Months after the manhunt for Brian Laundrie gripped the nation, new answers about his involvement in Gabby Petito’s death have come to light.
A notebook discovered by the FBI in October at the scene of Laundrie’s dead body contains a confession to Petito’s murder.
“I ended her life,” reads a note in the notebook obtained by Fox News. “I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock.”
“Please do not make life harder for my family,” the note says. “They lost a son and a daughter. The most wonderful girl in the world. Gabby I’m sorry.”
In his confession note, Laundrie referred to an injury he said Petito had incurred, framing the homicide as an act of mercy.
1/8
This is Brian Laundrie’s notebook confession where he admits he ended Gabby’s life. pic.twitter.com/f3iyTutWpo— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) June 24, 2022
A coroner determined that Petito’s cause of death was acute strangulation. She is thought to have died around Aug. 28, 2021.
The notebook’s contents were previously unknown, although they had been described as a confession of involvement in Petitio’s death.
The 22-year-old Petito went missing last August on a cross-country RV trip with Laundrie. Her remains were later found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Laundrie returned home to Florida after her disappearance, only to disappear from his parents’ home instead of cooperating with a law enforcement investigation.
Laundrie’s body was later found in a nature reserve after a lengthy manhunt. It is believed he committed suicide with a revolver belonging to his parents.
Laundrie’s personal effects were first located by his parents, who were helping the North Port Police Department scour the remote area for any trace of their son.
Laundrie had been a suspect in Petito’s death, but he had only been charged with stealing her debit card.
The Petitio family has filed a lawsuit against Laundrie’s parents, accusing them of helping him in a plan to escape the country.
The family alleges that Laundrie’s parents learned of their son’s involvement in the homicide soon after he returned home from the cross-country trip in August 2021.
Petitio’s body was discovered on Sept. 19 after Laundrie had gone missing and become the target of an exhaustive manhunt.
A lawyer for the Laundries has denied the allegations.
