Brian Laundrie Update: Gabby Petito's Family Breaks Silence, Tweets Tributes to Daughter After His Autopsy Report Was Released
Gabby Petito's mom, Nicole Schmidt, has broken her silence days after it was ruled that Brian Laundrie died by suicide.
She tweeted a tribute for Petito on Thanksgiving Day, saying that her daughter will always remind her to be grateful for "every moment, every breath, and every memory."
Schmidt noted that she will always cherish what they had and "have in the present, always." She added that she learned from her daughter to "live with love, laughter and gratitude."
Schmidt included an image of a mountain range in her tweet, which the Gabby Petito Foundation uploaded on Instagram, The Sun reported.
The Gabby Petito Foundation was launched in late September, shortly after federal officials confirmed the death of Brian Laundrie's fiancee.
Petito's family formed the foundation to address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons. The foundation also aims to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.
Schmidt earlier said, "the foundation is a way of us grieving, and getting through this." She noted that justice for them was helping others, especially the victims of domestic violence, and making the world a better place.
"For me, it means preventing this from happening to someone else... That's what we're trying to do here. And that's justice, for me, it's helping others," she added.
Also, on Thanksgiving Day, Petito's dad, Joe Petito, tweeted that they miss his daughter. Joe said his daughter should have been with them, but all they have now "are the pictures," ABC 7 reported.
Petito's stepfather, Jim Schmidt, has paid Thanksgiving tribute to his family, including her stepdaughter. Aside from Petito, Jim also lost his mother and grandmother this year.
"Went to visit mom today. Our first thanksgiving without her, grandma, and Gabby. I miss you all immensely. I know you are all together watching over us. Life is truly a gift and love every minute of it. Be present in every moment with your family, and live life to the fullest," he tweeted.
According to Jim, his mom passed away in April after battling pancreatic cancer for 11 months, and he lost his grandmother "a week" after Petito's service.
Members of Petito's family shared their tweets a few days after their family lawyer noted that they would not be commenting on Laundrie's autopsy results.
READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie's Autopsy by Forensic Anthropologist Showed That He Died of Suicide
Attorney of Gabby Petito's Family Hints of More People to Be Charged
Following the medical examiner's announcement about Brian Laundrie's autopsy on Tuesday, Gabby Petito's family attorney said prosecutors were considering charging more individuals in the case.
In a statement, attorney Richard Stafford noted that Petito's family was asked not to make any comments as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) continued with its investigation.
He said the family was also asked to wait for the United States Attorney's Office and the Teton County Prosecutor's Office "to make a determination on whether any additional individuals will be charged."
"When that determination is made, we will have a statement," the lawyer noted. According to Stafford, the Schmidt-Petito family was already aware of "the circumstances surrounding the suicide of the sole suspect" in Petito's murder.
Meanwhile, the attorney for the family of Brian Laundrie believes that Laundrie's parents would not be charged with any crimes in connection with Petito's killing.
Lawyer Steven Bertolino told Insider on Wednesday that he has "no reason to believe" that Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta, would be charged with any crimes concerning "this case."
Brian Laundrie's Autopsy Results
The autopsy report released on Tuesday said Brian Laundrie died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide.
According to Bertolino, Laundrie owned a gun, and one pistol was missing from the family home after cops told them to turn over all their firearms.
Bertolino said the elder Laundries are still mourning the loss of their son and hoping that the findings will bring closure to both families, NBC New York reported.
The lawyer noted that Laundrie would not be laid to rest with a traditional funeral. Bertolino said what's left of his body will be cremated and held onto privately by his family.
Laundrie's partial skeletal remains were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida on October 20. The remains were confirmed to belong to him after a "comparison to known dental records."
The initial autopsy of Laundrie's remains did not uncover a cause or manner of his death, so the remains were sent to a forensic anthropologist for further examination.
Brian Laundrie was named a person of interest by the North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family.
Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.
On September 19, Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said Gabby Petito was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
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