After weeks of searching, the Brian Laundrie manhunt may finally be coming to a close. But not everyone is happy with the outcome.
As we previously reported, Wednesday saw a major break in the case when human remains were found in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida. The FBI has not yet confirmed that the remains belong to Brian, but Special Agent Michael McPherson confirmed that a backpack and notebook of Brian’s were found nearby.
Related: Brian’s Co-Worker Says He Was ‘Possessive’ Of Gabby, Could Be A ‘Chameleon’
The evidence may indicate that Brian died sometime after his fiancée, Gabby Petito. As one might imagine, her loved ones were hoping for a different outcome — and they’ll be disappointed if that is indeed the case.
Gabby’s friend Alyssa Chen told People:
“If Brian is dead, the problem is that no one will ever really know what happened or why it happened.”
She added:
“We’ll never have answers. That’s why I want him to be alive, because we won’t get answers otherwise. It’ll be a double tragedy for him to be dead.”
Ben Matula, a friend from their high school in Long Island, New York, agreed. He shared with the outlet:
“If it’s him, he didn’t want to face the music. He had a lot of things he had to account for, and he can’t do that if he’s dead. Except to God. If he’s meeting his maker, I hope he got things right before he died. But death is the easy way out.”
Wow. Strong words.
Ben concluded:
“I actually hope it’s not him, because that means he never has to answer for what happened to Gabby.”
Related: Gabby’s Parents Believed Brian Would ‘Take Care Of Her’ During Road Trip
In a previous statement to People following the announcement of Gabby’s cause of death, Matula didn’t mince words:
“If Brian strangled her, I hope he burns in hell. That’s all I have to say.”
Unfortunately, many questions still remain unanswered in this case, starting with yesterday’s discovery of human remains — they may belong to Brian, but several other bodies have been found throughout the search that were unconnected to the case. As her friends have noted, there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding Gabby’s last days. And there are also still suspicions swirling about Brian’s parents and whether they helped their son evade law enforcement. (Could it be a coincidence that the day Chris and Roberta Laundrie finally joined the search, there was a major discovery?)
It’s unclear how many of these questions will get answers… if any of them. For the sake of Gabby’s friends and family, we hope there’s still an explanation out there.
[Image via Joseph Petito/Gabby Petito/Instagram]
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