THE partial human remains found in the search for Brian Laundrie were located in an area that was previously under water at the Carlton Reserve in Florida.
The FBI confirmed the discovery but did not confirm whether the remains belonged to Brian Laundrie.
Authorities said a backpack and notebook believed to Laundrie’s were found near the area.
The park will remain closed as investigators work over the next several days, the FBI said.
It is a month since Gabby Petito’s remains were found in Wyoming.
It comes after Laundrie’s parents found items they believe belonged to him as they joined the hunt in the creek.
Earlier this week, Gabby Petito’s fiancé was possibly captured by surveillance video cycling over rough terrain, a local resident claims.
He told TMZ the footage shows a man who looks like 23-year-old Laundrie pass through the outskirts of his property in Dunnellon on October 9.
The small Florida town is three hours north of Laundrie’s home in North Port.
Read our Brian Laundrie live blog for the latest news and updates…
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REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION
The remains found in the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday are still being identified and it is not clear if they are human or animal, ABC reports.
“A law enforcement source tells ABC News that investigators are working to determine whether remains discovered at a Florida environmental park are human remains and whether those remains and other articles discovered at the site are related to the disappearance of Brian,” it said.
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REPORTED BELONGINGS AND REMAINS ‘PREVIOUSLY SUBMERGED’
According to reports, partial human remains found on Wednesday were in an area previously submerged.
A backpack was also reportedly found nearby.
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GABBY’S FAMILY HAS NOT YET SPOKEN
Gabby Petito’s family has not yet spoken after reports that partial human remains have been found in the search for Brian Laundrie.
The family has previously said that they hoped Laundrie would be found alive.
He is only a person of interest in Gabby’s murder.
The remains reportedly found on Wednesday have not been identified.
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SCENE ESTABLISHED IN SEARCH FOR BRIAN
A spokesperson for the Sarasota County Medical Examiner told The Sun that their office was also called to the scene on Wednesday.
A large white tent was set up in a forested area shortly afterward, close to where the articles belonging to Laundrie were found.
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LAUNDRIE FAMILY ATTORNEY ON FINDING OF REMAINS
Family attorney Steven Bertolino said “no comment” when asked about whether a body was found in the search for Brian on Wednesday morning.
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LAUNDRIE’S PARENTS ‘UPSET’
In video footage captured by Fox News, Roberta and Chris are seen speaking with a police officer on a hiking trail in Myakkahatchee Creek early on Wednesday morning.
While much of the conversation is inaudible, the officer at one stage seems to tell them “we’ve found something” and advises the pair to go home.
The officer places his hand on Chris Laundrie’s shoulder during the exchange. Roberta then turns to face him and wipes his cheek.
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WHAT WAS FOUND AT THE RESERVE TODAY?
Speculation was mounting online as to what “articles” of Brian Laundrie’s were found by investigators inside a Florida nature reserve on Wednesday in a crucial development in the search for the fugitive.
His parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were at the 24,000-acre park assisting with a police search when a number of unspecified articles belonging to Laundrie were found.
The FBI announced in a press conference that they discovered backpack and a notebook that belonged to Brian Laundrie.
The articles were carried away from the scene in a white plastic bag that appeared to be partially torn.
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BRIAN’S PARENTS HAD JOINED THE SEARCH ON WEDNESDAY
The same day police found partial human remains in the search for Brian Laundrie, his parents Chris and Roberta had joined the search at the creek, as it was closed again just one day after being reopened to the public.
In video footage captured by Fox News, Roberta and Chris are seen speaking with a police officer on a hiking trail in Myakkahatchee Creek.
While much of the conversation is inaudible, the officer at one stage seems to tell them “we’ve found something” and advises the pair to go home.
The officer places his hand on Chris Laundrie’s shoulder during the exchange. Roberta then turns to face him and wipes his cheek.
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NO CONFIRMATION
The FBI did not confirm whether the human remains found in the Carlton Reserve on Monday were those of Brian Laundrie.
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NO ADDITIONAL COMMENT
The FBI special agent did not take questions and said the investigation in the area where the body was found will last several days, and the Carlton Reserve will remain close to the public.
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FBI SPEAKS ON HUMANS REMAINS FOUND IN SEARCH
The FBI has announced investigators found what appeared to be human remains in the Carlton Reserve.
Near the remains was also a backpack and a notebook that belonged to Brian Laundrie.
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HUMAN REMAINS FOUND IN AREA ‘PREVIOUSLY UNDER WATER’
Authorities have said the partial human remains found were in an area “previously under water.”
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SECOND TENT ERECTED
A second white tent was erected inside Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The section of grassland was tapped off by police.
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LAUNDRIE PARENTS ‘TORTURED’
Steven Bertolino, the lawyer representing Brian Laundrie’s parents, has told Insider that “they are being tortured in their own home by these protesters outside” as the public continues to linger around their property during the search for their fugitive son.
Bertolino added that Chris and Roberta Laundrie “are being followed when performing basic tasks like food shopping” and that “and all of the foregoing is occurring when they have no idea whether their son is alive or not.”
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K9 DOGS SEEN ENTERING PARK
A large police presence was observed at the park across Wednesday.
K9 Cadaver dogs were deployed as part of the search.
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CRUCIAL UPDATE
Wednesday’s discovery marks the first firm update in the search for Laundrie for several weeks.
Laundrie has been on the run since September 13, two days after Gabby Petito was reported missing by her mother in New York.
Her remains were discovered at a campsite in Teton County, Wyoming on September 19.
A coroner later ruled that she had been strangled to death by a “human force” and that she’d been killed between three to four weeks before she was found.
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FAA LIMITS TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction over the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The restriction was put in place shortly after personal items of Laundrie’s and “partial human remains” were found inside the park.
The order means that no aircraft, including drones, are allowed to fly in the 10-mile diameter area above the park.
Prior to the restriction, local news station helicopters had been providing live aerial footage.
The restriction will be in place until at least 4pm on October 22.
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‘NO COMMENT’
When asked by The Sun whether Brian’s body had been found by police, Laundry family attorney Steven Bertolino said “no comment.”
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie went to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park this morning to search for Brian.
“The FBI and NPPD were informed last night of Brian’s parents’ intentions and they met Chris and Roberta there this morning after a brief search off a trail that Brian frequented some articles belonging to Brian were found.
“As of now law enforcement is conducting a more thorough investigation of that area,” he added.
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PETITO LAWYER SPEAKS
Richard Stafford, a lawyer for the Petito family, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday afternoon that he had just returned to his office from court and hadn’t yet absorbed the news.
A request for comment left by The Sun has not yet been returned.
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FBI UPDATE
The FBI has confirmed that it will give an update on the Brian Laundrie case at 4.30pm.
FBI Tampa said it will “make a statement concerning today’s developments in the search for Brian Laundrie”
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LAUNDRIE PARENTS UPSET
Chris and Roberta Laundrie were reportedly upset as they left the Carlton Reserve early on Wednesday morning.
They have stayed at home since items of interest were found in the search for their 23-year-old son.
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‘SUSPECTED HUMAN REMAINS’
According to CBS News, law enforcement officials claim the items of interest found on Wednesday are “suspected human remains.”
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LAUNDRIE HOUSE QUIET
The Laundrie family home remained quiet on Wednesday afternoon after items belonging to Brian were reportedly found in the search for Gabby Petito’s fugitive fiance.
Roberta and Chris Laundrie have not been seen since they left the creek where the items were found this morning.
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IS BACKPACK LINKED?
It remains unclear if the backpack reportedly found near “partial remains” in the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday is linked to the “items of interest” found in the search for Brian Laundrie the same day.
Chris and Roberta Laundrie reportedly found a dark object and a white bag as they searched for their son.
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‘REMAINS BEING INVESTIGATED’
The remains found in the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday are still being identified and it is not clear if they are human or animal, ABC reports.
“A law enforcement source tells ABC News that investigators are working to determine whether remains discovered at a Florida environmental park are human remains and whether those remains and other articles discovered at the site are related to the disappearance of Brian,” it said.