The FBI is refusing to say what — if anything — has been recovered from Brian Laundrie’s notebook, which was found in the reserve where the 23-year-old apparently shot himself in the head.
Laundrie was the only suspect in the homicide of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito, 22.
Chris and Roberta Laundrie want to know about the notebook, if perhaps their son wrote anything related to his last wishes, since Laundrie did not leave a will. The parents are currently trying to access Laundrie’s estate, specifically his bank account.
“As Brian Laundrie’s parents seek to access their late son’s bank accounts, the FBI is declining to say whether it plans to turn over a notebook recovered along with other items near his body in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Reserve last year, where he is believed to have shot himself in the head,” Fox News reported Wednesday.
Laundrie attorney Steve Bertolino “said the FBI has not told his clients whether investigators found anything pertinent to the case in the notebook or if what they recovered is even legible after spending weeks in the Florida swamp,” the Fox report noted. “He said last month that the Laundrie parents had filed paperwork to access their son’s estate, since he did not have a will.”
“The petition is simply to administer his estate, which is primarily the bank account,” Bertolino told Fox News Digital. “The return of property by law enforcement is separate.”
Laundrie’s death was ruled a suicide in November.
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide,” Bertolino said at the time. “Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families.”
In October, Laundrie’s remains were found in the area of Florida’s Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, The Daily Wire reported:
“Human remains were found in the same area where personal belongings were found of Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito’s fiancé who’s been missing for over a month, officials said Wednesday,” per NBC News. “A senior law enforcement official says what appears to be partial human remains have been found in the Carlton Reserve in a location that was previously underwater. There is no confirmation the remains belong to Laundrie.”
“The remains were found near a backpack, according to this source, which may be consistent with the type of items Laundrie may have had in his possession,” the outlet added.
Before Laundrie’s remains were found, and the search for Petito intensified, the 23-year-old was reported missing.
He was named a “person of interest” in the Petito case, and his family home was raided by the FBI and reportedly declared a “crime scene.” An arrest warrant was issued for Laundrie on September 23, not for Petito’s death, but for allegedly using stolen bank cards.
Related: Coroner Says Gabby Petito Died Of Strangulation, Reveals New Details About Case
Related: Gabby Petito: Family Says Note Found On Brian Laundrie’s Car After ‘Disappearance’