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Could it be his?
By Alice Kelly — Written on Oct 01, 2021
With Gabby Petito’s boyfriend, and the person of interest in her homicide, Brian Laundrie still missing, many following the case are scrambling for clues about his whereabouts.
Duane Chapman, A.K.A Dog The Bounty Hunter, has been leading his own search for Laundrie that is being closely watched as he publicizes potential clues.
One of those clues is a footprint in the sand in Fort De Soto Park, Florida.
Did Dog The Bounty Hunter find Brian Laundrie’s footprint?
According to a reporter, Michael Ruiz, who joined Dog on his search, the team came across a footprint while searching for Laundrie on one of the islands off the park.
The footprint could have been left by anyone.
The park is made up of a series of sandy archipelagos which are likely frequented by campers and hikers.
The footprint doesn’t appear to have been in the sand for too long given that it hasn't been washed away or eroded in any way so it seems improbable that it belongs to Laundrie, given that little else was discovered to suggest he was nearby.
Ruiz confirmed that everyone in the search party was wearing shoes and had not made the imprint themselves.
Comparisons are being drawn to Laundrie’s feet.
Sleuths didn’t hesitate in comparing images of Laundrie’s feet to the footprint discovered by Dog’s team.
Several images of Laundrie on his ill-fated road trip with Petito show him without shoes which has allowed a comparison to be made.
Credit: Facebook
However, it is difficult for anyone to make any conclusive decision on whether Dog found Laundrie’s footprints using images.
Dog The Bounty Hunter also discovered discarded items in Fort De Soto.
Ruiz also shared an image of discarded footwear that was discovered in the search area. Discarded sunglasses are also included in the image.
Again, there is currently no way to confirm whether these could belong Laundrie.
Ruiz clarified that the park is frequented by members of the public, “Beach was empty this afternoon but Captain tells us it’s packed on weekends,” he wrote.
This implies that any visitor could have left the footprint and discarded items.
Brian Laundrie commonly hiked barefoot.
Hiking barefoot is not unusual for Laundrie who posted about doing so on a number of occasions.
In a July 22 post from his road trip with Petito, Laundrie wrote, “I choose to only spend my time in places I don’t have to wear shoes #barefootlifestyle,” in an Instagram caption.
Laundrie’s family lawyer denies that Brian remained in Fort De Soto without his parents.
Steven Bertolino did confirm that the Laundrie family all visited the park after Laundrie returned home without Petito but denies Dog’s suggestion that Laundrie may have been left there.
He also denied that Laundrie’s parents had or have any knowledge of his location after they last saw him on September 14.
"Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him," Bertolino insisted.
"The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong."
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.