FBI: Brian Laundrie Confessed in Notebook to Gabby Petito’s Murder

A memorial for Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito is seen in her hometown of Blue Point, New York, o
Ted Shaffrey/AP
Amy Furr

Law enforcement officials found a notebook near Brian Laundrie’s remains in which he confessed to killing Gabby Petito.

“All logical investigative steps have been concluded in this case,” FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said in a news release Friday:

The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito. The FBI’s primary focus throughout the investigation was to bring justice to Gabby and her family. The public’s role in helping us in this endeavor was invaluable as the investigation was covered in the media around the world.

In a timeline of the investigation from the FBI’s Denver Field Office, the FBI said that after Petito had died, “there were several text messages identified between Mr. Laundrie’s telephone and Ms. Petito’s telephone. The timing and content of these messages are indicative of Mr. Laundrie attempting to deceive law enforcement by giving the impression that Ms. Petito was still alive.”

Richard Stafford, who is an attorney for Petito’s family, expressed his thanks to the agency and indicated his confidence in the FBI’s conclusions.

The New York Post outlined the tragic story. “Petito disappeared over the summer while on a cross-country journey with Laundrie and was reported missing on September 11.”

After an intense search for the missing young woman, a body was discovered a week later at a campground in Wyoming. It was Gabby Petito’s.

“Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue said the initial determination of Petito’s body is that her death was a homicide,” Breitbart News reported September 21.

“When Laundrie, 23, returned to his parents’ North Port, Fla., home without her, he quickly became the sole person of interest in the case before he disappeared, too. A massive manhunt for him followed, until his remains were found at a nearby nature preserve Oct. 20,” the Post continued in its review of the events surrounding Petito’s death.

Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head, a lawyer for the family said in November.

Besides the notebook in which Laundrie wrote his admission of guilt for the murder of Petito, his girlfriend, the FBI said law enforcement officials also found a revolver and a backpack near his remains. The FBI did not reveal the exact words in Laundrie’s noteboook.

In its timeline of the investigation, the FBI included, among other facts, the following details:

Upon further search of the area, investigators found human remains later confirmed to be Mr. Laundrie, along with a backpack, notebook, and a revolver. A review of the notebook revealed written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito’s death.

On November 23, 2021, the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office in Sarasota, Florida, released its report on the manner and cause of death of Mr. Laundrie. The report concluded Mr. Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The search for Petito reportedly resulted in the discovery of at least nine bodies of other missing persons.

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