Brian Laundrie autopsy: Medical examiner reveals cause of death 

Brian Laundrie died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound (Image via Instagram/gabspetito)
Brian Laundrie died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound (Image via Instagram/gabspetito)

Brian Laundrie’s cause of death was revealed in a freshly compiled autopsy report published on Monday, February 14, 2022. The report arrived less than a month after investigators announced that the former had confessed to killing his fiancé, YouTuber Gabby Petito, in his own suicide note.

Partial human remains of the 23-year-old were first found near the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida on October 21, 2021. The remains were later identified to be Laundrie’s through dental records examination.

An initial autopsy revealed “inconclusive results” before being evaluated further by a forensic anthropologist. In November 2021, authorities declared that the fugitive died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound but did not announce the full details of his death.

The new documents obtained by PEOPLE contain a 47-page autopsy report from the District 12 medical examiner’s office, including toxicology results and details about the remains found near Brian Laundrie's dead body.


A look into Brian Laundrie’s autopsy report

Brian Laundrie's complete autopsy report was recently published by the District 12 medical examiner (Image via Instagram/gabspetito)
Brian Laundrie's complete autopsy report was recently published by the District 12 medical examiner (Image via Instagram/gabspetito)

Brian Laundrie’s latest autopsy report states that the North Port Police Department contacted investigators around 9:30 am on October 20, 2021, in the area where an extensive search operation for the fugitive was conducted.

Officials later discovered human skeletal remains along with a backpack and shoes belonging to Laundrie. As per the new report, authorities mentioned that there was a main scene and a secondary scene at the venue.

The primary scene contained human ribs and skull fragments as well as “a pair of green shorts, a green belt, two slip-on shoes, a backpack, a white metal ring and a handgun.” The gun was later described as a snub-nose revolver.

The secondary scene had nonhuman remains, a "half handwritten note" and “a hat with ‘MOAB Coffee Roasters’ logo.” Meanwhile, a dry bag found at the scene included a journal and a wooden box containing a notebook and a photo of Laundrie.

An officer from the FBI evidence response team also discovered a projectile with a metal detector nearly 50 to 60 feet south of the region where skull fragments and the handgun were discovered.

Another investigator reported that “skeletal remains and personal effects were in plain sight and scattered upon the dirt” near the area. The medical examiner mentioned that dozens of human bones were also recovered from the scene.

The wounds inflicted post-mortem revealed markings made by animals inhabiting the area, including feral canines, coyotes, raccoons and rats:

“Multiple long bones including bones of the arms and legs all disclose carnivore predation activity characterized by gnawing and chewing.”

Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Wilson Broussard Jr. further confirmed that Laundrie’s cranial fragmentation and presence of a handgun at the scene were in-line with a self-inflicted gunshot injury to his head:

“Evidence of a single perforating gunshot wound entering the left temporal cranium and exiting the right middle inferior parietal cranium just above the temporal bone is identified. The overall pathway or trajectory of the gunshot wound is left to right, very slightly upward, and having little to no significant front/back deviation.”

The documents also mentioned that Laundrie’s body was likely submerged in approximately three feet of floodwater “for an extended period of time” as it showed discoloration as a result of decomposition with water and soil of the wetlands.

The toxicology report confirmed that Laundrie was not under the influence and did not intake any substance at the time of his death. His parents told investigators that their son was healthy and did not have any medical history.

They also mentioned that Brian Laundrie was not consuming any prescribed medications but refused to comment on his social behavior history.

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