Petito's Parents Visit FBI's Tampa Office Thursday: Report

Sarasota FL

20 January, 2022

3:47 PM

Description

TAMPA, FL — Four months after the investigation into their daughter's disappearance and death began, Gabby Petito's parents were back in Florida, visiting the FBI's Tampa Field Office. The family met privately with FBI agents in Tampa Thursday, Heather Lacy, a producer for Fox News, tweeted. They arrived at the office just before 10 a.m. Petito, who was last heard from at the end of August 2021 while on a road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, was found strangled to death near a Wyoming national park in September. He was the only person of interest in her death. Laundrie was reported missing Sept. 17 in North Port, Florida, where the couple, Long Island, New York natives, previously lived with his parents. His skeletal remains, as well as a notebook and other items belonging to him, were found in a Sarasota County park after more than a month of searching. It was determined he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Josh Taylor, spokesperson for the North Port Police Department, one of the agencies investigating the deaths of Petito and Laundrie, told Fox News he was "unaware" of any big developments in the case. He indicated the meeting between Petito's parents and the FBI was planned in advance. "We knew they would be meeting after the first of the year. I would think we would be briefed if, in fact, something was wrapping up," he said. Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing Brian Laundrie's parents, also said he didn't know of any breaking news in the case. The Petito family's trip to Tampa comes just after they've come to an agreement with Laundrie's parents about how their children's belongings should be distributed, according to the New York Post. The two families have been arguing over how to split up the possessions. "An agreement in principle with respect to the distribution of property between the two families has been reached," Bertolino said. Earlier this month, Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, filed a court petition to obtain her daughter's belongings that were either at the Laundrie home or in police custody. Laundrie's parents also recently asked the FBI for ownership of the notebook found near their late son's remains in October. Authorities have yet to release the contents of the notebook since it was found. His parents also filed a court petition in December seeking access to their son's estate. His assets are listed as $20,000 in Bank of America checking/savings accounts. Related Stories: 'Unintentional Mistakes' By PD In Gabby Petito Utah Fight: ReportBrian Laundrie's Parents Ask FBI For His Notebook: ReportGabby Petito Remembered By Parents On New Year's EveGabby Petito, Brian Laundrie On 2021 Top Search Term ListParents File To Access Brian Laundrie's Estate: CourtLaundrie Shot Self In The Head, Gun Missing From Home: Report The couple was traveling throughout the Western United States in a van this summer, visiting national parks, when Petito disappeared at the end of August. Her body was found weeks later near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. An autopsy concluded that she died of strangulation and that her death was a homicide. Laundrie returned home alone to Florida in Petito's van Sept. 1 and was reported missing by his parents Sept. 17. Authorities searched for Laundrie for more than a month. His skeletal remains, including a portion of his skull, were found Oct. 20 in the Carlton Reserve and the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota County. The FBI used dental records to match the remains to Laundrie. No cause of death could be determined after an Oct. 22 autopsy, and Laundrie's bones were sent to a forensic anthropologist for further examination. The medical examiner's office ultimately determined that Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.