A water bottle found in a Florida nature park near where Brian Laundrie’s remains were recovered has been turned over to local police.
The bottle sparked viral speculation among Internet sleuths after a TikToker claimed to have found it in the Carlton Reserve, because it looked the same as a container seen in video and images posted by Laundrie’s girlfriend, slain Long Island native Gabby Petito.
Josh Taylor, a spokesman for North Port Police Department, confirmed to The Post that the water bottle is now in the department’s possession.
TikToker Olivia Vitale posted a video allegedly showing the moment the bottle was discovered, with her filming while walking through grass while on a search.
“So, we’re looking for other stuff in the area where Brian Laundrie’s remains were,” she said. After walking for a few seconds, she sees the brownish container with distinctive markings just feet away to her left.
“There’s a water bottle right here,” she says, the video shows, and that’s she’s “not supposed to touch it” and notes it appears to say “Seattle, Washington,” on it.
A similar water bottle is seen in images posted by Petito from her ill-fated cross-country trip with Laundrie. Laundrie returned to North Port from that aborted trip alone on Sept. 1. Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 and found dead in a Wyoming park eight days later and authorities determined she was the victim of a homicide.
By then, Laundrie had gone missing after apparently going hiking at the reserve. He was a person of interest in Petito’s homicide and wanted by the FBI for using a debit card, believed to belong to her, before returning home. He had not been directly accused of being involved in Petito’s death.
His remains were finally recovered last week, with investigators also recovering a notebook and backpack nearby. No cause of death has been determined with the remains recovered mostly bones that have now been sent to an anthropologist for further review, according to the Laundries’ family attorney.
