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TAMPA, Fla. — Brian Laundrie, the suspect in the death of Gabby Petito, whose body was discovered in Wyoming last year, in a case that captivated the nation, wrote that he "ended her life" in a note before he took his own life.
Laundrie's last note was released to the public through a family attorney on Friday, WFLA reports. In the notebook, Laundrie makes unverified statements regarding what led up to the death of the Petito. The water-logged notebook had been found by Laundrie's body in Florida.
Laundrie's body was found in Sarasota, Florida in November of last year. A medical examiner determined that Laundrie had committed suicide.
The notebook was in the possession of the FBI since it was turned over to them. The agency had been working to preserve the contents of the notebook, according to WFLA.
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told CNN in October that the agency was using experts who work to "recover the writing and the ink marks, and potentially fingerprints, and all sorts of potentially relevant pieces of evidence," when handling items like Laundrie's notebook.
In the notebook, Laundrie wrote he had regret for taking away opportunities to spend more time with Petito.
"I'm so very sorry to (Petito's) family because I love them," Laundrie wrote, according to the Florida TV station.
Laundrie continues to write that Petito's death was the result of "an unexpected tragedy" while Petito and Laundrie spent a portion of their cross-country trip in Utah's national parks.
"Rushing back to our car trying to cross the streams of (illegible) before it got too dark to see, too cold. I hear a splash and a scream. I could barely see. I couldn't find her for a moment, shouted her name," he wrote. "I found her breathing heavily, gasping (illegible.) She was freezing cold.
Laundrie then claimed that sometime after he pulled Petito from the water he "ended her life" in an act he described as "merciful."
There is no evidence backing Laundrie's claims about the killing. A medical examiner ruled that Petito died by strangulation. Her body was found in Teton County, Wyoming in September of last year.
A full transcript of the note can be found at WFLA.
Domestic violence resources
Help for people in abusive relationships can be found by contacting:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition: Utah's confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah's statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
