Brian Laundrie's autopsy was "inconclusive," family attorney says

Questions remain after FBI confirms newly found remains are Brian Laundrie

The remains of Brian Laundrie have been sent to an anthropologist for further review after an initial autopsy came back inconclusive, an attorney for Laundrie's family told CBS News.

"Last week, I was told that the manner and cause of death were not determined and the remains were sent to an anthropologist for further evaluation," attorney Steven Bertolino said in a statement Monday, adding there were no further updates.

Laundrie's remains were discovered last week in a Florida wildlife reserve next to several of his belongings, including a backpack and a notebook. The FBI said it identified the remains after comparing them with dental records.

One source told CBS News that only "a small part" of a body has been found, which will complicate identification efforts.

The manhunt for Laundrie, who is named a person of interest in the disappearance of his late fiancée Gabby Petito, has stretched on for weeks.

Petito, who was 22 at the time of her death, was reported missing on September 11, 10 days after Laundrie returned home from a cross-country trip without her. Her body was found on September 19 in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.

Brian Laundrie Brian Laundrie/Instagram

Earlier this month, the Teton County coroner determined that Petito was strangled to death and said the manner of death was a homicide. He said he believed her body had been outside for three to four weeks before it was found.

Laundrie has not been charged in Petito's death. But a court in Wyoming issued an arrest warrant for him in late September, accusing him of engaging in the unauthorized use of a debit card to make unauthorized withdrawals of more than $1,000 between August 30 and September 1.

Late Monday, police in North Port, Florida, admitted to mistakes when surveilling Laundrie before his disappearance. Investigators mistook Laundrie's mother for the missing man, leading the city's police chief to tell reporters they knew where he was on September 16, a spokesperson told CBS News. The following day, his parents reported him missing.

Victoria Albert contributed reporting.

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