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Laundrie, age 23, whose skeletal remains were discovered in Sarasota County, Florida, in the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday, Oct. 20, was a person of interest in Petito's strangulation death in Wyoming but was not charged with any crime connected to the homicide.
Law enforcement is hoping the notebook found near his remains may contain clues into the death of the 22-year-old Suffolk County woman, a 2017 graduate of Bayport-Blue High School, where she played on the girls volleyball team.
Experts told CNN that the notebook could offer insight into a story that has gained public attention across the country and abroad.
"If that notebook contained, for example, information that could have been admissions, it could be projecting blame or rationalization, all that information could help in the determination," former FBI profiler Jim Clemente said Thursday, Oct. 21.
One drawback is the notebook was wet when found, but forensic experts say advancements in forensic technology could help gain information from the book.
Legal experts said a suicide note or letter -- if Laundrie wrote one -- could shed light on his state of mind at the time of his death.
The notebook could also show if Laundrie died by his own hand.
“I think if that notebook is there, there’s a very good chance there could be a note," said criminologist Casey Jordan to CNN.
But the process could take months, leaving both families wondering what really happened to their loved ones.
Laundrie disappeared five weeks ago just days after Petito was reported missing by her mother on Saturday, Sept. 11.
Her remains were found in a campground in the mountains of Wyoming on Sunday, Sept. 19. Her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.
The two had been on a cross-country trip since June taking photos and videos along the way titled "Van Life" and posted on YouTube and Instagram.
This continues to be a breaking story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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