New York Post

Glare on parents Did they help?

- By YARON STEINBUCH & JORGE FITZ-GIBBON

Unanswered questions for Brian Laundrie’s parents, Christophe­r, 62, and Roberta Laundrie, 55, now that their son has been found dead.

What do the Laundries know about Gabby Petito’s death?

Brian returned home alone in Gabby’s van on Sept. 1, and the family — including Brian’s sister, Cassie — went camping at Fort De Soto Park on Sept. 6 and 7.

Yet Cassie told protesters outside her home on Oct. 4 that the subject of Gabby — who was reported missing on Sept. 11 — did not come up during the camping trip, the last time she said she saw her brother.

The Laundries said Brian then left for a hike at the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve on Sept. 13 and never returned — and reported him missing to police on Sept. 17.

The FBI raided the Laundrie home last month and made several other visits there, but it is unclear what evidence may have been pulled from the house.

Did they help Brian evade the FBI?

Law-enforcemen­t experts have also cited the “oddness” of the case.

They point to the family’s two-week silence after Brian’s return to Florida and the four-day gap between his alleged disappeara­nce on Sept. 13 and his missing-person report Sept. 17 as possibly giving their son a head start.

Family attorney Steven Bertolino confirmed that Brian flew from Salt Lake City and returned to the family home from Aug. 17 to Aug. 23 before rejoining Petito out west.

Petito was last seen alive four days later in a Wyoming restaurant.

The Laundries’ lawyer told Fox News the family notified the feds they would be at the park in advance and were there only in the presence of law enforcemen­t.

Can they be charged?

Unlikely, one former federal prosecutor says.

Neama Rahmani, now president of the West Coast Trial Lawyers, told The Sun that Chris and Roberta Laundrie may have dodged potential charges by helping the feds find Brian’s backpack and the nearby remains — whether or not they turn out to be his.

“The fact they may have led investigat­ors to their son’s possession­s and possibly his remains — that all undercuts the argument that they were aiding and abetting his escape,” Rahmani said. “That leads me to believe they were cooperativ­e and not the other way around.”

The remains were found near a bridge connecting the Carlton Reserve with the Myakkahatc­hee Environmen­tal Park early Wednesday.

Chris Laundrie traveled to the area days earlier and told authoritie­s that it was among the spots where his son liked to hike.

“I’m sure Gabby Petito’s family wants some closure, but if Brian Laundrie is dead, this is as good as it’s going to get,” Rahmani added.

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