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Internet dives into theory about Brian Laundrie's mom's role in his death as she steps out in his Mustang

Roberta Laundrie drove Brian Laundrie's silver Ford Mustang while heading to face Gabby Petito's attorney

NORTH PORT, FLORIDA: Brian Laundrie's silver Ford Mustang, which was left parked at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park from where his remains were found in 2021, is reportedly with his parents Roberta and Christopher Laundrie at present.

As per photos obtained by Fox News, Laundrie’s parents took the same silver Ford Mustang convertible as they stepped out of their North Port, Florida, home around 8 AM on Wednesday, October 11, to face his former late fiance Gabby Petito's attorney. 

Laundrie reportedly parked the vehicle at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park the night he snuck out with a waterproof bag and one of his father’s pistols, the outlet reported.

According to the publication, Petito-Schmidt family lawyer Patrick Reilly grilled Roberta on October 11 after deposing her husband, Christopher, on Tuesday, October 10.

Roberta and Chritopher's latest sightings prompted web sleuths to share their own theories about the alleged possible role of Laundrie's parents in his suicide. 

What happened to Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito?

Petito and her fiance, Laundrie, went on a cross-country trip in a van in July 2021 but the former went missing on August 27. 

Laundrie drove Petito's van and appeared at his parents' Florida home on September 1, 2021, days after strangling and bludgeoning Petito to death in the Grand Teton National Forest.

At the time Laundrie was declared a 'person of interest' in the case. However, Laundrie's family went camping near St Petersburg but remained silent about Petito’s disappearance. 

The Laundries also refused to cooperate with the police after Petito's mother filed a missing person report on September 11, that same year.

Laundrie's parents reported him missing on September 17 and said they had not seen him since he left for a hike at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on September 14, 2021.

Petito's remains were found in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest and an autopsy revealed she was killed by manual strangulation and "blunt force injuries to the head and neck."

Following over a month of a massive manhunt for Laundrie, his skeletal remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, on October 20, 2021. 

The following month a medical examiner revealed that Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

On January 21, 2022, the FBI announced that Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in a notebook found near his remains. 

How did authorities find Brian Laundrie's Ford Mustang? 

As per NBC 2, officers said Laundrie took a backpack and told his family he was heading out for a hike at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on September 14.

He reportedly drove the Mustang to the preserve before he went missing. That same day, one of Laundrie's family members picked up the Mustang from the park and drove it back to their home on Wassabo Avenue. 

Authorities reportedly found Laundrie's abandoned Ford Mustang 16 miles away from the Carlton Reserve, where his parents claimed he went hiking the last time they saw him.

According to a redacted abandoned vehicle report from September 14 obtained by The Sun, the car was found at 6968 Reisterstown Road in the Myakkahatchee Environmental Park in Florida.

The information came a day after Laundrie's parents changed the timeline of events they had initially shared with police.

A statement released by the Laundrie family's attorney Steven Bertolino, at the time, mentioned that Laundrie "left to hike in the preserve" on Monday, September 13, and not Tuesday, September 14, as originally stated by his parents.

Bertolino wrote to WFLA anchor Josh Benson saying, "The Laundries were basing the date Brian left on their recollection of certain events."

"After consulting with the FBI and confirming the day Brian’s Mustang was found and returned to the Laundries’ home we now believe the day Brian left to hike in the preserve was Monday, September 13," the lawyer said.

Laundrie's parents initially told cops that they only grew concerned over their son between 24 to 48 hours after he failed to return from the hike.

Previous reports revealed that Roberta and Christopher drove up to the 25,000-acre park, spotted Laundrie's Mustang and drove it home after finding a note on the windshield left by cops asking for it to be removed from the area.

The same silver Ford Mustang was towed away from his North Port home on Monday, September 20, 2021. However, recent reports suggest the vehicle is currently with his parents. 

Web sleuths share theories about Brian Laundrie's parents' role in his suicide

Jennifer Coffindaffer, a retired FBI Agent and Law & Justice Contributor at NewsNation, took X, formerly Twitter, to share the "odd" circumstances of Laundrie's parents driving his Mustang. 

"It is so odd that #Roberta Laundrie is driving #Brian Laundrie's Mustang," she pointed out. 

"He is dead, shot through the left side of his head (he is a righty) and found, not by 100s of police officers, drones and dogs, but by his parents... It's all just weird," Coffindaffer added. 

"God bless the #Petito and #Schmidt families as they continue to search for truth. #GabbyPetito," she concluded. 

Several other social media users weighed in on Coffindaffer's doubt with their own theories. 

"Honestly wouldn’t be surprised if one of the parents took him out in the field and shot him. Obsessive mother? Ashamed LE Officer?" one user asked. 

"Perhaps assisted out of misguided love," Coffindaffer replied alongside Roberta's questionable undated letter to Laundrie. 

"The Laundries are liars. I have no doubt they knew their evil son murdered Gabby, and they were covering up for him," one user wrote. 

"Did his parents kill him, to prevent him from going to trial?" a third asked. "Or to prevent suffering...misguided love?" Coffindaffer theorized. 

One asked, "So what are you implying? He didn't kill himself?" 

While another added, "Are you suggesting his parents shot him? Any committed person with any information is more competent than LE. Somebody else finding a body isn’t suspicious - most bodies are found by somebody else."

One mentioned, "I believe the Mustang was Roberta’s to begin with. And from what I recall reading at the time, most self-inflicted wounds are with the nondominant hand"

To which Coffindaffer replied, "Actually quite the opposite. They are with the dominant hand. Her car that he drove. Always appreciate your thoughts on cases."

Why is Roberta Laundrie facing scrutiny over Brian Laudrie's death?

Petito's family is suing Laundrie's parents and attorney Bertolino for allegedly causing them emotional distress and conspiring to help Laundrie evade justice.

Roberta came under scrutiny not only for the suspicious circumstances of her son's return to their home before he went missing but also for an undated letter she sent to him.

The Laundries have long argued that the letter, which contained the message "burn after reading," was sent by Roberta to her son before he left for the cross-country trip with Petito. 

"I just want you to remember I will always love you and I know you will always love me. You are my boy. Nothing can make me stop loving you, nothing can or ever will divide us no matter what we do, or where we go or what we say - we will always love each other," Roberta wrote.

"If you're in jail I will bake a cake and put a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body. I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags," she continued.

"If you fly to the moon, I will be watching the skies for your re-entry. If you say you hate my guts, I'll get new guts," Roberta mentioned.

"Remember that love is a verb not a noun. It's not a thing it's not words. It is actions. Watch people's actions to know if they love you - not their words," she added.

After the letter was released to the public, Roberta issued a statement to Fox News Digital through attorney Matt Luka and argued, "the letter to Brian was written prior to Gabby and Brian leaving my home for their trip."

"Previously, I submitted an affidavit to the court for very limited purposes but that is not the whole story. Now that the letter has been shared, I ask that you read it in its entirety, and understand that the letter contains other phrases besides those highlighted by Pat Reilly for sensationalism and to bolster his case," she mentioned. 

More recently, attorney Bertolino, who is set to be deposed next week, said "the letter is nothing, smoke but no fire."

"It never was anything but an ugly coincidence," he argued.