Gabi Pettito’s friend confessed to killing her in a notebook, says FBI

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The FBI announced that the friend of American blogger Gabi Pettito confessed to killing him in a notebook discovered near his body in a swamp in Florida.

It was the first time that authorities blamed Pettito’s death on Brian Laundry, even though he was the prime suspect all along.

Meanwhile, investigators announced that Laundry, 23, had intentionally sent text messages to trick people that Pettito, 22, was still alive after he beat and strangled her in late August, according to a statement from the Denver FBI.

“All reasonable investigative steps in this case have been completed,” Michael Schneider, the FBI special agent in charge of the Denver division, said in the statement.

“The investigation has not identified any individuals other than Brian Laundry directly involved in the tragic death of Gabi Pettito.”

The heartbroken Mrs. Pettito speaks to the police after she got into a fight with Laundry. Her body was found a month later. Credit: Moab Police Department via Associated Press

Mrs. Pettito’s body was found on September 19 at a campground near Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming.

The coroner determined that she died about three weeks ago from “severe head and neck injuries, with manual strangulation.”

Laundry returned home to Florida in early September but disappeared soon after. In October, his parents found an item that belonged to him in a nature reserve near their home.

Further digging revealed Laundry’s remains, a pistol, a backpack and a notebook. Medical examiners determined that Londry died of gunshot wounds.

The FBI has not determined exactly what Laundry wrote in the notebook and in the texts he sent to mislead. The text messages were sent between Laundry’s phone and Ms Pettito’s, according to the statement.

“The timing and content of these messages indicate that Mr. Laundry is attempting to deceive law enforcement authorities by giving the impression that Pettito is still alive,” the statement read.

The Grand Teton was the last place the couple visited during a cross-country truck trip last summer that ended with Laundrie mysteriously returning home alone in the car.

The couple documented their journey on Instagram. They crossed Colorado and on August 12 they were stopped by police in Moab, Utah, after the two got into a fight.

Police video showed Ms Pettito describing a battle that escalated. Police concluded that Ms. Pettito was the assailant, but officers decided to separate them overnight rather than press charges.

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