A raft of cryptic quotes and macabre images, seemingly shared to social media by Brian Laundrie, have been uncovered as the aggressive manhunt continues for the missing 23-year-old - a "person of interest" in the murder of his fianceé Gabby Petito.
On Wednesday morning (NZ time), medical examiners confirmed a body found in a remote Wyoming forest was that of 22-year-old Petito, a travel blogger from Florida who was reported missing earlier this month in a case that has since gripped the world's attention.
In identifying her remains, Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue initially ruled Petito's death a homicide, however the cause of death has yet to be publicly released.
Laundrie, who embarked on an extensive trip around America with Petitio in early July, has not been seen since September 14 after he returned to his family home in Florida alone.
Now, a series of disturbing posts to the social media platform Pinterest have been uncovered as authorities continue their intensive search for Laundrie.
Images featuring demons, headstones, crypt-keepers, skeletons and cryptic quotes filled the pages of an account believed to have been used by both Laundrie and Petito, suggesting a creepy fascination with death.
According to reports, a folder on the account - titled 'Things To Burn Off' - includes a picture of a chest tattoo bearing the words, "Do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR)", alongside a picture of a man performing CPR with a red 'X' through it. The piece also reads, "Doctor, I want to die dignifiedly".
The folder also contains an image of a cryptic tattoo on a woman's back, reading: "I'm the hero of this story. I don't need to be saved."
Another post, titled 'The Opposite of Lost', reads: "Don't try to find me. I have finally escaped my 'master's' wicked clutches", beneath an image of purple and pink clouds.
'To others I say: Join me. Bite the hand that feeds you. Vive la liberté."
A separate folder, labelled 'My Heart', contains other strange images, including a photo Laundrie had reposted of a pillow embroidered with the quote: "Sorry for what I said while we were trying to park the camper."
The reference is particularly chilling as it's understood the engaged couple, who had been travelling across America in Petito's white van, had a physical altercation last month.
Body-cam footage released by local police last week showed a hysterical Petito sobbing uncontrollably during a traffic stop in Utah on August 12. The 22-year-old tells the officers she and Laundrie had been having heated arguments, and admits the quarrels had escalated to physical aggression at times.
The officers did not detain the couple but insisted they spend the night separately - Petito in the van and Laundrie at a hotel.
Another disturbing post shared under the account @blaundrie1197 depicted a headstone engraved with the words, "My baby".
"She'll never find a sweet man like me. Let her go, let her go, God bless her, wherever she may be," it continues.
Another post features a skull and the text, "You do it yourself, and that's what really hurts", while another reads: "A love of darkness or night; finding relaxation or comfort in the darkness".
According to The Sun, Laundrie shared the account with Petito and his mother Roberta. It's currently unknown when the images were shared, or if Laundrie himself was responsible for each of the posts.
The latest post on the Pinterest account, which was last used five weeks ago, is a drawing of a matchbox featuring the words, "Burnt out". As reported by local media, the post in question cites the book 'Burnt Out: How To Cope With Autistic Burnout', which had been organised in a folder titled 'Bleak'.
Another folder titled 'Life Goals' had been filled with drastically different content, primarily pictures of wedding inspiration - including dresses, table settings, and DIY tips.
On Wednesday (local time), police and FBI agents called off a fifth day of searching for Laundrie in a swampy wilderness, saying there was still no sign of the 23-year-old - a "person of interest" in the case of Gabby Petito's death.
The effort to find Laundrie in Florida's Carlton Reserve will resume on Thursday (local time), Josh Taylor, a spokesman for the North Port Police Department, told Reuters - adding that so far, "nothing" has been found.
Authorities have not said why they are convinced Laundrie may still be in the alligator-infested reserve more than a week after he told family members he was headed there for a hike - about two weeks after he returned from his trip with Petito, alone, on September 1. North Port police say the family did not report Laundrie missing for another three days. He was last seen on September 14.
What we know about the murder of Gabby Petito
In early July, 23-year-old Laundrie and 22-year-old Petito, his fiancée, left New York in her white Ford Transit van and headed west, with plans to visit America's national parks and document the trip on social media.
On September 1, Laundrie returned to North Port, Florida - alone.
On September 11, 10 days after Laundrie's return, Petito's family reported her disappearance to local police.
On September 14, Laundrie also disappeared. Before vanishing, the 23-year-old had refused to speak with investigators and retained a lawyer.
Investigators have called Laundrie a "person of interest" in the sensational case, which has captured the world's attention, particularly due to Petito's presence on social media.
Laundrie's parents, who live in North Port, told FBI agents their son had left with plans to hike alone in the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, an area of wilderness in nearby Sarasota County, Florida - where Laundrie's car had been recovered.
Witnesses last saw Petito on August 24 as she left a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah - almost two weeks after local police saw the young woman crying uncontrollably during a traffic stop. Bodycam footage from August 12 captured Petito claiming she and Laundrie's arguments had become physical at times.
Petito posted her final photo on social media on August 25. Her family said she had been travelling to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming when they last heard from her.
On Sunday, a body was discovered on the edge of Grand Teton National Park, in a remote area less than 300m from where another pair of travel bloggers had filmed Petito's white van parked along a dirt road near Spread Creek on the evening of August 27.
On Monday (local time), North Port police said they had "[exhausted] all avenues" to find Laundrie at the swampy Carlton Reserve, where he supposedly went for a hike. Investigators spent much of the day searching the Laundrie family home, loading cardboard boxes into a van and towing away a silver Ford Mustang.
On Tuesday (local time), the FBI announced that Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue had confirmed the remains discovered on Sunday were those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999.
"Coroner Blue's initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results."
As of Tuesday night, Laundrie was still being viewed by prosecutors as the prime suspect, but evidence remained scarce.
The Sarasota Police Department confirmed on Wednesday (local time) that Laundrie is not in custody and the search for the 23-year-old continues.
Most recently a witness, who only went by the name Christopher, said he saw a domestic incident between the "van-life" couple, as reported by the Daily Mail. Christopher believed Laundrie may have been trying to leave without Petito, and said over a phone statement - filed on August 12 - that when he watched them argue, "something didn't seem right".
That day - the same day officers had spoken to Petito during the traffic stop - Christopher told emergency dispatchers he had seen Laundrie slapping and hitting Petito, according to the audio of his 911 call released by police.
