BRIAN Laundrie left behind glimpses into his psyche through his artwork, including a set of prints featuring a cartoon woman’s mouth being smothered in blood red paint.
In an Instagram snap posted last year, the late ex-fiance of Gabby Petito exhibits multiple black-and-white lino cut prints of a Sleeping Beauty look alike character with red paint muzzling her mouth strewn next to a paperback book of author Chuck Palahniuk’s book Lullaby.
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He captioned the image: “Reading is different than any other consumption of media, it takes more effort that staring at a screen half alive, it allows you to use your brain rather than melt it, and there is no author more stimulation to me than @chuckpalahniuk #linocut #linocutprint #lullaby #invisiblemonsters #bookstagram #art.”
Lullaby is a horror-satire novel published in 2002.
It tells the story of journalist Carl Streator, who is writing an article about crib death when it dawns on him the odd connection between the deaths of the babies and those of his own wife and infant.
He then finds out that his wife and child had died after he read them a “culling song” from a book.
Unintentionally, he memorizes the rhyme and becomes a serial killer who kills people over minor annoyances.
Two weeks ago, one online commenter dug into Laundrie, suggesting the cartoon female-vandalizing prints elicit the young man’s darkness.
“He’s so very intentional,” the post reads. “This was no accident.”
DARK ART
Web sleuths have been poring over Laundrie’s artworks ever since 22-year-old Gabby went missing during the couple’s cross-country van-life adventure.
They put society comforts on hold, hitting the road on July 2 in Gabby’s white 2012 Ford Transit Connect from their home in North Port, Florida, to tour the country’s national parks, stopping in Kansas, Colorado, and Utah along the way.
Only Brian returned alone in Gabby’s van back to Florida – without Gabby on September 1.
There other provocative hand-drawn images posted by Laundrie to his Instagram page @bizarre_design_ months before the engaged couple embarked on their road trip.
One posted on July 8, 2020, shows what appears to be a man wearing a wolf mask, sat in a chair and holding a blood-soaked knife, with red splatters up his arms and legs.
Behind the subject’s head is a red circle, with three other animal mask-wearing figures holding guns and a bat.
Other Laundrie drawings that he showed off online attempt to weave his own touches on popular culture and classic horror.
He reimagines Simpsons characters to Tim Burton monsters.
In one graphic image titled: “Grim Reaper leading sheep to the slaughter”, Laundrie shows a herd of sheep surrounded by ghoulish figures wielding scythes.
Some of the reapers are carved into mousetraps and outlined in bright red.
Another piece which Laundrie described crafting with pen and watercolor, shows Frankenstein’s monster chained to a chair made of rock and wood.
In the image, which is in black and white, the monster has shackles around his ankles, feet, and neck.
“That’s gonna be you soon,” wrote one commenter.
Integrating blacklight form, a red skeleton is shown off with its arms in the air and mouth agape, looking up as red splatters – resembling blood – surround it.
LAUNDRIE’S SKELETAL REMAINS
Laundrie’s skeletal remains were identified through his dental records after they were discovered by some of his belongings in the Myakkahatchee Creek which is part of the 24,000-acre swampland that makes up the Carlton Reserve.
So far, it’s unknown hwo the young man died.
It’s not known what’s inside Laundrie’s notebook or if it contains anything at all.
The grim discovery ended the five week manhunt for Laundrie.
Petito’s remains were found near the camping area in Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 21 after her family reported her missing on September 11, sparking a widespread search.
Two days later, coroners in Wyoming listed her likely cause of death as the result of a homicide in a preliminary report.
Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed that Gabby Petito died by strangulation during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
That same day, a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued accusing him of swiping more than $1,000 of a debit card that is believed to be Gabby’s sometime between August 30 and September 1, according to the indictment.
He was named as the only “person of interest” in Gabby’s murder.
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Brian Laundrie timeline
Brian Laundrie has not been seen since the morning of September 13. Here is a timeline of Laundrie’s latest whereabouts:
- July 2021: Brian Laundrie and his fiancé Gabby Petito leave for a grip across the country. The couple visit numerous national parks across the way.
- August 12: Police in Utah respond to an incident involving the couple. The bodycam footage is not released for another month but it shows a visibly upset Gabby talking to police after reports of a domestic violence incident outside a grocery store.
- August 24: Gabby is seen leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Laundrie.
- September 1: Laundrie returns to his home in North Port, Florida without Gabby.
- September 6: Laundrie joins his family on a camping trip about 75 miles from their home in North Port.
- September 11: Gabby’s family reports her missing.
- September 13: Laundrie leaves home to go hiking in Carlton Reserve, Florida. His family had initially said he departed on September 14, but revised their timeline weeks later.
- September 15: Laundrie is named a person of interest in the case of Gabby.
- September 16: Bodycam footage is released regarding the incident between Gabby and Laundrie.
- September 19: The FBI announces a body found at a Wyoming national park is believed to be that of Gabby’s.
- September 23: The FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie’s arrest claiming he “used unauthorized debit cards after Gabby Petito’s death.”
- September 26: A funeral is held for Gabby in New York.
- September 27: Dog the Bounty Hunter announces he will lend a hand and help search for Laundrie.
- September 28: Gabby’s family held an emotional press conference as the search for Laundrie continued.
- October 5: Laundrie’s sister, Cassie, appeared on Good Morning America and urged her brother to come forward.
- October 7: Laundrie’s father, Chris Laundrie, assisted law enforcement in the search to find his son.
- October 12: Gabby’s autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie’s personal items were found near the Myakkahatchee Creek Park trail in Florida. The medical examiner was called to the scene to investigate.
- October 21: Reports stated the human remains found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park were bones.
- October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie’s.
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