FBI Says Brian Laundrie Claimed Responsibility For Gabby Petito's Death In Notebook

The FBI will soon be closing the Gabby Petito case as they announced that her boyfriend Brian Laundrie took responsibility for her murder in a notebook found near his own body.

“A review of the notebook revealed written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito’s death,” FBI Denver announced in a Friday statement as they issue “a final investigative update” and timeline on the case.

They also announced that on Thursday, Petito’s family “met with the FBI at the Tampa Field Office and the investigation will be closed in the near future.”

FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider stated that “all logical investigative steps have been concluded in this case.”

Petito, 22, vanished in early September while on a road trip with Laundrie. Her disappearance kicked off a national search that attracted worldwide interest. Her family reported her missing more than a week after Laundrie left the couple’s cross-country trip and returned to his parents' home in North Port, Florida without her. A few days later Laundrie, who was classified by police as a person of interest in Petito's disappearance, also vanished.

Petito's remains were found in Wyoming on Sept. 19 and an autopsy revealed that she had been strangled to death, likely weeks before she was found. When investigators later found Laundrie's body in a Florida nature preserve in October, following a weeks-long manhunt, they determined he died from a self-inflicted gunshot. A notebook was found near his body, though there was speculation that it may have been severely water damaged; both his body and the notebook were found in an area that was covered with water for much of the search. 

“The public’s role in helping us in this endeavor was invaluable as the investigation was covered in the media around the world,” Schneider stated Friday. “On behalf of the FBI, I want to express my deepest appreciation to the public for the thousands of tips that were provided during the investigation, and to our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their work throughout the investigation.” 

"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.