of interest her disappearance.
“The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking,” Steven Bertolino, an attorney for the Laundrie said in a Sunday statement, WFLA reports. “The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family.”
Law enforcement agents found the remains on Sunday while searching the border of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Charles Jones said at a press conference following the discovery, that the remains were “consistent with the description” of the missing 22-year-old travel blogger. Investigators are waiting for the results of an autopsy before confirming that the body is Petito. The manner of death has not yet been determined.
The last time her family made contact with Petito was in late August as she and Laundrie camping in Grand Teton National Park in a converted camper van. Her family filed a missing persons report on Sept. 11.
Laundrie returned to his parent's home in North Port, Florida, in Petito's Ford Transit van Florida on Sept. 1 alone, but refused to talk to investigators. Petito's parents repeatedly urged the Laundries to share what they knew about the case, with seemingly little effect.
Laundrie ended up disappearing himself after telling his family he was going for a hike on Tuesday. His lawyer announced that he was missing on Friday, and a manhunt to find him has been underway at the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County.
Just weeks before Petito vanished, she and Laundrie got into a heated dispute while on the road in Moab, Utah. Police were called, no charges were filed and they separated the couple for the night.
Petito's disappearance has become a case of global interest. Her father Joseph Petito said his daughter “touched the world.”
"The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media" will air on Oxygen on Monday, January 24 at 9/8c. It's also available to stream on Peacock now.
