FBI confirms human remains are those of Brian Laundrie

Updated 10:38 p.m. ET, October 21, 2021

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6:11 p.m. ET, October 21, 2021

Notebook found at scene is "possibly salvageable," source says

From CNN’s Randi Kaye

A notebook that was discovered on Wednesday, along with a backpack and human remains, is “possibly salvageable,” Aasource with knowledge of the Brian Laundrie investigation told CNN.

The source said the notebook was “outside of the dry bag.”

“It had been clearly wet and they are going to use any potential means to dry that out before opening it,” the source said, adding, “They’ll be very careful with it.”

The source said it is unclear how the notebook ended up outside the “dry bag.”

The Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, said Brian Laundrie’s father, Chris Laundrie, had discovered the dry bag while searching yesterday with law enforcement. It’s unclear who found the notebook.

6:34 p.m. ET, October 21, 2021

Law enforcement is working with "very, very difficult conditions" in Laundrie search

North Port police block the entrance to the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20 in North Port, Florida. (Chris O'Meara/AP)

Authorities said that law enforcement is dealing with "treacherous conditions" as they continue the Brian Laundrie search in a Florida nature reserve.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said there are "water levels up above almost the chest area," plus rattlesnakes and alligators.

"I know everybody wants to know exactly what's going on every second possible. ... But we'll never, never jeopardize an investigation to give that information out until the time is right," Marceno said.

"Things change by the second, by the minute. These are very, very difficult conditions. I mean, you're searching in areas that you just can't walk up and look. It's not like you're searching a house or a car. These areas are huge, and they're covered by water," Marceno said.

5:44 p.m. ET, October 21, 2021

Brian Laundrie's parents were at the reserve when human remains were found, attorney says

Brian Laundrie’s parents were at the reserve when human remains and some of their son's possessions were located Wednesday, family attorney Steve Bertolino told CNN.

Earlier Wednesday, the FBI said they found what appear to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Laundrie.

The apparent remains have not been identified.

“Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brian’s possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be,” Bertolino said. “Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments.”

6:32 p.m. ET, October 21, 2021

Human remains were found in the search for Brian Laundrie yesterday. Here's what you need know.

Officials found "what appears to be human remains" in a Florida nature reserve during Wednesday's search for Brian Laundrie, FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson announced.

Laundrie, the fiancé of Gabby Petito, was last seen by his parents 37 days ago. His disappearance came after Petito was reported missing in the wake of a road trip through the Western US. Her body was found last month.

Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's discovery and the case:

Items found in a previously underwater area: McPherson said investigators found what appear to be human remains, along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook, belonging to Laundrie, in a Florida reserve. The items were found in an area that, up until recently, had been underwater.
Laundrie's parents were on the scene: Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were in the park when the discovery took place, family attorney Steve Bertolino said. "Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brian's possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be," Bertolino said Wednesday. "Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments."
How we got here: Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, traveled around the western US in a white van this summer, all while regularly posting photos and stories to their social media pages. Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, though, and Laundrie then returned by himself to their home in North Point, where they lived with his parents, on Sept. 1. Laundrie declined to cooperate with the investigation into her whereabouts, and soon after, he also went missing. Petito's remains were found in a national forest in Wyoming on Sept. 19 near where the couple had last been seen together. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide and said that she died by manual strangulation.