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Brian Laundrie's notebook found in flooded area may still be 'salvageable', say cops

At the time when the notebook was found, Laundries' family attorney Steven Bertolino said he did not know what was inside the notebook

According to the police, Brian Laundrie's notebook, which was found in a Florida park, along with partial human remains and his backpack, on October 20, "maybe salvageable." The notebook might be the key to solving the mystery behind the disappearance and strangulation death of Laundrie's girlfriend, Gabby Petito. 

Earlier, the FBI had confirmed that Laundrie's belongings, which also included a notebook were recovered from Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, near the Carlton Reserve in North Port, Florida. "Earlier today investigators found what appears to be human remains along with personal items, such as backpack and notebook, belonging to Brian Laundrie," Tampa-based Special Agent Michael McPherson said at the time. "These items were found in an area that up until recently had been underwater. I know you have a lot of questions, but we don't have all the answers yet. We're working diligently to get those answers for you."

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North Port Police Department Public Information Officer Josh Taylor recently told Fox News Digital, when asked about the condition of the notebook and whether any of the writing inside was legible, "It appears it may be salvageable. That really is a question for FBI though." The authorities also added that it has "no new information" to share "at this time." 

Notebook found in ripped backpack

At the time when the notebook was found and pictures of the bag in which it was found went viral on the internet, social media users were doubtful that the notebook would be intact and identifiable, specifically because it was inside a backpack that appears to be ripped. Laundries' family attorney Steven Bertolino said he did not know what was inside the notebook or whether it was inside the dry bag when Chris and Roberta Laundrie discovered it after joining with the FBI's search for their son at the nature reserve.

At the time, he said, “Some articles belonging to Brian were found.” In another statement, he added, “Chris and Roberta Laundrie were at the reserve earlier today when human remains and some of Brian’s possessions were located in an area where they had initially advised law enforcement that Brian may be. Chris and Roberta will wait for the forensic identification of the human remains before making any additional comments.” 

The 23-year-old boyfriend of Petito frequently shared photos of his artwork, on his Instagram page. Most of the designs appeared to be done on paper. However, it is unclear whether the notebook recovered from the park contains any artwork or writing.

Laundrie, the boyfriend of 22-year-old vlogger Gabby Petito, had reportedly not been seen since September 14 and was confirmed 'missing' on September 17. This led police to search the nearby Carlton Reserve for Laundrie, the person of interest in Petito's death case, whose remains were found at a Wyoming Park by the authorities. The case began drawing national interest after Brian returned home to Florida on September 1 without his girlfriend after a cross-country road trip. On October 21, the FBI confirmed that the partial skeletal remains recovered from the park a day earlier were Laundrie's after comparing his dental records.