The FBI has announced that its investigation into the death of Gabby Petito has finished.
The bureau said, “The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito.”
#FBIDenver issues a final investigative update on the Gabrielle Petito Case. https://t.co/44SiImlo6C pic.twitter.com/IygdHuIWbv
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) January 21, 2022
The FBI started its investigation into Petito’s disappearance on Sept. 12, 2021, after it received a report from her family that she was missing.
Agents searched a remote area in Grand Teton National Park for Petito.
Eventually, her remains were found near where she and Laundrie were last seen together. Petito’s remains were located at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area about three weeks after she had spoken to someone.
She had died from “blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation.”
Officials looked at all leads but said the investigation quickly focused on Laundrie, since he was the last person they believed saw her alive.
The FBI discovered that Laundrie had used Petito’s debit card as he drove from Wyoming to Florida between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1.
Federal officials also said that Laundrie had sent texts between his and Petito’s cellphones after her death to throw off the investigation.
On Sept. 15, his Ford Mustang was found from the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Park in North Port, Florida. Two days later, his parents reported him missing. On Sept. 18, law enforcement searched the area where his car had been but turned up nothing.
On Sept. 22, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming issued a federal warrant for Laundrie after a grand jury indicted him for the “Use of Unauthorized Access Devices.”
Nearly a month later, his parents, through their attorney, informed law enforcement that they were going to search the park where his car had been found to look for their son. With officials accompanying them, his parents found an item that had belonged to Laundrie. An additional search found a backpack, a notebook and a handgun. The notebook, according to the FBI, contained “written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito’s death.”
On Nov. 23, a medical examiner said Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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