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Crime

22nd Sep 2021

Police investigating potential sighting of Brian Laundrie

Charlie Herbert

The sighting was caught on a camera set up to spot deer

Police in Florida have investigated a potential sighting of Brian Laundrie, the missing fiancé of Gabby Petito.

On Tuesday (September 21), the FBI confirmed that human remains found over the weekend were those of missing Instagram influencer Gabby Petito.

Petito and Laundrie had gone travelling together in July but on September 1 Laundrie returned to his home in Florida alone in the renovated van the pair had originally set off in.

10 days later, Petito’s family reported her missing and Laundrie was named a “person of interest” by police looking into her disappearance.

It was also confirmed on Tuesday that a coroner had ruled Petito’s manner of death to be homicide.

But before the remains were found, Laundrie went missing himself. His family have told authorities that they have not seen him since last Tuesday (September 14) when he said he was going on a solo hike in the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve.

This reported sighting happened 500 miles away though, in Baker, Florida, when a camera was triggered at 6:17am on Monday.

Sam Bass, the man who owns the camera, shared the picture on Facebook, writing: “I’m not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning in Baker, Fl strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie, authorities have been contacted but people in the North West Florida area be on the look out.”

https://www.facebook.com/sam.bass.756/posts/4343456105701370

Local police confirmed on Tuesday (September 21) that they had done “an extensive search” of the area but that “no one – and nothing – of note was located.”

They added: “There are no known possible past or current connections between Laundrie and anyone in this area at this time to follow up on.”

https://www.facebook.com/OkaloosaSheriff/posts/10159291969703654

Police are currently searching the expansive Carlton Reserve for Laundrie, who before going missing had not got in touch with police to help them with the investigation.

His family home has been declared a crime scene since his disappearance.

In a statement confirming that the human remains discovered belonged to Petito, the FBI reaffirmed its commitment to “ensuring anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms. Petito’s death is held accountable for their actions.”

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