Remains believed to match that of Gabby Petito were found on Sunday
The parents of Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito, were reportedly removed from their Florida home on Monday as the FBI executed a search warrant, declaring the property a “crime scene”.
The search of the North Port house came after remains believed to match the 22-year-old influencer were found Sunday (September 19) in Wyoming and as police refused to rule out that Laundrie, 23, may have wandered off and “hurt himself”.
He was last seen Tuesday after telling his family he was going for a hike. His family did not tell police he was missing until three days later, sparking a massive manhunt in the nearly 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County.
Laundrie had earlier returned home without Petito and refused to speak to investigators.
The @FBI is in North Port this morning outside #BrianLaundrie home.
Click here to watch live @NBC2 https://t.co/um2Ab3VVZZ pic.twitter.com/QErdVe3BlT
— Briana Fernandez (@BrianaFernNews) September 20, 2021
“As far as hurting himself in there, we don’t know that one way or another. I think it’s a possibility certainly,” North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor told the New York Post.
CNN later quoted Taylor as saying police had “exhausted all avenues in searching the grounds there”.
The FBI confirmed in a tweet that it was searching the Laundrie residence, saying it was “relevant to the Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito investigation”, but refused to comment further: “No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation.”
Petito was reported missing on September 11, having last spoken to her mother on August 25. At the time she was on a cross-country trip with Laundrie, posting regular photos and stories to their social media pages with the hashtag #vanlife.
Police last week released footage of the couple from August 12 after they were called to a violent argument in the Utah city of Moab.
Officers who attended to the roadside incident said Petito had tried to hit Laundrie, fearing he might drive off without her. This led to Laundrie trying to restrain her. Police did not deem the incident serious enough to merit charges so sent Laundrie to a hotel for the night while Petito stayed in the van.
Laundrie then returned to Florida without Petito.
Related links:
- Brian Laundrie’s family pay tribute to Gabby Petito after ‘matching’ body found by FBI
- Accidental footage may have helped FBI find body in Gabby Petito search
- Police won’t rule out link between unsolved double murder and missing Gabby Petito
