Coroner Says Gabby Petito Death Was a Homicide

A coroner in Wyoming has confirmed what family members feared: A body found in Bridger Teton National Forest over the weekend is that of 22-year-old Gabby Petito. The FBI said Tuesday that Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled the death a homicide in preliminary findings, CNN reports. The FBI said the cause of Petito's death is pending final autopsy results. Earlier Tuesday, a rep for Petito's family said the family will make a statement when her body is returned home, reports NBC Miami.

Petito was reported missing earlier this month after boyfriend Brian Laundrie returned from a cross-country road trip alone. Investigators "remain dedicated to ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms. Petito's death is held accountable for their actions," FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said in a statement, per KSL. "Brian Laundrie has been named a person of interest." Laundrie, 23, hasn't been seen for a week. He lived with his parents in North Port, Florida. They told police he might have gone to the nearby Carlton Preserve. Investigators resumed searching the swampy area Tuesday with drones, dogs, helicopters, and all-terrain vehicles, the AP reports. (Last month, a 911 caller in Utah said he had seen Laundrie slapping Petito.)