Police Check For Fingerprints On Abandoned Bike After Alleged Sighting Of Brian Laundrie Nearby
Footage of a lookalike cycling has gone viral.
Police have reportedly taken fingerprints from an abandoned bicycle in Florida after the release of footage showing a man resembling Brian Laundrie cycling.
The bicycle was found behind an auto shop in Hernando, FL and is believed to have been left there either Friday night or Saturday morning.
The man who discovered the bike said police spent 15 minutes gathering fingerprints but told him tips on Laundrie often reach dead ends.
This news comes shortly after an alleged sighting of Laundrie cycling on a dirt track a few miles from where the bike was found.
Videos of a man on a bike were suspected to be Brian Laundrie.
The surveillance footage was taken on October 9 in Dunnellon, Florida — a town about 3 hours from Laundrie’s North Port, Florida home.
The man, who has a beard like Laundrie, is wearing a baseball cap and carrying a backpack as he struggles to navigate the rough terrain.
The footage was reportedly taken in an area with several acres of rural land that is not often frequented by people.
Police may have taken fingerprints from a different bike.
The appearances of the bikes are dissimilar so it’s likely the bike in the video is not the one police investigated.
The man who shared the surveillance footage also said that he had submitted the video to the FBI for their review.
That said, the police must be taking each potential lead seriously if they came to take fingerprints.
The search for Brian Laundrie has been focused on the Carlton Reserve.
FBI and the North Port Police Department have been scouring the nature reserve where Laundrie’s parents claim he visited after leaving their home on September 13.
The reserve is located about a 4 hour drive from the alleged sightings of Laundrie on a bike.
The conditions of the reserve and the police’s use of cadaver dogs have led to speculation that investigators are no longer expecting to find Laundrie alive.
Laundrie’s parents have returned to the park with police though it is unclear if they are currently aiding the search for their son.
Laundrie went missing days after his girlfriend, Gabby Petito, was reported missing by her family. He is a person of interest in her homicide but has not been declared an official suspect.
He is, however, wanted on federal charges of unauthorized use of Petito’s bank card.
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.