Prosecutors weigh charges against 'additional individuals' linked to Gabby Petito's disappearance, her family lawyer says
- Richard Stafford, who represents Gabby Petito's family, said prosecutors might charge 'additional individuals' in connection to her murder
- It comes after it was discovered that Brian Laundrie, the sole suspect whose body was found last month, had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound
- The FBI had failed to mention Laundrie was armed, nor would they say if it was the gun that was found missing in his family's home after he vanished
- The Laundries had surrendered 'five or six' guns to authorities after they reported their son missing and told investigators one weapon was missing
- Chris and Roberta Laundries' lawyer said he had 'no reason to believe' they would be charged in connection to their son's alleged crime
Federal prosecutors are considering whether to charge 'additional individuals' in the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito, her family's lawyer said Tuesday, after Brian Laundrie was ruled to have killed himself with a bullet to the head.
Richard Stafford, who represents the late van-life influencer's family, said federal prosecutors and investigators have not closed the case following Tuesday's ruling that Laundrie, 23, the sole suspect in Petito's murder, committed suicide.
The lawyer would not specify if Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta, were the 'individuals' in the feds' cross-hairs, but the couple had come under fire for staying distant from the investigation until the days leading up to the discovery of their son's body.
'The family was asked to not comment and let the FBI continue their investigation and allow the United States Attorney's Office to make a determination on whether any additional individuals will be charged,' Stafford said in a statement.
Laundrie's body was found October 20 after a month-long manhunt in Florida's Carlton Reserve, with an autopsy from the state Medical Examiner's Office ruling that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Steve Bertolino, the attorney representing Laundrie's parents, told DailyMail.com that one of the family's guns was missing when Laundrie vanished, but that the FBI kept it secret because they didn't want the public to panic. It still remains unclear where the gun is now.
Federal prosecutors and investigators are still looking into the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito, 22, and the suicide of the sole suspect, Brian Laundrie (pictured)
Richard Stafford, center, represents Petito's family. He said prosecutors are considering charges for 'additional individuals' tied to the case
Laundrie allegedly murdered Petito during their nation-wide van tour over the summer. He went missing on September 17 and his body was recovered a month later
Bertolino told Insider that he has 'no reason to believe any charges will be filed against the dead man's parents. The Laundries had received national backlash for their silence when Petito was first reported missing on September 11.
'Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families,' Bertolino said.
While they FBI continues to investigate the case, the agency has received backlash for failing to confirm that Laundrie was armed as dozens of law enforcement officials began combing through the vast Carlton Reserve on September 20.
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Chris and Roberta faced national criticism for their silence when Gabby Petito was first reported missing on September 11
Laundrie's remains were found north of the entrance to Myakkahatchee Creek, in the Big Slough Preserve, off an unpaved trail near a bridge where Brian's parents said he liked to visit. It is four miles north of their home in North Port, Florida
The FBI is now facing backlash after 'hiding' that Laundrie was 'armed and dangerous,' knowing the public was assisting in the search for him. Many people claimed to have had encounters with Laundrie
Bertolino had confirmed that after the Laundries reported their son missing on September 17, they surrendered 'five or six' guns stored in their home to the FBI, telling officials that one was missing. That detail was never publicly confirmed until this week.
'We didn’t want the public going into a frenzy on that. I don’t think they considered him dangerous to anybody he met on the street,' Bertolino said.
Laundrie had been the main suspect in Petito's disappearance and murder after he arrived back home, alone, in North Port, Florida on September 1 from a cross-country road trip he embarked on with Gabby in her white 2012 Ford Transit van.
Their loved-up Instagram persona was a far cry from the combative relationship that was playing out behind the scenes.
Steve Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie's, said he does not believe Chris and Roberta Laundrie will be charged in connection to Petito's murder
Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito were engaged to be married prior to their deaths
Despite their picturesque social media posts, the couple's tour took sour turns when they began fighting in public. They were pulled over in Utah just a few weeks before Petito vanished
Just a few weeks before she vanished, police in Moab, Utah, were called to the pair's van after fellow travelers saw Brian hit Gabby.
They were separated for the night, and Gabby was deemed to be the aggressor.
She had not been heard from since August 26.
As cops searched for the missing 22-year-old - who was eventually found dead at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming - Laundrie's parents reported him missing.
They said he had gone to take a walk at a local nature preserve, where his remains were found on October 20 after an extensive search of the Carlton Preserve.
Police also recovered a notebook belonging to Brian, along with a backpack and a dry bag containing some of his personal items from Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
The contents of the notebook, which investigators claimed were salvageable, have yet to be made public.
