Photo: Instagram
He could be on the run.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Sep 20, 2021
As the FBI continue their search of the Laundrie family home as part of their investigation into the possible death and disappearance of Gabby Petito, there’s one question on everyone’s minds — where is Brian Laundrie?
Petito’s boyfriend was declared a “person of interest” on September 15 after failing to talk to police since Petito’s parents filed a missing persons report on September 11.
Now, after human remains believed to be Petito have been found in Wyoming, the search for Brian Laundrie seems more pertinent than ever.
Concern for Petito’s safety first arose when Laundrie returned home from the couple’s roadtrip without her in early September.
Where is Brian Laundrie?
Gabby Petito’s boyfriend is still missing after his parents told police, on September 17, that they had not seen him in three days.
Brian Laundrie may have been spotted walking near his Florida home the day he was reported missing.
Despite his parents' claims that he had not been home in several days, internet sleuths claim to have seen Laundrie walking barefoot on Friday.
A photograph was taken of a man with a striking resemblance to Laundrie, 23, walking two blocks from the family’s home in North Port, Florida.
North Port Police Department spokesman Josh Taylor said police were investigating whether or not Laundrie was in the area but did add that the man in the photo appears to have tattoos on his left arm while Laundrie does not.
There have been alleged sightings of Brian Laundrie in Alabama.
Others claim that Laundrie was spotted in Tillman’s Corner, in Mobile County, Alabama.
According to an unverified screenshot circulating on social media, police have checked the cameras of a restaurant in the area after Laundrie was allegedly picked up by a hitchhiker nearby.
While it seems unlikely that Laundrie would have been able to hitchhike from his Florida home to Alabama without being noticed, police did call off their search in Carlton Reserve, Sarasota County around the time this information began to circulate.
Police had previously been searching the area, which is 16-miles from Laundrie’s home, after his family said they believed he entered the reserve.
It would make sense that they stopped searching the reserve if there was evidence that he was no longer in Florida.
Many fear Brian Laundrie is headed to Mexico.
The possible sighting of Laundrie in Alabama has added fuel to a widely held theory that he is attempting to escape to Mexico.
Laundrie has not yet been declared a suspect in Petito’s disappearance nor has he been officially accused of a crime.
Those following the case fear his refusal to talk to police may have bought him time to flee the area.
Police have declared Brian Laundrie’s home a ‘crime scene.’
On Monday morning, the FBI arrived to Laundrie’s parents’ home to execute a “court-authorized search warrant.”
They reportedly described the home as a “crime scene” but it is not yet clear what exactly that crime is. Laundrie’s parents were temporarily held in police vehicles while the search was executed.
Laundrie’s attorney, Steven Bertolino, had “no comment” about the search.
An autopsy into the remains found in a remote camping area in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming will be carried out on Tuesday.
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.