Gabby Petito: Items found in search for missing fiancé Brian Laundrie

3 years ago 216
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Image source, EPA

Image caption, Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito

The search for the missing fiancé of a murdered US blogger has found "items of interest" linked to him in a Florida park, the FBI has said.

The parents of Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest in Gabby Petito's death, travelled to the wilderness area on Wednesday to help the search.

He has been missing for over a month. County medical examiners and cadaver dogs have also arrived at the park.

Ms Petito's remains were found on 19 September in Wyoming.

Last week, a coroner there ruled that the 22-year-old had been strangled to death and left in the woods for weeks before she was found.

This summer, Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie, 23, had embarked on a road trip through national parks in the American West, documenting their nomadic "van life" trip on social media.

Mr Laundrie's parents say he was last seen on 13 September, after he returned to Florida without Ms Petito almost two weeks earlier. They say he went hiking alone and never returned.

On Wednesday, Laundrie family lawyer Brian Bertolino told reporters that after a "brief search" with parents Chris and Roberta Laundrie, "some articles" belonging to him were found.

He said the items were found on a trail frequented by Mr Laundrie in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.

The park is where the car driven by Mr Laundrie was discovered after he went missing.

The FBI's Tampa field office tweeted: "Items of interest were located at the Carlton Reserve this morning in connection with the search for Brian Laundrie."

"An FBI Evidence Response team is processing the scene. The reserve is closed to the public and no further details are available at this time."

Unidentified human remains have been discovered in the area, NBC News reported, citing an unnamed official.

Mr Laundrie has not been charged with crimes relating to Ms Petito's killing, however the FBI has issued a federal arrest warrant and charged him with fraudulently using her debit card after her death.

The plight of the travel influencer has captured global attention, and triggered a debate over the amount of attention accorded to missing white women.

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