Identification by dental records means body likely eaten away by alligators & crabs, ex cop says

THE skeletal human remains found during the search for Brian Laundrie on Wednesday were likely snacked on by alligators and other creatures as a body wouldn’t decompose that quickly naturally, a former detective has said.

A backpack and notebook belonging to Laundrie were found by police near human remains at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, near the Calton Reserve, yesterday that were today confirmed to be the 23-year-old.

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While law enforcement shared very few details, two sources told local media on Thursday that the remains found were skeletal, consisting of a series of bones and a portion of a human skull.

The remains, and the articles belonging to Brian, were found in a stretch of land inside the 24-000 acre park that until recently had been submerged in floodwaters.

But Tom Joyce, a retired NYPD commander, exclusively told The Sun that the remains have likely suffered “a lot of post mortem predation.”

“If the remains are skeletal, that means the tissue has been pulled away from the bones,” Joyce said. “Most likely by alligators, crabs, fish and stuff like that.

“That’s what it sounds like to me because it’s definitely not long enough time for it to go naturally.”

He added: “If it’s only a three to four week period and there are only skeletal remains and very limited tissue remaining, I would have to say there’s a lot a lot of activity that pulls all the skin and flesh and muscle and stuff away.”

Laundrie was reported missing by his parents on September 17.

Typically, Joyce says, that in the first couple of days of a body being submerged in water, the hands start to swell.

“After five or six days the skin starts to separate a little and putrefaction sets in. This is where the bacterias and microorganisms inside the body cause it to explode and blow up,” he explained.

“This can also affect whether a body floats or sinks, which in turn affects how a body will decompose.”

Joyce continued by saying that medical examiners may not be able to actually determine Brian’s cause of death.

“Realistically, there are three things that could’ve happened,” the retired NYPD Lieutenant Commander of Detectives said.

“He could’ve died accidentally, or by natural causes in the area because he ran out of food and maybe he was attacked by an animal.

“He could have committed suicide, or even potentially been the victim of a homicide.

“So let’s say he killed himself and they find the skull, and it has a gunshot wound to the head. They can tell entry and exit [of the bullet]. And if it’s not reasonable, like let’s say the entry is in the back of the head and the exits in the front of the head that tells a whole different story than, you know, a shot to a temple, or from under the chin, or from inside the mouth.”

But if the death was caused by toxic substance abuse or an injury at tissue level, such as a cut or even asphyxiation, Joyce says that will be much harder to detect.

“Considering the latest developments, the investigators have a lot of work still to do in this case,” he said.

“Sometimes the case will end up in what we at the NYPD called a ‘CUPPY’: circumstances under pending police investigation.

“Sometimes, the medical examiner can’t make a ruling. It’s just something that might happen. And so in that case they can’t say it’s a homicide. They can’t say it’s a suicide. They can’t say it’s accidental. They can’t say it was an animal attack – they might not be able to.”

The FBI confirmed the identification of the remains in a statement on Thursday.

“On October 21, 2021, a comparison of dental records confirmed that the human remains found at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park are those of Brian Laundrie,” it read.

CHILLING CONFIRMATION

Brian’s parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, were present when the FBI discovered the remains.

They were then asked to leave the park as investigators continued combing the area.

The Laundries were later informed by police that they were confirmed to be their son.

Brian had been on the run since September 13, two days after Gabby Petito was reported missing by her mother in New York.

Her remains were discovered at a campsite in Teton County, Wyoming on September 19.

A coroner later ruled that she had been strangled to death by a “human force” and that she’d been killed between three to four weeks before she was found.

The pair had been on a cross-country road trip touring the US’ national parks at the time of Gabby’s death.

Brian had not been named as a suspect but is the only named person of interest in the case.

He returned home to Florida without her on September 1 in the couple’s repurposed van before disappearing himself 12 days later.

Brian’s parents initially claimed to have last seen him on September 14 but later revised that date in a statement issued through their attorney.

After finally reporting him missing on September 17, they told police they had driven to the reserve in search of him.

While they say they didn’t find Brian, they did find his silver Ford Mustang and drove it back to their home before contacting the cops the next day.

They refused to cooperate with police for weeks before joining them to search Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on Wednesday morning.

The discovery of the remains and Laundrie’s belongings was made less than 90 minutes after they arrived at the park.

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