An attorney representing the family of high-profile fugitive Brian Laundrie said that human remains that were found at a Florida wildlife preserve on Wednesday likely belong to him.
“It’s quite sad, you can imagine as a parent, finding your son’s belongings alongside some remains. That’s got to be heartbreaking. And I can tell you that they are heartbroken,” he said Wednesday night.
Laundrie was named as a person of interest in the disappearance and death of fiancé Gabby Petito, whose body was found in Wyoming. The FBI also issued a federal warrant for his arrest on bank fraud charges.
![FBI agents begin to take away evidence from the family home of Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest after his fiancé Gabby Petito went missing in North Port, Fla., on Sept. 20, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2F20%2FGettyImages-1235388242.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
![Gabrielle Petito, 22, poses for a photo with Brian Laundrie in this undated handout photo. (North Port/Florida Police/Handout via Reuters)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F09%2F21%2FGabby-Petito-and-boyfriend-Brian-Laundrie-1200x900.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brian’s possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be,” Bertolino said on Wednesday. “Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments.”
The Sarasota County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to local media that it was also called to the preserve on Wednesday.
“It’s likely the team will be on site for several days,” McPherson also said.
Petito and Laundrie had set off on a cross-country trip throughout the United States and documented their travels on social media. Officials said Laundrie returned to North Port without Petito in early September, and Petito’s family later reported her missing on Sept. 11.
The couple was stopped on Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed. A police body camera video showed the officer responding to the scene, interviewing both Laundrie and Petito.
Days later, Laundrie’s parents said he went on a hike on Sept. 13 and never returned.