Brian Laundrie's family has decided not to hold a funeral service for him as they await further details about his death.
The family's attorney, Steve Bertolino, said in a statement that Laundrie's parents will forgo holding a traditional service for him and will instead have his remains cremated, media outlets reported on Sunday, Oct. 24. Laundrie, the 23-year-old former fiancé of late influencer Gabby Petito, was confirmed dead on Thursday, Oct. 21.
In addition, the attorney stated that an autopsy did not conclusively establish how Laundrie died, and the remains have been shipped to an anthropologist to evaluate.
On Wednesday, Oct. 20, investigators found human remains, along with personal items belonging to Laundrie, at Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida at a previously submerged location. The next day, the FBI confirmed it had used dental records to identify the remains.
The discovery of the remains followed a five-week manhunt for Laundrie. His parents told police they had not seen him since Sept. 14, when he reportedly went hiking in the reserve and hadn't returned.
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Laundrie and Petito headed out on a cross-country road trip over the summer, and he returned to his family's Florida home without her on Sept. 1. Petito's parents reported the 22-year-old YouTuber missing on Sept. 11.
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On Sept. 21, Petito was confirmed dead, two days after remains consistent with her description had been found in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. Officials confirmed on Oct. 12 that Petito had died by strangulation and that her death was estimated to have occurred three to four weeks before her body was discovered.
A federal warrant was issued for Laundrie's arrest on Sept. 23 after a federal grand jury indicted him for unauthorized use of a debit card after her death. Authorities had named Laundrie a person of interest, but not a suspect, in Petito's death.
