Gabby Petito Case: Brian Laundrie Body Decomposed Quickly For This Reason

Following a month of searches and questions about what actually happened between him and his former fiancee, Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie’s remains were officially recovered in a Florida park on Oct. 20. However, while some questioned if the remains could really be his, experts are now sharing that the level of decomposition should have been expected.

In an interview with the US Sun, Forensic anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle confirmed that a number of factors likely led to Laundrie’s body decomposing rather quickly, which may have led to authorities only discovering a partial human skull and bones.

“Human remains exposed on the open ground surface, with free access by predators and the heat can decompose in as little as a week in Florida,” she told the publication. “While water will slow the process down a little, it is still common to see skeletonization in less than two weeks.”

Despite the remains, which were found in Myakkahatchee Creek Park, in an area which had previously been submerged in water, being positively identified by comparing teeth found at the scene to Laundrie’s dental records, an autopsy remained inconclusive about the cause, manner and time of death.

Still, Kimmerle suggested that further investigation by a forensic anthropologist would help narrow that information down, and could also help determine how much of the decomposition was caused by time and how much was caused by wild animals.

“Skeletal remains often show damage due to vultures, possums and other scavengers; however, such damage is easily distinguished from injuries resulting from inflicted trauma,” she said.

Laundrie’s body was discovered just one month after Petito’s body was found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, eight days after she was reported missing by her mother. Her cause of death was determined to be homicide by strangulation. Though Laundrie was never officially named as a suspect, he was the sole person of interest in the case and wanted for fraudulent use of someone else’s debit card.

Unfortunately, with Laundrie also deceased, it’s unclear if answers will ever come for Petito’s family or those who followed the case religiously since her disappearance made headlines in September. Most recently, it’s been stated that the fight Laundrie got into with staff at the Merry Piglets restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Aug. 27 could potentially hold the key to determining when Petito died, as that was the last time she was officially seen alive.