‘American Murder: Gabby Petito’: Could Brian Laundrie still be alive?

Netflix’s American Murder: Gabby Petito presents an unflattering picture of how Brian Laundrie‘s parents reacted while Gabby Petito was missing, after she was found dead, and while Brian was supposedly in their home only to then go missing, too, reigniting online speculation that Laundrie could still be alive.

As it stands, the Netflix show doesn’t suggest his death was faked, and there’s no definitive proof that anything other than the official story is exactly what happened. And as you’ll see, the evidence supporting a conspiracy theory that Laundrie escaped can be explained, or is not to be based on facts. (Laundrie’s family didn’t contribute to the project, and have since called it “inaccurate,” and “one-sided.”)

But there is evidence that Laundrie was emotionally and physically abusive in the relationship, including body cam footage taken near Moab, UT, not long before Petito disappeared. A witness called the cops when they reported seeing Laundrie slap Petito, but Utah police determined Petito was the aggressor and separated the couple for the night, sending Laundrie to a shelter for abused women, and leaving Petito to camp in her van.

Because of that, it’s tempting to wish Laundrie had not died; that he had lived to stand trial and serve justice for Petito’s death. Meanwhile, other unanswered questions related to the case leave some unconvinced that Laundrie died at all or, instead, escaped with the help of his parents. But again, the clues that Laundrie’s alive don’t add up.

What happened to Gabby Petito?

What is known is that Laundrie killed Petito in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest amid a cross-country trip the aspiring influencers planned to share online. Laundrie then returned to his parents’ Florida home, where he supposedly stayed for weeks, not speaking to law enforcement or the press.

At the same time, his parents, Roberta and Christopher Laundrie kept quiet, suggesting Brian told his mom and dad what happened to Gabby and they decided to cover it up rather than speak to Petito’s parents and the police.

After Gabby’s body was found, Laundrie disappeared, too, and his body was later discovered in a flooded wilderness area under several feet of water. Authorities also found a notebook in which Laundrie confessed he killed Petito and took his own life, claiming it was a mercy killing when Petito was injured while hiking.

He wrote she begged him to end her misery, but as American Murder points out, the evidence suggests cold-blooded murder, likely motivated by her attempt to leave and her recent contact with an ex-boyfriend.

Was Laundrie ever in Florida?

We have received a number of inquiries Tuesday about a false report of DNA not matching Brian Laundrie. Below is the Medical Examiner’s statement on the matter. pic.twitter.com/tXAe63IdlC

— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) October 26, 2021

It’s also known that Laundrie called his parents after Petito died and before he returned to Florida, leaving ample opportunity for them to develop a plan. Some even suggest he may never have driven back to Florida, but instead, left the country, and his mom, Roberta, flew to Wyoming and drove Petito’s van back before law enforcement knew what happened to her. Roberta did write Laundrie a letter found with his remains marked “burn after reading,” saying she’d help him “dispose of a body.”

Laundrie was also never seen at his parents’ house even though the home was surrounded by demonstrators and news cameras for weeks. Once his car was found near the wilderness area where he went hiking, authorities couldn’t find his body until his parents showed up, who then found his remains and his belongings relatively easily. Not to mention his family’s willingness to let him leave at all amid such a high-profile and controversial investigation.

Questions surrounding Laundrie’s remains

@omgitsssariah What are your thoughts? #fyp #fy #brianlaundrie #gabbypetito #crime ♬ original sound – Sariah

Meanwhile, a few online rumors supporting the conspiracy theory that Laundrie is alive turn out not to be true: Many creators state his remains were identified through dental records viewed by his uncle, and that the Laundrie family owns a home in Italy where Brian may be hiding. But while Laundrie was identified through dental records, that process included DNA testing, and his uncle wasn’t involved in identifying his remains. There’s also no evidence the Laundries have property overseas.

Moreover, after watching the Netflix series, some online noticed that Gabby — who had been dead for several weeks when her body was found — could be identified by site, while Laundrie’s remains, dead for less time, were unrecognizable. Laundrie was found underwater at Carlton Reserve, north of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, FL, an area known for flooding, and his remains had been chewed by animals like snakes and alligators, according to the medical examiner.

Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, and Brian’s sister Cassie, certainly behaved strangely amid the search for Petito, and it seems plausible that Brian told them what happened and they conspired to stay quiet for as long as they could after Brian told them Gabby was “gone,” even while Petito’s family begged them for information. The Laundries have since lost a wrongful death civil suit and settled an emotional distress civil suit out of court.

So while the Laundries made some questionable decisions both during and after the Petito search, and may be guilty of withholding information, as American Murder states, the only two people who know what happened are Gabby and Brian, and both of them are sadly dead. And based on publicly available information, our verdict is, there’s no reason to doubt that’s what happened.