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Gabby Petito Case: Sherriff Says Brian Laundrie Likely Killed Himself

Nearly two months have passed since 22-year-old vlogger Gabby Petito went missing. The young woman’s last known sighting took place at the end August. Since then, many strange details have revealed themselves surrounding both her disappearance and death. Simultaneously, little has revealed itself regarding the death of deceased fugitive Brian Laundrie.

Now, following an update from a Sarasota County sheriff, authorities believe Brian Laundrie likely killed himself.

According to the Daily Mail, the statement came during a public community meeting. There, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman stated Laundrie had gone out to the Carlton Reserve, the setting of authorities’ extensive manhunt the last several weeks. Hoffman claims, “[he] by all accounts probably committed suicide.”

Now, almost two weeks after search efforts lead to the discovery of Brian Laundrie’s remains, investigators are unable to pin either the individual’s time of death or the cause. Additionally, experts have previously stated pinpointing Laundrie’s cause of death would be complicated. Many indicators have become unreadable as his remains saw submersion in the Carlton Swamp, supposedly for several weeks.

Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney previously stated, “Four weeks is a long time for human remains to be out in the wilderness.”

Forensic Specialist Gives Insight to Brian Laundrie’s Decomposition

As we can assume based on what the media has revealed to the public regarding Florida’s “massive” Carlton Reserve, humans remains, not only Brian Laundrie’s, would not preserve well there over long periods of time. However, following the discovery of Laundrie’s remains and the state in which they were found, forensic anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle has given us an idea as to just how long it would have taken for the deceased person of interest’s body to decompose.

Initially, Kimmerle stated, “Human remains exposed on the open ground surface, with free access by predators and the heat, can decompose in as little as a week in Florida.”

Many have attributed the lack of human remains overall to the area’s scavengers. The forensic anthropologist continued, “While water will slow the process down a little, it is still common to see skeletonization in less than two weeks.”

Authorities matched Brian Laundrie’s remains based on his dental records from what came from the swamp. However, the bones have little to tell regarding his death. Although Kimmerle did state any damage sustained from inflicted trauma could tell us a little more. Nevertheless, as we have learned following ongoing reports, little remains of even Laundrie’s bones.

Now, investigations regarding the cause of death continue. Meanwhile, professionals have what they believe is a strong case for a murder-suicide situation. Laundrie’s disappearance came shortly after Gabby Petito’s parents reported her missing. As such, authorities believe the person of interest had not been missing long when he potentially killed himself.