Gabby Petito's body is released by coroner to Wyoming mortuary for cremation

Gabby Petito's body has been released by the Wyoming coroner to a local mortuary for cremation, a day after officials announced that the van-life blogger had been strangled to death.

Her father Joseph Petito traveled to Wyoming on Wednesday to collect her ashes and bring them home to New York, Fox reported. 

Brian Laundrie, 23, is still the only named person of interest in Petito's death, which was ruled as homicide by strangulation yesterday. 

Laundrie himself vanished on September 17, almost three weeks after returning home to Florida without his girlfriend.

The Teton County Coroner's Office has released DNA to the police, according to WPBF 25. 

And the suspect could already have been named behind closed doors, a former FBI agent told the network. 

'That piece of information, I would bet, has gone into grand jury - there is now a sealed indictment for the apprehension for the person who is responsible for the death of Gabby Petito. 

'This can of course include him [Brian Laundrie] as being the attacker or responsible person for causing Gabby Petito's death or it could exclude him,' former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan told WPBF 25.

He believes it is unlikely the suspect's name will be released until after an arrest is made.  

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue released Petito's cause of death as strangulation, but could not release any more information due to Wyoming law. 

Petito's body was discovered in a campsite close to the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19 - eight days after her family reported her missing, and 22 days after the last reported sighting of her alive on August 27.

The coroner refused to reveal several details about the autopsy's findings including: the condition of Petito's body, if her body was buried, whether any drugs were found in her system and whether she was killed in the same spot her body was found.

He did confirm that Petito was not pregnant at the time of her death - after internet sleuths circulated that theory online in recent days. Blue added that DNA samples had been taken by law enforcement as the investigation into her murder and who was responsible continues.

State Attorney Dave Aronberg said Laundrie's DNA might not appear on the samples found on Petito's body due to the time her body spent exposed to the elements, but other evidence like cell phone records could still be used against him, according to WPFB's Carbonare. 

Her body was found three to four weeks after her death, the coroner said.  

Laundrie's family, however, have been refusing to answer questions and are still citing the Reserve as the last place Brian was seen.

Brian Laundrie's father refused to answer questions as he mowed his lawn around a makeshift memorial for his fugitive son's late fiancée Wednesday morning - 19 hours after a coroner announced Gabby Petito cause of death. 

In a video posted to Twitter the morning after the coroner's announcement, Chris Laundrie, 62, was recorded with a grass cutter trimming blades close to the memorial for Petito set up in his front lawn while being questioned by a reporter.

During Wednesday's gardening task, Chris Laundrie avoided caution tape, bouquets of flowers and photos of 22-year-old Petito while ignoring questions asked by a man off camera. 

'Is there anything you want to say?' he asked. Chris didn't reply.

'Is there anything you want people to know? You and Roberta haven't said anything,' he added, which Chris also completely ignored.   

Supposed protesters were also at the Laundrie residence in North Port last night attempting to confront Chris and his wife Roberta as they banged on the door and demanded that the couple 'speak up soon.' 

The clip of Chris Laundrie emerged as Petito's grieving parents made their way to Wyoming to recover her remains, three weeks after her body was found near Grand Teton National Park. 

The Teton County coroner announced just yesterday that she died of manual strangulation. Petito's parents are expecting to return home to Long Island, New York, this weekend with her ashes, according to Fox.  

Hours after Petito's cause of death was announced, a man was filmed outside their Florida home shouting: 'Come on dirty Laundries. Come on, you guys like to strangle people.

You and your little b**** a** son. It's time to wake up and face the consequences.'

The Laundries haven't been arrested or accused of any crime.  

After the protesters left Chris stepped into view of nearby camera lenses twice, including on one occasion when he appeared to lock the door, Fox reported.

Police arrived at the home minutes later after a car passed the house honking its horn for several seconds.

Laundrie has been on the run for exactly one month. His parents allege he was last seen on September 13. 

On September 1 he returned home early from the cross-country road trip he was on with Petito in the white camper van. 

Last week Chris joined FBI agents in the search for his son at in the vast 24,565-acre Carlton Reserve where there a supposed 'fresh campsite' was found. 

But the discovery was denied by investigators and the joint search proved fruitless.

The Laundrie family did not join the FBI in the manhunt in any of their searches after the search with the fugitive's father came up short on October 7.  

North Port Police in Florida revealed the next day that the sole person of interest in Petito's homicide had been placed under surveillance in the days before he went on the run.

Police spokesperson Josh Taylor told CNN Laundrie was being closely watched by

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