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Could he have caught a boat to Mexico?
By Alice Kelly — Written on Sep 28, 2021
As new leads, publicized by Dog The Bounty Hunter, claim to trace Brian Laundrie to a camping ground on the western coastline of Florida, some are speculating Laundrie may have fled to Mexico from the location.
Dog claims to have found evidence that Laundrie's parents took him to Fort De Soto Park on a camping trip after Petito's disappearance and believes they may have left him there.
Meanwhile, images circulating online suggest Laundrie has been spotted in Mexico almost a month after Petito was last seen in the Grand Teton National Park area in Wyoming.
Her death has been ruled a homicide but Laundrie is not an official suspect — instead he is wanted for unauthorized use of her debit card.
Is Brian Laundrie in Mexico?
A picture circulating on social media shows a man who looks somewhat similar to Laundrie sitting at a restaurant in Mérida, Mexico, wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts.
Merida, Mexico is a straight shot from Fort De Soto Park.
Online, some users have pointed out that the camping ground Laundrie allegedly visited would be an almost direct route to Merida by boat.
Fort De Soto is comprised of a series of island areas filled with hiking trails and beaches.
However, while the distance may look simple on a map, there is still over 600 miles through the Gulf of Mexico to travel in order to reach Merida — not the most practical of journies.
A video did circulate online allegedly from an accidental Instagram live on Laundrie's account which appears to show a boat.
However, screenrecordings of the video do not show proof that the video was from Laundrie's Instagram nor is Laundrie visible in the clip.
Many claim Brian Laundrie is going to Mexico to avoid charges in Gabby Petito’s death.
Even before the images circulated, many suspected Laundrie may try to flee the country in order to avoid prosecution.
On September 17, Laundrie’s parents reported him missing, claiming he left their North Port, Florida home and headed for a hike on September 14 but never returned.
However, many have called the family’s version of events into question.
We know that Laundrie and his parents allegedly went on a three-day trip shortly after he returned home from Wyoming with Petito.
This may have been the last time anyone — aside from his family — saw Laundrie which would have given him more time to flee before Petito was reported missing.
As there is currently a federal arrest warrant out for Laundrie, even fleeing the state or country does not make him immune from extradition if caught.
The FBI are still looking for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve.
The FBI have been focusing their search for Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve so it’s possible they are confident that there is something to be discovered there.
The Laundrie family say he left their home on Sept. 14 to go hiking in the reserve in Sarasota.
On the day of his disappearance, a family member reportedly drove the Ford Mustang Laundrie had driven to the hike back home days before reporting him missing.
Law enforcement have not yet shared if there is anything else that suggests Laundrie was ever in the Carlton Reserve.
“There’s a chance Laundrie may have lied to his family about where he was going," says Chris Boyer, the executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue.
“People that are trying not to get caught for something sometimes use people, right? So he may have told his parents that's where he's going. They may be telling the authorities that in all honesty, but he lied to them."
Brian Laundrie allegedly left home without a phone or wallet.
According to a source close to the Laundrie family, the family were fearful that Laundrie hurt himself after they realized he had left home without his phone or wallet.
However, these items could also likely be used to track his movements which may explain why they were left behind.
According to the warrant for Laundrie’s arrest, he took $1000 out of Petito’s Capital One bank account after she was last seen alive.
There have been many false sightings of Brian Laundrie.
As Petito’s case erupts across social media, there have been several alleged sightings of Laundrie which — so far — appear to be futile.
Police in Baker, Florida confirmed that a Laundrie lookalike spotted on a trail camera was not in fact the missing person of interest.
In Alabama, rumors that Laundrie had been in the area have not yet produced any meaningful leads about his whereabouts.
A dead body found in Tillman’s Corner, Alabama was also confirmed to not be Laundrie.
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.