THE alligator-infested swamp where Brian Laundrie killed himself has become an idyllic sanctuary four years after the horrific case.
The U.S. Sun recently obtained exclusive pictures that show park visitors partaking in activities like yoga and horseback riding near the location where the remains of Gabby Petito’s murderer were discovered.
In October 2021, authorities located Brian’s body in the marshy grounds of the Carlton Reserve, which is linked to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota, Florida, following a search that spanned over a month.
Today, it’s hard to believe that this serene natural setting was once the scene of a gruesome crime, where the frantic search for 23-year-old Brian came to an end after he confessed to killing his fiancée during their cross-country journey in August 2021.
Pictures of the park obtained by The U.S. Sun show people practicing yoga in the grass of the environmental park.
Other groups of people were seen hiking on the 3.7 miles of trails in the heavily wooded area.
Horseback riders and bikers were also seen taking to the trails.
Park visitors are known to enjoy camping, birdwatching, and fishing at the site.
The park is covered in massive trees and sprawling green spaces, including marshes and wetlands in the humid Florida weather.
The land is home to wildlife, including deer and alligators, who are known to inhabit the swampy waters that rise when the park floods each year.
GRUESOME DETAILS
Brian’s body was found in the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve, which is a 25,000-acre wildlife refuge next to the park.
He was submerged in three feet of water, which is why officials weren’t able to locate his bones in the initial searches of the park.
Divers were brought in for the search because of the challenging environment, which posed risks for search crews who had to wade through waist-deep water that was infested with gators and snakes.
Brian had rotted there for weeks, meaning his body was mostly decomposed when cops stumbled upon it on October 20, 2021.
Grisly details in the report by the Florida medical examiner’s office revealed his scattered bones were gnawed on by raccoons and feral dogs in the park after his death.
Cops used his dental records to confirm his identity.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito’s disappearance:
- June 2021 – Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 – Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 – Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 – Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah’s Zion National Park.
- August 12 – Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 17 – Brian flies home to Florida to visit his parents, stock up on supplies, and close a storage unit.
- August 19 – Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
- August 22 – Gabby texts her ex-boyfriend, Jackson.
- August 23 – Brian returns to meet Gabby in Salt Lake City.
- August 24 – Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 – Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed “more and more tension” between her and Brian.
- August 25 – Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 – Gabby messages Jackson for the final time.
- August 27 – Gabby is seen for the final time at a Whole Foods. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 – Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple’s van “abandoned” on a dirt road.
- September 1 – Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 – Gabby’s parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 – Brian’s family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 – Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 – Florida’s North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 – Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 – Brian’s parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 – Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 – Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby’s but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 – Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie’s home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain “evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed.”
- September 21 – Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 – The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby’s. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 – The Teton County Coroner’s office said Gabby’s official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 – Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 – Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
- September 26 – Gabby’s funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
- October 12: Gabby’s autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie’s personal items were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
- October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie’s.
- November 23: Laundrie’s autopsy reveals he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
- January 21, 2022: The FBI released its final investigative statement on Gabby’s case. The statement said, “The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito.”
- October 1, 2022: The Gabby Petito Story premieres on Lifetime without the family’s approval.
- February 17, 2025 – American Murder: Gabby Petito premieres on Netflix.
Officials found his green shorts, backpack, and handgun in the dirt near the scene, which was cut off to the public by “overgrown vegetation,” the report said.
At a nearby spot, cops found a small notebook in a drybag containing a handwritten letter where Brian confessed to killing Gabby.
In his note, Brian also apologized to his family and said, “Please do not make life harder for my family, they lost a son and a daughter.”
Chris and Roberta Laundrie refused to participate or engage in the search for Gabby after her family launched a panicked nationwide hunt for their daughter after Brian returned home from their trip alone.
SEARCHING THE PARK
However, Chris and Roberta tipped cops off to center the search for Brian in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
Cops began to hunt for Brian after they found Gabby’s body in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Brian had told his parents he was going on a hike in the Carlton Reserve, which isn’t far from the family’s home in North Port, on September 13, 2021.
He never came home.
Days later, Chris and Roberta told the FBI and North Port Police Department they wanted to search the park for their son.
The search was the subject of nationwide attention as the mystery unfolded, with online sleuths like Dog the Bounty Hunter weighing in on the case.
Christopher and Roberta were often seen joining search parties and canvassing the reserve on their own before Brian’s body was found on October 20.
His skeleton was found about two to three miles inside Carlton Reserve from the entrance.
Brian died after he shot himself with a gun. His death was ruled a suicide.
A recent Netflix docuseries called American Murder: Gabby Petito revisited the relationship between Gabby and Brian, sparking renewed interest in the case.
American Murder: Gabby Petito is available to stream now on Netflix.
The Laundries have denied any wrongdoing and have never been charged with a crime.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
