Brian Laundrie Made Authorities Believe Gabby Petito Was Still Alive -- Here's How He Did it
Brian Laundrie's case is far from over as new shocking details continuously emerged recently.
Even after Laundrie's remains were found, his notebook was still the center of attention as people believed it might prove that he killed Gabby Petito. Although he admitted his crimes in the paper, he once tricked the authorities into thinking that his fiancée was still alive by doing something hair-raising.
On Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that Laundrie used Petito's phone to make the authorities believe the YouTuber was still alive. The fugitive reportedly sent text messages using his and Petito's phones to complete his tactic.
The recent investigative report claimed that multiple text exchanges happened after the YouTuber died.
"The timing and content of these messages are indicative of Mr. Laundrie attempting to deceive law enforcement by giving the impression that Ms. Petito was still alive," investigators wrote, as quoted by Insider.
They did not detail when the suspicious text messages started, but Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, recalled receiving a text from her daughter's phone on August 27 that left her feeling concerned about her status.
The status reportedly reads: "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls."
Meanwhile, FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said that the department's probe did not identify other people - except Laundrie - who was directly involved in Petito's death. He added that their primary focus was to bring justice to the YouTuber and her family.
As of the writing, the FBI has reportedly concluded all logical investigative steps in the case.
Brian Laundrie Admitted Killing Gabby Petito
The new development came after the FBI confirmed that Laundrie admitted in the notebook that he was responsible for his fiancee's death.
In a statement released on Friday, the FBI's Denver Field Office said that they had a review of Laundrie's notebook, and it revealed that Laundrie himself admitted killing Petito.
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Laundrie family attorney, Steve Bertolino, said that both families agreed to distribute the couple's belongings. He did not reveal which family would get the notebook.
"We truly appreciate the FBI's diligent and painstaking efforts in this extremely complicated case. The quality and quantity of the facts and information collected by the FBI leave no doubt (that) Brian Laundrie murdered Gabby," Bertolino said, as quoted by CNN.