Law enforcement officials searching for Brian Laundrie have made some disturbing findings unrelated to the case of his murdered fiancee Gabby Petito.
At least five other bodies have been found in the manhunt, according to the New York Post.
One of them was 33-year-old Josue Calderon, who was found at the Yadkin Valley Overlook in North Carolina, one of the locations where Laundrie was rumored to be hiding out.
Investigators said Calderon had been stabbed to death.
Then there was Robert Lowery, 46, who was found in Wyoming near where Peitito’s remains were discovered in September.
Lowery had committed suicide, according to the Post.
The body of Sara Bayard was found in El Paso County, Colorado, where Petito and Laundrie had shared a photo of themselves the same day Bayard was reported missing.
Lauren Cho’s body was discovered in Yucca Valley, California, thanks in part to the nationwide interest in the Petito case, the Post reported.
The body of a homeless man was also found in a Mobile, Alabama, dumpster the same day reports emerged that Laundrie could be in the city.
These tragic discoveries highlight how many missing people there are across the U.S. and how often they are overlooked and forgotten.
The public fascination with the Petito case has played a part in giving the families of these missing people the peace they may have been seeking.
Regarding the search for Laundrie, “items of interest” were discovered at the Carlton Reserve in Florida on Wednesday, according to the FBI.
UPDATE: Items of interest were located at the Carlton Reserve this morning in connection with the search for Brian Laundrie. An #FBI Evidence Response team is processing the scene. The reserve is closed to the public and no further details are available at this time. @FBIDenver pic.twitter.com/itOYRpY6fp
— FBI Tampa (@FBITampa) October 20, 2021
A medical examiner was sent to the scene to investigate further.
Brian Laundrie's notebook, backpack located in Carlton Reserve where partial human remains found, FBI says https://t.co/zmC8WiehfO pic.twitter.com/yJaXKmUcjm
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) October 20, 2021
It is difficult to stomach the idea that there are other missing people all over the country who have yet to be found.
When the Petito case comes to a close, let’s hope we’ll remember the plight of missing people and what we can accomplish when we’re united around a common goal.