• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
  • © 2026 ABC News
ABC News

How the search for Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of Gabby Petito, unfolded

PHOTO: Law enforcement search the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida for Brian Laundrie, Oct. 20, 2021.
4:02
WFTS
Tracking the Gabby Petito disappearance
By Bill Hutchinson, Ivan Pereira, Marlene Lenthang, Meredith Deliso, Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: October 21, 2021, 9:06 PM

A massive search for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of slain 22-year-old travel blogger Gabby Petito, took a dramatic twist Thursday with the announcement that human remains found in a Florida nature preserve are those of the wanted fugitive, according to the FBI.

The remains were recovered Wednesday, nearly five weeks after Petito's body was recovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The Teton County Coroner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie was centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said he returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

MORE: Brian Laundrie's remains confirmed as those found in reserve

Laundrie had been named by police as a "person of interest" in Petito's disappearance and a federal warrant had been issued for him alleging unauthorized use of Petito's credit card.

He refused to speak to the police and vanished on Sept. 13. His parents told investigators they believed he was headed to the Carlton Reserve in North Port.

The case grabbed national attention as Laundrie and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media. Petito's parents reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here is how the weekslong search for Laundrie unfolded:

Key events

  • Police find apparent human remains, personal items belonging to Laundrie
  • Cadaver dog team called to scene
  • Brian Laundrie's father joins police in search for son: Attorney
  • Brian Laundrie left parents’ home to hike day earlier than parents originally told investigators
  • Second Moab Police body camera footage shows Gabby Petito claim Brian Laundrie grabbed her face
  • FBI ends search at Laundrie residence
  • Car Brian Laundrie last used was parked in parents' driveway: Authorities
All times Eastern.

Oct 21, 2021 9:06 PM

'Skeletal remains' recovered at Florida nature preserve

Apparent human "skeletal remains" were recovered Wednesday in a Florida wildlife preserve where the search for Brian Laundrie has centered, police told ABC News on Thursday.

“We have confirmed skeletal remains," said Josh Taylor, spokesman for the North Port, Florida, Police Department.

Asked of media reports describing portions of the remains recovered, Taylor said, "We have not said anything about a skull.”


Oct 21, 2021 7:08 PM

ID of remains could take several days: Medical examiner

Dr. Russell Vega, the chief medical examiner for Florida’s 12th District, confirmed to ABC News that he is working on trying to identify the apparent human remains found Wednesday in a nature preserve along with Brian Laundrie's backpack and notebook.

Vega said it could take several days to identify the remains. He declined to confirm media reports that the remains discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, were bones.

Early in the search for Laundrie, FBI agents collected samples of Laundrie's DNA from his parents home in North Port, according to the Laundrie family attorney.


Oct 20, 2021 10:03 PM

Laundrie family attorney reacts to discovery of apparent human remains

Steven Bertolino, the family attorney for the Laundrie family, spoke with New York ABC station WABC Wednesday evening after law enforcement found human remains and items belonging to the fugitive at a Florida park.

The attorney said the area where investigators found Brian's belongings was shown to police two weeks ago when Laundrie's father, Chris, aided in the search.

"I can't say for certain that Chris showed this particular area to police at that point in time, but I can say that this is an area that we initially notified the FBI that Brian liked hiking," Bertolino said.

The attorney said the family is waiting for a proper identification before making any comments.

"As you can imagine, the parents are very distraught. ... At this moment in time they're grieving," he said.



Oct 20, 2021 8:42 PM

Police find apparent human remains, personal items belonging to Laundrie

Police have recovered apparent human remains that have not been identified in the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI said Wednesday.

Authorities also found items belonging to Laundrie, like a backpack and notebook, officials said.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said the area where the items were found had previously been underwater. McPherson said a team would be on site for several days processing the scene.


Sep 22, 2021 8:35 PM

Man captured on wildlife camera in the panhandle not Brian Laundrie

The Okaloosa County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday afternoon that a man whose image was captured on a wildlife camera in the Florida Panhandle this week is not Brian Laundrie.

The sheriff's office said deputies tracked down the individual, who is a local resident.

The owner of the wildlife camera told ABC News that the image was taken on a wooded trail in Baxter on Sept. 20 and that he alerted the sheriff's office because the man, who was walking with a backpack, resembled Laundrie. Baxter is about 500 miles northwest of where authorities have focused their search for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve near North Port.

Several Okaloosa County sheriff's deputies who viewed the image recognized the individual from his neck tattoo, enabling authorities to locate and speak to him, the sheriff's office said.

The report of the trail camera image set off an extensive search of the area in Baxter on Tuesday, the sheriff's office said.


GMA Newsletters

Sign up for our newsletters to get GMA delivered to your inbox every morning!

Up Next in news

PHOTO: Claire Macdonel, 13, was vacationing with her family in the Turks and Caicos on July 19, 2026, when a barracuda bit her left hand.

Teen speaks out after surviving rare barracuda attack

July 31, 2026
PHOTO: Woman shopping for school supplies

Parents expect to spend an average of nearly $900 per child on back-to-school shopping this year: GMA/Ipsos Parents Poll

July 31, 2026
PHOTO: Ryder Williams is pictured rescuing a swimmer at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, California, on July 25, 2026.

Hero teen lifeguard speaks out about viral rescue of 10-year-old boy

July 30, 2026

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap
  • Recalls and Product Safety Alerts

© 2026 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 
  • Recalls and Product Safety Alerts— 

© 2026 ABC News