(WASHINGTON) — Hate crimes against people of Asian descent rose by 76% in 2020, according to newly republished data by the FBI.
The FBI previously issued hate crime data in August, but due to an error in reporting Ohio’s statistics, the data was incomplete. The FBI has now corrected the technical problem in Ohio’s reporting system.
In 2020, 279 hate crime incidents against individuals of Asian descent were reported, compared to 158 incidents reported in 2019.
More than 60% of hate crimes in the United States were carried out on the basis of an individual’s race, according to FBI data released Monday.
“Every hate crime is an attack on the community,” Jay Greenberg, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s criminal division, told ABC News’ Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas.
Greenberg said most hate crimes are directed at African Americans, but acknowledged there was an uptick in anti-Asian hate crimes due to COVID-19.
In total, there were 8,052 single-bias incidents — crimes motivated by one type of bias — involving 11,126 victims. Comparatively, there were 7,103 single-bias incidents involving 8,552 victims in 2019.
The FBI said 20% of the hate crimes targeted a person’s sexual orientation and 13% of the hate crimes that occurred in 2020 were due to religious bias.
More than half of the offenders were white, and 21% of the offenders were African American.
Greenberg said they are working to make sure there is trust not only in the FBI, but in local communities as well.
“Because a hate crime is defined as a violent or property crime with a bias motivation, that crime could be categorized a number of different ways,” he explained. “We would like the public to reach out to us if they believe that they are a victim of a hate crime. It’s not for the public to make that determination; we will work with our state and local partners and help determine how best to investigate that.”
When someone is a victim of a hate crime, people have different reactions, according to Regina Thompson, the head of the FBI’s victim services unit.
“Everybody has their own way of reacting and on their own timeline, so sometimes people will react immediately in the aftermath of a crime,” said Thompson, who was named head of the unit last year. “Sometimes they’ll go immediately into crisis and crisis intervention will be needed. Sometimes the full impact isn’t felt for hours, days, weeks, sometimes even months after the criminal event and the way that they react, there’s absolutely no normal.”
Greenberg said that while they don’t discuss the number of cases they are currently investigating, leaders at the FBI “have brought a renewed focus to enforcing the civil rights program consistently across all our offices, and we have seen the number of cases rise in the last year.”
The bureau takes a victim-centered approach to hate crimes, the two senior FBI officials explained.
“The FBI does have a victim services division that is focused on assisting and supporting the victims of federal crime and that when they are a victim of a federal crime, we are there to assist them and they can expect us to do that with understanding, dignity, fairness and respect,” Thompson said.
Thompson said that hate crimes are especially unique because it is a direct assault on someone’s identity and individuality.
“It really strikes at the fundamental core of who the person is, which makes it very different from some of the other violent crimes,” she explained. “It is an attack on something that is within the person’s identity, something that’s very immutable about them and often something that they can’t even change. So that has a very deep psychological effect.”
(GEORGIA) — One person is dead and seven others injured after a shooting at an off-campus party near a Georgia university.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning in Fort Valley, near Fort Valley State University, authorities said.
Several students suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the university said.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, shared a photo from the “active scene” on Twitter Saturday morning, showing a house located several blocks from the campus.
GBI also confirmed the deceased was not a Fort Valley State University student, though did not share further details.
The university’s campus was temporarily placed on lockdown “until campus police determined there was no threat to the campus community,” school officials said.
The lockdown has since been lifted.
The shooting occurred during the state university’s homecoming weekend.
School officials announced that its Saturday morning alumni breakfast and homecoming parade had been canceled. There will be “increased security protocols” at the homecoming game, scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, it said.
“Our thoughts are with the students and their families as they recover,” the university said.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Dozens of Howard University students are sleeping outdoors in a tent encampment on campus grounds to protest what they describe as “poor” and “unlivable” conditions in the college dormitories.
Students told ABC News that portions of the university living quarters have mold and insect and rodent infestations, as well as leaky ceilings and flooding — all of which they say put their health at risk.
Lamiya Murray, an 18-year-old freshman currently living in one of the tents, believes the mold that she said she spotted in her dorm room was responsible for a respiratory infection she battled earlier this year.
“I’m not going to say that I expect a lot more, I expect the bare minimum. I expect decent housing,” Murray told ABC News. “I expect to be in a space where I will feel safe and secure, but the dorms became a health hazard. I was waking up every morning with a cough that I didn’t go to sleep with the night before, and struggling to breathe at night.”
Murray said her reports to campus maintenance have often gone unresolved.
@HowardU IM PISSED. OVER 24 hours and NO change. IVE BEEN BREATHING THIS IN. mold has been growing under my microwave, on my mattress. in my closet. on my suitcase. behind my mirror. in my FRIDGE. i am taking legal actions and i’ll be damned if anyone stops me. @fox5dcpic.twitter.com/euJlWdZQAx
Since Oct. 12, Murray and other student demonstrators have taken over the Blackburn University Center, a student hub and cafeteria located in the central yard of the campus. Organizers said they are not allowing administrators inside the Blackburn building.
One day after the protest began, on Oct. 13, the Howard University Division of Student Affairs issued a warning to protesters occupying the Blackburn University Center, citing the demonstrators for multiple violations of the university’s student code of conduct.
“You will proceed through a student conduct hearing and face consequences up to and including expulsion from the University. The judicial process will be conducted within the procedures of the Student Code of Conduct,” Cynthia Evers, vice president for student affairs, wrote in an email to students, obtained by ABC News.
“We take great pride in Howard students leading the nation in public and private fights for justice and equality in all corners of the nation and, in fact, the world,” the email continued. “However, there is a marked delineation between historic protests and what we witnessed yesterday [Oct. 12] . The University looks to fully preserve the integrity and authenticity of students’ constitutionally guaranteed rights of free speech and assembly while protecting against the weaponization of these rights as false representations of the Howard student experience at large.”
Outside the building, a banner draped across the sidewalk reads: “Enough is enough.” A number of students told ABC News they would rather sleep outside than in their dorm rooms.
Fellow student protesters took turns guarding the door of the center, where some demonstrators inside could be seen through the window resting in sleeping bags, studying or eating food donated by alumni and local civil rights groups who visited them in support of their cause.
“All of our Blackburn family is allowed in and out of the building,” Murray said, telling ABC News they are not allowing administrators or press into the building. “It’s the outsiders that we’re worried about. We’re trying to keep students safe and keep everybody in an atmosphere where they feel comfortable to express the things that are happening on campus.”
A private group message board shared among students and reviewed by ABC News posted photos they say show hazardous dorm environments.
The sit-in, organized by the Young Democratic Socialists of America and The Live Movement, has gone viral under the hashtag #BlackburnTakeover. The tweets have garnered attention from celebrities, including artists from rapper Gucci Mane’s 1017 record label, who pulled out of performing at Howard University’s homecoming this weekend. Students at other historically Black colleges and universities have also shared videos and pictures on social media of alleged low-quality living conditions at their schools.
“There are students whose belongings were lost, or have been destroyed by floods, by mold, by all types of insufficient living conditions and it’s hurtful. Even if you’re not the person who is experiencing that, just listening and taking it in, with us being a community, it’s very hurtful to hear,” said Deja Redding, a Howard University graduate student and director of The Live Movement, a campus-based organization focused on advocating for racial equity in education.
Alumni and local community members provided an outdoor pantry with food, water and…Read More
There have been 34 reports of concerns related to discoloration, or suspected fungal growth, across more than 5,050 beds. This represents 0.67% of the total on-campus beds, according to Howard University officials.
“The well-being of our students is always one of Howard University’s top concerns, and we always support students’ right to peacefully protest. The administration is actively addressing the concerns students have shared. While there have only been a small number of documented reports, we are actively seeking out any issues that may be in the dorms by going door to door to address each room,” Frank Tramble, vice president of communications and chief communications officer at Howard University, said in a statement to ABC News.
Tramble said cabinet members of the university administration have personally visited the campus housing facilities to survey dorms. He also said students impacted have been placed in temporary housing as the university works to address the issues.
“We also remind students to submit a maintenance request so we can address each situation and ensure our students’ living conditions are safe and habitable. We care about our students and are working to ensure that we are finding, addressing, and remediating any issues,” Tramble added.
The Howard University Division of Student Affairs also acknowledged the presence of mold in select residence halls in an email sent to the students, but assured them that the issue is not widespread.
“There have been rooms in select residence halls that were affected by mold growth. The University’s response held the third-party vendor fully accountable, and they are conducting mold remediation and HVAC duct cleaning in the impacted rooms, and throughout the building as part of third quarter preventive maintenance,” Evers said to students in the email statement.
“Long, hot, wet summers, record-high temperatures and humidity are environmental factors that create the climatic conditions that foster mold growth. We have listened to our students’ concerns, and we have been responsive,” Evers added.
However, some students believe the damage may be more widespread than officially reported.
Demonstrators are demanding a town hall with Howard University President Wayne Frederick. They are also pressuring the administration to reinstate students, faculty and alumni on the university board of trustees, who were previously removed from their positions after the university voted unanimously in June to restructure the board to improve the process of governance. Students are also asking for a plan of action to improve housing for incoming students, and provide academic and legal immunity for all the students participating in the protest.
“We are not satisfied. What we’re hearing is all talk. We’re waiting for those actions to be put in place so we can allow Howard to have their Blackburn cafeteria back, but until then, we will still be occupying that space until the demands are met,” Murray said.
Over the past two years, Howard University has received large donations, including a $40 million donation from billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, the most significant single donor gift in Howard’s history.
HBCUs across the country received approximately $2.6 billion through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, a $40 billion funding allocation set aside for higher education as part of the American Rescue Plan. Advocates say more federal resources are needed to fund and support HBCUs.
With the Founders Library in the background, a young man reads on Howard University…Read More
In 2020, HBCUs saw a surge in admissions. Howard University experienced a 15.9% increase in fall 2020 applications, according to a press release.
Interest in attending and supporting HBCUs surfaced following the racial reckoning sparked by the killing of George Floyd and resulting protests, according to an Inside Higher Ed report.
At the start of the 2021 school year, Howard students took to social media calling out the deteriorating and limited housing capacity. Howard University has refuted claims of a housing shortage on campus in statements to students and to ABC News.
“Students have reported on social media that there are Howard University students who are homeless. We have a 94 percent occupancy rate at present, which means we have hundreds of available beds to house students. We encourage any student experiencing housing issues to email hureslife@howard.edu for assistance. As we did last year, we will assist with securing housing, and we have continued to maintain and make available the food pantry on campus for students who are food insecure,” Tramble told ABC News.
Redding said student organizers feel confident their protests will pressure the university administration to reach a resolution to improve on-campus housing.
“It does not matter what happens, we will always find a way to persevere through this,” Redding said.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Border Patrol arrested migrants more times in the past year than in any other fiscal year in recorded history, according to Customs and Border Protection data released Friday.
Authorities encountered unauthorized migrants along the southwest border more than 1.73 million times in budget year 2021, according to the data. Of those, about 1.66 million arrests were made by Border Patrol.
The prior record was set in 2000 at about 1.64 million, according to Border Patrol data.
However, migration experts caution that the data has become complicated to track over several decades.
The estimated number of migrants who evaded Border Patrol custody in 2000 was pegged at more than 2.1 million by the Department of Homeland Security. That number declined by about 92% between 2000 and 2018 as Border Patrol funding increased. For 2021, reports analyzed by the Migration Policy Institute estimate the number of successful unlawful entries to be about 540,000.
In recent months, more than a quarter of encounters involved migrants who had previously tried to cross at least once before in the past year. That’s compared to a re-encounter rate of 14% between budget years 2014 and 2019.
Despite the surge of Haitian migrants seen in Del Rio, Texas, last month, overall enforcement actions declined for the second month in a row from 209,840 in August to about 192,000 in September. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has pointed to the declining numbers as evidence the administration’s migration strategy is working.
“Tragically, former President Trump slashed our international assistance to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, slashed the resources that we were contributing to address the root causes of irregular migration,” Mayorkas said in August as anticipated seasonal migration declines failed to bear out over summer. “Another reason is the end of the cruel policies of the past administration and the restoration of the rule of laws of this country that Congress has passed, including our asylum laws that provide humanitarian relief.”
Immigrant advocates, and some immigration officials, have pointed to the rapid expulsion protocols carried out under Title 42 of the U.S. health code by both the Trump and Biden administrations as the reason behind the elevated rate of repeat offenders attempting to cross illegally.
Biden administration officials have also blamed the Trump administration’s hardline measures at the border, saying it resulted in pent up demand for humanitarian relief. Critics of the administration consider the record-high number of overall encounters to be the product of Biden’s moves to roll back some of Trump’s aggressive policies.
Asked at a CNN town hall event if he planned to go to the border himself, President Joe Biden said, “I guess I should,” but did not provide certainty.
“I’ve been there before and I haven’t — I mean, I know it well,” Biden said. “I guess I should go down. But the whole point of it is, I haven’t had a whole hell of a lot of time to get down.”
(DAVIS COUNTY, UT) — The Davis School District in Utah intentionally ignored widespread racial harassment, according to a scathing new report from the U.S. Department of Justice.
School officials have been accused of failing to respond to hundreds of reports from Black students who said they’ve been called racial slurs, including the N-word, been threatened or even been physically assaulted. Asian American students also were subject to widespread harassment in the district, according to the DOJ.
“White and other non-Black students routinely called Black students the N-word and other racial epithets, called them monkeys or apes and said that their skin was dirty or looked like feces,” the DOJ said students reported to them.
“Peers taunted Black students by making monkey noises at them, touching and pulling their hair without permission, repeatedly referencing slavery and lynching, and telling Black students, ‘Go pick cotton’ and ‘You are my slave,'” the report said students told the DOJ.
The Justice Department said the school district deliberately showed indifference to race-based student harassment, violated Black students’ equal protection rights and violated the equal protection clause when it refused to allow Black students to form student groups.
The two-year-long investigation also found students frequently were harassed and abused verbally and physically, and that even when such behavior was witnessed by faculty or staff, nothing was done to halt it.
Investigators also found that some staff members directly targeted students with racially abusive remarks.
Black students said the harassment was pervasive and consistent, and many students said they’d concluded faculty and staff effectively condoned the behavior because reporting it felt useless. Several students told investigators they “disliked attending school and at times missed school because of racial harassment.”
Other students said they feared retaliation for reporting the racial harrasment.
Davis School District has signed a settlement agreement with the Justice Department in connection with the district’s alleged mistreatment of students of color.
The agreement outlines steps required of the district to strengthen its procedures, training and practices in investigating and resolving allegations of racial harassment and discrimination, district representatives told ABC News in a statement. A consultant will be hired to review and help revise potential policies for the district, which serves tens of thousands of students across 91 schools, the district said.
District officials said they’ll work to correct its issues over the next few years and that they’ll soon share plans for doing so with students, parents and staff.
“During the investigation, the district was made aware of serious incidents of racial harassment and discrimination and instances where those incidents were not handled appropriately,” the statement continued. “The district takes these findings very seriously. They do not reflect the values of this community and the expectations of the district. The district pledges to correct these practices.”
(NEW YORK) — Robert Durst has been charged in Westchester County with the murder of his former wife, Kathie, who disappeared in 1982, according to the district attorney’s office.
A criminal complaint was filed Tuesday of this week.
“The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office can confirm that a complaint charging Robert Durst with the murder of Kathleen Durst was filed in Lewisboro Town Court on Oct. 19, 2021. We have no further comment at this time,” a statement from a spokeswoman for Westchester DA Mimi Rocah said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(ATLANTA) — A infant who was born at 25 weeks, after his mom was stabbed while walking on a trail in Atlanta, went home this month after spending nearly five months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The baby, Theodore Jude, was released from the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston on Oct. 8 with a farewell parade from nurses, who lined the halls with rattles to say goodbye.
“We’re obviously super grateful and praising that he’s alive and with us,” said Theodore’s mom, Valerie Kasper. “It’s been a long journey and it’s already been exhausting and like a rollercoaster, and now that he is home, this is the start of a new thing.”
Kasper, 34, was walking near her car with her 3-year-old son, Benjamin, on June 5, when she was stabbed multiple times by a homeless man who later admitted to the stabbing, according to the Associated Press. Police said they believe “mental illness played a role” in the case.
While Benjamin sustained no physical injuries in the attack, Kasper was transported to a local hospital, where she underwent an emergency C-section.
“The trauma of the attack was pretty intense obviously and the moment of going into surgery was just as scary,” said Kasper. “When I went into surgery I was crying, saying, ‘Save my baby and save my uterus,’ because I thought if he didn’t make it, I would want to have another baby.”
Theodore weighed just two pounds when he was born, and was immediately whisked away to the NICU, according to Kasper.
While they were performing the C-section, doctors also repaired Kasper’s colon and liver, which she said were both damaged in the attack.
She was not able to see her newborn son until 24 hours after giving birth, when she went in a wheelchair to visit him in the NICU.
“I was in so much pain that I couldn’t handle sitting in the wheelchair and I almost passed out in the NICU,” recalled Kasper, who was also not able to hold her son because he was still so fragile. “It was really hard.”
Kasper spent the next week in the hospital recovering from her injuries and from giving birth. Shortly after she was discharged on June 12, Kasper received a call from the NICU that Theodore was not doing well and would have to be transferred to another hospital for surgery.
“That was devastating,” she said. “I was thinking, ‘This is it. This is the life of the NICU. How am I ever going to fall asleep waiting for these phone calls?'”
Theodore survived what would be the first of four surgeries following his birth.
Kasper and her partner, Steven Barkdoll, both teachers, spent the next several months traveling back and forth between the NICU and their home, where they stayed with Benjamin.
Kasper was only able to hold Theodore for the first time during a visit to the NICU on June 28, three weeks after his birth.
“It took like three people to help me into the chair, to help the baby in my arms, and he was still intubated so it was just extremely fragile moving him,” she said. “I was sitting there kind of in pain, wanting to enjoy the moment but also having to be aware of my own limitations.”
After several more months of treatment, doctors discharged Theodore from the NICU on Oct. 8.
It was then that he met his older brother, Benjamin, for the first time.
“Benjamin just like ran over to the stroller, so excited to see his brother,” Kasper said of the meeting, five months in the making. “That was a big day.”
Though the family is now home under one roof for the first time in months, the recovery continues for both Theodore and Kasper, who still has limited mobility and pain from her wounds.
Theodore remains on oxygen and a feeding tube, as well as a heart monitor, according to Kasper. He also takes several medications and has frequent appointments with doctors and specialists.
“It’s like bringing home a newborn baby that needs lots of attention, and he needs a little even more attention,” said Kasper. “He’s a cutie pie and we love all the snuggles, but it’s still a stressful situation to be in.”
“We’re just monitoring him as he grows and supporting him the best we can to try to get him off all the machines and let him be a big boy,” she said of Theodore, who now weighs 11 pounds.
Kasper said she and her family have been touched by the outpouring of support they have received, from a GoFundMe account that has raised over $100,000 to friends and family offering support and the nurses and doctors who helped she and Theodore recover.
“It’s definitely a big motivator and relief, in a way, to know that evil can happen, or bad things can happen, and the love shines through,” she said. “I just get overwhelmed by that.”
“I feel that once we’re back on our feet, we’re going to have to be giving back for sure,” Kasper added.
(NEW YORK) — More than 731,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.9 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 66.9% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.
Oct 22, 8:56 am
Pfizer vaccine highly effective in children 5-11
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is nearly 91% effective against symptomatic illness in children ages 5-11, according to new data posted Friday ahead of a major FDA advisory committee meeting on Tuesday.
The vaccine also appeared safe, with none of the children experiencing a rare heart inflammation side effect known as myocarditis. If authorized in children 5-11, the Pfizer vaccine will be given at a smaller, one-third dose.
This efficacy estimate is from the company’s clinical trial of 2,268 children in which some children got a placebo, and some children got the Pfizer vaccine. During the trial, 16 children who got the placebo shots developed COVID-19. Only three children who got the real vaccine developed COVID-19.
A small number of the children who were vaccinated and later developed COVID-19 experienced symptoms far fewer and milder than the children who were unvaccinated. For example, none of the vaccinated children developed a fever, while a majority of the unvaccinated children developed a fever along with other symptoms.
None of the children experienced serious adverse events. Many experienced typical symptoms like pain at the injection site, fatigue and headache.
The FDA’s advisers will meet Tuesday to vote on whether to authorize the vaccine. From there, the FDA itself and the CDC will need to sign off — a process that can take several days — before shots could become available to children nationally.
Oct 21, 8:39 pm
CDC signs off on Moderna, J&J boosters
Hours after the unanimous vote from its independent advisory committee, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has signed off on recommending booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for certain populations.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky recommended boosters for Pfizer and Moderna recipients with no preference on the brand, leaving that decision up to the individual.
People who are 65 and older, or individuals as young as 18 who have underlying medical conditions or live in high-risk or long-term care settings, are eligible to receive either a Pfizer or Moderna booster at least six months after their second shot, the CDC said.
The one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is eligible to anyone aged 18 and up, at least two months after their initial dose, the CDC said.
Oct 21, 5:44 pm
CDC recommends Moderna and J&J boosters
An independent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee voted unanimously Thursday evening to recommend booster shots for both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines for certain populations.
The panel recommended a third dose of the Moderna vaccine at least six months after a person’s initial course for those 65 and older, as well as those as young as 18 who are at higher risk due to underlying health conditions or where they work or live.
A second dose of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine was recommended for anyone aged 18 and older, at least two months after the first dose.
The panel also cleared the way for allowing mixing and matching of booster doses.
The recommendations fall in line with the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of the boosters Wednesday.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky must now sign off on the panel’s recommendations. A decision is expected within a day.
Oct 21, 3:14 pm
Hospital admissions on the decline
COVID-19 hospital admissions in the U.S. have dropped by about 9.7% in the last week, according to federal data.
Death rates are also falling, though they remain persistently high, with an average of just under 1,250 Americans dying from the virus each day, according to the data.
Alaska currently has the country’s highest infection rate, followed by Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and North Dakota.
The U.S. is currently averaging around 76,000 new cases per day, down from 160,000 in early September. Despite boasting high vaccination rates, several Northern states continue to see cases tick up as the weather gets colder.
(NEW YORK) — A massive search for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of slain 22-year-old travel blogger Gabby Petito, took a dramatic twist Thursday with the announcement that human remains found in a Florida nature preserve are those of the wanted fugitive, according to the FBI.
The remains were recovered Wednesday, nearly five weeks after Petito’s body was recovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The Teton County Coroner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.
The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie was centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said he returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.
Laundrie had been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance and a federal warrant had been issued for him alleging unauthorized use of Petito’s credit card.
He refused to speak to the police and vanished on Sept. 13. His parents told investigators they believed he was headed to the Carlton Reserve in North Port.
The case grabbed national attention as Laundrie and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media. Petito’s parents reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.
Here is how the weekslong search for Laundrie unfolded:
Oct 21, 5:06 pm
‘Skeletal remains’ recovered at Florida nature preserve
Apparent human “skeletal remains” were recovered Wednesday in a Florida wildlife preserve where the search for Brian Laundrie has centered, police told ABC News on Thursday.
“We have confirmed skeletal remains,” said Josh Taylor, spokesman for the North Port, Florida, Police Department.
Asked of media reports describing portions of the remains recovered, Taylor said, “We have not said anything about a skull.”
Oct 21, 3:08 pm
ID of remains could take several days: Medical examiner
Dr. Russell Vega, the chief medical examiner for Florida’s 12th District, confirmed to ABC News that he is working on trying to identify the apparent human remains found Wednesday in a nature preserve along with Brian Laundrie’s backpack and notebook.
Vega said it could take several days to identify the remains. He declined to confirm media reports that the remains discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, were bones.
Early in the search for Laundrie, FBI agents collected samples of Laundrie’s DNA from his parents home in North Port, according to the Laundrie family attorney.
Oct 20, 6:06 pm
Laundrie family attorney reacts to discovery of apparent human remains
Steven Bertolino, the family attorney for the Laundrie family, spoke with New York ABC station WABC Wednesday evening after law enforcement found human remains and items belonging to the fugitive at a Florida park.
The attorney said the area where investigators found Brian’s belongings was shown to police two weeks ago when Laundrie’s father, Chris, aided in the search.
“I can’t say for certain that Chris showed this particular area to police at that point in time, but I can say that this is an area that we initially notified the FBI that Brian liked hiking,” Bertolino said.
The attorney said the family is waiting for a proper identification before making any comments.
“As you can imagine, the parents are very distraught. … At this moment in time they’re grieving,” he said.
Oct 20, 4:42 pm
Police find apparent human remains, personal items belonging to Laundrie
Police have recovered apparent human remains that have not been identified in the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI said Wednesday.
Authorities also found items belonging to Laundrie, like a backpack and notebook, officials said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said the area where the items were found had previously been underwater. McPherson said a team would be on site for several days processing the scene.
Oct 20, 2:55 pm
Remains found at park, not clear if human
A law enforcement source told ABC News remains were found at a Florida environmental park. The source said investigators are working to determine whether the remains are human and whether the remains and other discovered articles are linked to Laundrie.
Oct 20, 2:19 pm
FBI confirms ‘items of interest’ found
The FBI said “items of interest” in connection to the search for Laundrie were found at the Carlton Reserve Wednesday morning and an evidence response team is processing the scene.
(NORTH PORT, Fla.) — Remains found Wednesday during the search for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of slain travel blogger Gabby Petito and a person of interest in her death, have been confirmed to belong to Laundrie, according to the FBI.
The skeletal remains were found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port, Florida, a nature park that’s been the center of the search for Laundrie.
Petito, 22, had been on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie, 23, when Petito went missing. Laundrie returned from the road trip without Petito, arriving home in Florida on Sept. 1.
Laundrie was named by investigators as a person of interest and was the subject of a massive nationwide search. He refused to speak to investigators and disappeared on Sept. 14.
Petito’s body was found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on Sept. 19. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announced last week it was determined she died by strangulation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
