Here's What Brian Laundrie Family Attorney Knows so Far on FBI Probe Related to Notebook Found Near Remains
The attorney for Brian Laundrie's family said the notebook found near his remains was not linked to his parents' petition to access his estate.
On Tuesday, NewsNation reported that Laundrie's parents were trying to get the notebook back. It was reportedly part of the formal proceedings to control their son's estate.
But lawyer Steven Bertolino told Fox News Wednesday that the notebook was not included in elder Laundrie's petition to gain access to their son's estate, specifically the $20,000 in his Bank of America account.
"The petition is simply to administer his estate, which is primarily the bank account... The return of property by law enforcement is separate," Bertolino said.
Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, perhaps wanted to know if their son wrote anything in the notebook related to his last wishes since he did not leave a will.
According to Bertolino, the notebook was still in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI took the item after they found it during their search at the Carlton Reserve in Florida.
Fox News reported that the FBI is declining to say whether it plans to turn over the notebook and other items recovered near Laundrie's body.
Bertolino said the FBI has yet to tell the elder Laundries whether investigators found anything pertinent to the case in the notebook. He added that the FBI did not also say if what they recovered is even legible after spending weeks in the swamp.
Laundrie's parents filed the request in Sarasota County, Florida last December 8 to gain access to their son's estate as beneficiaries since he did not have a will. Records showed that they submitted their son's death certificate in court together with the details about his bank accounts and property.
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Gabby Petito's Mom Files Claim For Daughter's Belongings at Brian Laundrie's Home
Gabby Petito's mom, Nichole Schmidt, has filed a petition requesting to obtain all of her late daughter's possessions from Brian Laundrie's home in North Port, Florida. Nichole's request comes as part of the elder Laundries' petition to collect access to their son's estate.
Court records showed that Petito's mom filed a statement in Sarasota County on December 28 regarding Laundrie's estate battle. However, it does not state any specific items of Petito's that she wanted to collect.
"The basis for the claim is possession or control of personal property of Gabby Petito," Nichole's claim reads. It added that "the amount of the claim is unknown and is both now due and will become due on the release of personal property."
The request further noted that "the claim is contingent or unliquidated because it is unknown if the decedent's final photos, videos and words are contained in the property."
Bertolino earlier said that he and Rick Stafford, Petito's family attorney, were "trying to work this out cordially." He noted that the Laundrie family would not challenge Nichole's claim. He said Petito's belongings at Laundrie's home would be given to her family "without contest."
Gabby Petito lived at the Florida home with Brian Laundrie for two years before taking off on their cross-country road trip.
Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito's Death
Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. They were traveling to Oregon when the Petito stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.
Laundrie was named a person of interest by the North Port police after returning home alone on September 1 or 10 days before Petito was reported missing by her family.
A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said Petito was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide.
The partial skeletal remains found at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20 were confirmed to belong to Laundrie after a review of dental records. According to the autopsy report, Laundrie died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide.
Brian Laundrie was never charged in connection with Gabby Petito's murder. But an arrest warrant was issued for him for allegedly using Petito's debit card after her death.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Could Brian Laundrie's Notebook be Returned to His Family? - From WFLA News Channel 8