Partial human remains have been found at the Florida nature reserve where items belonging to Brian Laundrie were discovered, NBC News reported Wednesday.
Officials earlier had confirmed to Tampa, Florida’s WFLA that the Sarasota County Medical Examiner was called to Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where a brief search of Laundrie’s frequented trails resulted in some of his belongings being found.
"#BREAKING A senior law enforcement officials tells @NBCNews @PeteWilliamsNBC what appears to be partial human remains have been found in the Carlton Reserve in an area previously underwater," NBC News producer Shawn Reynolds tweeted.
"The remains were found near a backpack consistent with items Brian Laundrie may have had."
Shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday, the FBI tweeted: "UPDATE: Items of interest were located at the Carlton Reserve this morning in connection with the search for Brian Laundrie. An #FBI Evidence Response team is processing the scene. The reserve is closed to the public and no further details are available at this time. @FBIDenver."
Items believed to belong to Laundrie were found Wednesday in a Florida wilderness park as the search continued for clues in the slaying of Gabby Petito, a Laundrie family attorney said earlier Wednesday.
Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, took part in the search Wednesday with the FBI and police from North Port, Florida, more than a month after Laundrie was reported missing.
"After a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented some articles belonging to Brian were found," attorney Steven Bertolino said in a text to The Associated Press. "As of now law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area."
No other details were immediately available. The Sarasota County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed they had been summoned to the reserve but would not comment further.
Laundrie, 23, is a person of interest in the killing of Petito, who was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents while the couple was on a cross-country trip out West.
The case generated enormous public interest but also raised uncomfortable questions over the unequal attention given to the hundreds of cases of Native American and other minority women missing or murdered across the United States. Petito is white.
Petito’s body was found Sept. 19 on the edge of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited. The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.
The couple was stopped Aug. 12 by police in Moab, Utah, after they had a physical altercation, but no charges were filed.
Laundrie returned home alone Sept. 1 in the Ford van the couple took on their trip. He was reported missing after telling his parents on Sept. 14 that he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve, a vast nature preserve in Sarasota County that has for weeks been a key area in the search.
The activity Wednesday was focused on the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where television news reports showed numerous law enforcement vehicles arriving and a tent set up inside the woods. The location is where a Ford Mustang that Laundrie drove to the wilderness was found.
Laundrie is charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorized use of a debit card, which would allow authorities to arrest him if he is found alive.
It alleges Laundrie used a Capital One Bank card and someone’s personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000. It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.
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