Brian Laundrie died of self-inflicted gunshot wound, medical examiner confirms
An attorney representing the family of Brian Laundrie told reporters Tuesday that the 23-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities found Laundrie’s remains last month in a Florida nature reserve amid a weeks-long search for him. Earlier, he had been named a person of interest in the death of his fiancee, 22-year-old Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito.
Update 11:34 p.m. EST Nov. 23: Florida’s District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed late Tuesday via a news release that Laundrie died by suicide.
“The cause of death has been determined to be a gunshot wound of the head,” the news release stated, noting that the “manner of death has been determined to be suicide.”
Update 1:35 p.m. EST Nov. 23: In a statement obtained by WWSB-TV, attorney Steven Bertolino said that Brian Laundrie’s parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, “have been informed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide.”
“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families,” he said, according to WWSB.
Authorities did not immediately confirm the findings.
Original report: An attorney representing the family of Brian Laundrie told reporters Tuesday that an update on his cause of death could be released by Wednesday.
Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino previously told WFLA that medical examiners were unable to determine Laundrie’s cause of death and that his remains were subsequently sent to a forensic anthropologist for review.
>> Related: Brian Laundrie’s remains sent to anthropologist to determine cause of death
On Tuesday, Bertolino told WWSB-TV that the results of the review could be coming “today or tomorrow.” He added that updates would likely come from him and from police, WFLA reported.
Officials found Laundrie’s remains Oct. 20 during a search of an area that had previously been underwater in the Carlton Reserve and the adjacent Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota County, Florida. The FBI confirmed his identity through dental records.
>> Related: Police deny claims that DNA didn’t match Brian Laundrie’s remains
Authorities had been searching for Laundrie for weeks after police said his parents reported him missing on Sept. 17. At the time, officials were also looking for Petito, who vanished in August during a cross-country road trip with Laundrie.
Petito’s remains were found Sept. 19 in a remote part of Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest. A medical examiner later determined that she died of manual strangulation.
>> Related: Coroner: Gabby Petito died of strangulation
After the discovery, federal authorities in Wyoming issued a warrant for Laundrie’s arrest, accusing him of using Petito’s debit card “on or about Aug. 30″ through Sept. 1. He was not charged with any other crimes related to Petito’s death.
Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson (left) of the FBI Tampa office announces that personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie have been found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, 2021, in North Port, Florida.
Michael McPherson, chief of the Tampa FBI office, makes a statement to the media during a briefing Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla. Items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie and potential human remains were found in a Florida wilderness park during a search for clues in the slaying of Gabby Petito.
Michael McPherson, chief of the Tampa FBI office, makes a statement to the media during a news conference Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson (center) of the FBI Tampa office announces that personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie have been found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, 2021, in North Port, Florida.
Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson from the FBI Tampa office announces that personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie have been found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, 2021, in North Port, Florida.
Supporters of Gabby Petito hold up photos of Gabby after a news conference Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
North Port, Fla., police officers block the entrance to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
North Port police officers block the entrance to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
Supporters of Gabby Petito gather outside the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
North Port, Fla., police officer block the entrance to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
