On Wednesday, authorities in Floridafound Laundrie’s remainsin Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where they’d been looking for the 23-year-old for more than a month.
Laundrie had been missing for more than a month, having last been seen six days beforePetito’s body was found in Wyoming’sGrand Teton National Parkon Sept. 19.
Petito, 22,died from strangulationwhile on a two-month-long, cross-country road trip with Laundrie. He was named a person of interest in her disappearance on Sept. 15 — after returning home alone in Petito’s van on Sept. 1 without her, say authorities.
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Though Laundrie is dead, many unanswered questions remain.
Here are what legal experts say are authorities' next steps:
Solving Petito’s Homicide
Despite the assumption of many that Laundrie killed Petito, former FBI special agent Stuart Kaplan, who is now an attorney, tells PEOPLE the case is still open, legally.
Local and state authorities in Florida and Wyoming are still working with the FBI to figure out exactly what happened to the couple who were traveling around the countrydocumenting their adventures on YouTube.
“I think that the FBI is coordinating local law enforcement’s efforts,” says Kaplan.
Investigating Laundrie’s Cause of Death
Ascertaining Laundrie’s cause of death will be challenging because his remains were found in an area that was previously underwater.
Dental records confirmed thathuman remains found last weekbelong to Laundrie.
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“That seems to make it that much more difficult, because you’re now asking someone to try to piece together, potentially, the cause of death,” says Kaplan. “Obviously with the degradation or the decomposition of the body, we may never know the actual cause of death.
Reviewing Evidence Found With Laundrie’s Remains
While authorities wait for answers from the anthropologist, they are also closely examining “documents, paperwork and other items” that were found at the scene of Laundrie’s death, says Michael Bachner, a former Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office who is now a defense lawyer.
“It’s not unusual where someone commits suicide as a result of either guilt or stress to leave some type of a note, either apologizing or explaining,” he says.
Charges Against Laundrie’s Parents ‘Unlikely’: Expert
Initially, Laundrie’s parents refused to meet with the FBI to discuss Petito’s missing persons case, referring them instead to attorney Bertolino, a longtime family friend.
Bachner says he thinks it’s “unlikely that the Laundrie family would be subject to any type of prosecution on this, of course, depending on the gravity of what authorities find,” he says. “They may find nothing at all.”
source: people.com
