Gabby Petito: Remains found in reserve confirmed as boyfriend Brian Laundrie
Remains found in the search for Gabby Petito's boyfriend Brian Laundrie have been confirmed to belong to the missing man.
Laundrie was a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend, who was found strangled after he returned from the couple's cross-country road-trip without her.
Laundrie remains were found in a Florida nature reserve on Wednesday, alongside a backpack and notebook, according to the FBI.
The area where they were found had previously been under water during earlier searches.
A massive search had been launched for Laundrie, 23, after he went missing following 22-year-old Ms Petito's disappearance.
The FBI needed to use dental records to identify the remains as belonging to Laundrie.
A lawyer for his parents, Steve Bertolino, confirmed in a statement they were told the remains were those of their son.
“We have no further comment at this time and we ask that you respect the Laundries' privacy at this time,” the statement said.
The discovery of the remains concluded a massive search involving federal, state and local law enforcement that began shortly after Laundrie disappeared on September 14, two weeks after he returned alone to his parents’ home without Ms Petito.
She was reported missing on September 11, launching a search that garnered worldwide media attention and focused largely on the Carlton Reserve wilderness park near the Laundries’ home.
It is a densely wooded, swampy area that is home to alligators, coyotes, bobcats, snakes and numerous other creatures.
The FBI statement did not list a cause of death. It wasn't clear how long the remains may have been submerged in water.
The intense focus on Ms Petito’s case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing indigenous women and other people of colour.
The body of Ms Petito was found on September 19 on the edge of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited.
The coroner there concluded she died of strangulation and her body had been where it was found for three or four weeks.
The couple, who met as teens, had embarked on a van trip across the US, which they documented on social media.
Miss Petito's disappearance sparked international interest, as police bodycam footage emerged of the tearful young woman speaking to police on their trip after they were stopped during an altercation.
The investigation into Petito's death is not yet concluded.
Laundrie is charged in a federal Wyoming indictment with unauthorised use of a debit card, which would have allowed his arrest if he was found alive.
It alleges Laundrie used a card and someone’s personal identification number to make unauthorised withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 (£725).
It does not say to whom the card belonged or what type of charges were made.