An autopsy for Brian Laundrie, the person of interest in the murder of Gabby Petito, was inconclusive after his remains were discovered in a Florida wildlife preserve last week, according to a lawyer.
“No manner or cause of death was determined” as of now, said Laundrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino in a statement to news outlets on Monday. The remains were sent to an anthropologist “for further evaluation,” Bertolino told NBC, adding that there is no timeline on when the evaluation would be completed.
Bertolini told People magazine on Sunday that Laundrie’s “remains will be cremated and there will be no funeral service,” adding the family has “no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries’ privacy at this time.”
The FBI confirmed that remains found at the site belonged to Laundrie, who traveled with Petito, his ex-girlfriend, over the summer across the United States. Petitio’s body was discovered in a remote area in Wyoming, and a coroner confirmed her manner of death was a homicide.
Near Laundrie’s remains were his belongings, including a bag, and a notebook, the FBI also said.
The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn’t clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water before it was located.
“Forensic anthropologists are called upon when the environment has ravaged or removed the soft tissue,” Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney told WPBF-TV. “Soft tissue markers that the forensic pathologist would use.”
Officials said Laundrie returned to his parents’ North Port home alone on Sept. 1. Petito’s family filed a missing person report on Sept. 11, while Laundrie went missing several days later.
Several weeks ago, the FBI charged Laundrie with bank fraud after allegedly using a debit card in an unauthorized manner to withdraw money.
The investigation into Petito’s slaying, meanwhile, has not yet been completed. Only Laundrie has ever been identified by law enforcement officials as a person of interest in the case.
They first gained an online following while on their trip in a converted Ford Transit van in videos filled with happy scenes that may have concealed deeper problems. After Petito disappeared, the case became a true-crime obsession on social media.
The couple was stopped on Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no domestic violence charges were filed. The police department there is conducting an internal review to determine if policy was followed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
