Steph Deschamps / January 22, 2022
The boyfriend of the murdered young American traveler Gabby Petito confessed to being the author of the murder in a notebook before committing suicide, announced Friday the federal police, bringing a conclusion to the drama that has held the United States in suspense for several months.
The body of Gabby Petito, 22, whose disappearance had caused a strong emotion in the country, had been found on September 19 near the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The young woman died as a result of blunt force injuries to the head and neck with manual strangulation, according to the medical examiner who oversaw her autopsy, reports the FBI.
Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito had left New York in July 2021 for a trip in a converted van that was supposed to last four months and whose stages, in the grandiose settings of the national parks of the American West, were regularly shared on Instagram and YouTube, through photos and videos.
The police investigation quickly focused on Mr. Laundrie, who returned early from the trip -- and alone -- on September 1, and who refused to answer investigators' questions before disappearing.
The remains of the 23-year-old's body, which was shot to death, and personal effects including a notebook were found on October 20 in a Florida nature preserve. In the notebook, the FBI found written statements from Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito's murder.
The quality and quantity of facts and information collected by the FBI leave no doubt that Brian Laundrie murdered Gabby, acknowledged the young woman's family in a statement released Friday. The extraordinary media attention given to the disappearance of the young woman had fuelled the debate on the attention given to the disappearances of white women, considered disproportionate to cases involving people from ethnic minorities.