Courtesy of the Schmidt and Petito family
- Brian Laundrie's remains were found in Florida's Carlton Reserve, in a spot previously submerged by water.
- Locals raise concerns about the alligators and wild pigs that fill the area.
- They say they don't believe much of Laundrie's body would have been left behind.
The Florida reserve where Brian Laundrie's remains were discovered is home to a range of carnivores that would have been drawn to Brian Laundrie's remains, local people said.
The remains of Brian Laundrie were found in a previously flooded area in the marshy Carlton Reserve on October 20.
They have been sent to an anthropologist, but there has not yet been a confirmed cause of death.
"I walk there all the time and there won't be much of the remains left," John Wideman, who lives a mile from the reserve, told the New York Post.
"There's alligators, but the worst thing are the wild pigs," Mr. Wideman said. "They're evil animals and will eat anything. Any flesh out in the open will not be wasted.
"There won't be much for the coroner to work on," he added. "Nature doesn't waste anything."
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
County sheriff Carmine Marceno also told the news site that "Rattlesnakes, moccasins, alligators" were in the area and added that the conditions were "treacherous" for law enforcement to analyze.
Police confirmed that the Landrie's remains were skeletal and only discovered after the water had receded, according to the Independent.
Laundrie's remains were found concluding a five-week search in the vast nature reserve.
He had been missing since mid-September, when he went for a hike in the reserve, his parents said. They initially said he went missing on September 14 but later said he vanished on September 13.
The FBI had named Laundrie a person of interest in the killing of his fiancée, Gabby Petito, whose remains were found near a Wyoming campsite on September 19. Her death was ruled a homicide, and a coroner said the cause of death was strangulation.
The couple had embarked on a joint cross-country "van life" road trip in the summer. Petito's family reported her missing 10 days after Laundrie returned alone to their home in Florida on September 1.
Laundrie's refusal to help authorities in the search for Petito fueled widespread outrage and speculation about her death. There's also been speculation about how the search for Laundrie ended shortly after his parents got involved.