The sheriff in the Florida county where Brian Laundrie's remains were found has shared his belief that Laundrie likely died by suicide, according to a new report from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman made the statement during a panel with law enforcement leaders, where they answered questions about different issues, including those related to the search for Laundrie, the news outlet reported on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Hoffman said Laundrie went out to the nature reserve where his remains were discovered and "by all accounts probably committed suicide,” the Herald-Tribune reported.
Laundrie's cause of death has not yet been announced.
His remains were found by law enforcement in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Laundrie's parents had reported their son missing on Friday, Sept. 17, saying they hadn't seen the 23-year-old in days.
Laundrie had been named a person of interest in the homicide of his 22-year-old fiancée, Gabby Petito, of Blue Point in Suffolk County.
Petito went missing in August while traveling across the country with Laundrie in her van.
On Wednesday, Sept. 1, Laundrie returned to his parents' home in Petito's van, without his missing fiancée.
Her family reported her missing on Saturday, Sept. 11, and her remains were found eight days later in a Wyoming nature reserve.
The Teton County coroner said she was strangled to death.
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