Gabby Petito’s family was in Florida Thursday morning, according to FOX news. Steven Bertolino, an attorney representing the family of Petito’s fiance, says the families have reached an agreement regarding the couple’s belongings. Thanks to this agreement, the distribution of the couple’s belongings will move forward when the time comes, he says. The agreement comes roughly four months after authorities discovered Gabby Petito strangled to death in Wyoming.
Steven Bertolino, who is providing legal counsel for Brian Laundrie’s parents, shared that he and Petito’s family lawyer, Rick Stafford, had …”Been working together to come to an agreement on the distribution of property to be released from law enforcement.”
He also shared that he and Stafford assembled a written agreement. The written agreement outlines the distribution of property between the families.
A spokesperson for the North Port Police Department, Josh Taylor, shared that the department was unaware of any major developments in the case. “We knew they would be meeting after the first of the year. I would think we would be briefed if in fact, something was wrapping up,” Taylor said.
Potential Evidence Found Near Brian Laundrie’s Body
The FBI confirmed to FOX News that Gabby Petito’s family met with investigators on Thursday. However, they did not provide any additional details.
Authorities discovered some potentially key belongings near Brian Laundrie’s remains in October. One item that has particularly interested the public is a notebook. However, when authorities found Laundrie’s body and belongings, it was in an area that is typically underwater. People remain hungry for information about the item, but it remains unclear if any of its’ contents are salvageable.
When Brian Laundrie’s parents filed documents to give them control over his estate, many wondered if that would include the items found near his remains. However, Bertolino confirmed that any items relevant to the investigation of Petito’s murder and Laundrie’s suicide would stay with law enforcement. “The petition is simply to administer his estate, which is primarily the bank account,” Bertolino said. “The return of property by law enforcement is separate.”
New Information Could Help Gabby Petito Find Justice
A former federal prosecutor shared their thoughts on the potential evidence with FOX News. “It is unlikely the notebook’s contents are legible if they were underwater for weeks,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said. “Laundrie’s body was described as skeletal ‘remains,’ and the FBI needed dental records to identify him. The human body can withstand water and wildlife better than paper.”
However, there’s still hope. A former FBI Deputy Director, Andrew McCabe, shared with CNN his thoughts. He says that a preservation process is possible for the notebook. If done correctly by experts, the process could recover any potentially helpful information. “In terms of understanding Laundrie’s motive, his feeling about Petito, maybe event any kind of notes or comments he may have made about the events—that notebook could shed a lot of light on those issues,” McCabe added.
