(Photo : Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Search Continues For Brian Laundrie, Wanted In Connection With Death Of Gabby Petito
NORTH PORT, FL - SEPTEMBER 20: FBI agents begin to take away evidence from the family home of Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest after his fiancé Gabby Petito went missing on September 20, 2021 in North Port, Florida. A body has been found by authorities in Wyoming that fits the description of Petito, who went missing while on a cross country trip with Laundrie. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Brian Laundrie's parents have stated that they have no idea where their son is and have not helped him. "They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him," Laundrie's parents said in a statement released Monday through their lawyer Steven P. Bertolino.
Gabby Petito's family reported her missing on September 11, ten days after Fiance Laundrie came home without her during weeks-long road vacation in the couple's van. On September 19, Petito's remains was identified. Following an autopsy, the FBI declared her death a homicide two days later.
Laundrie is the focus of a big search. Since September 14, he hasn't been seen. On September 17, Laundrie's family reported him missing. He said he was going hiking in the 24,500-acre Carlton wildlife reserve near the family's Sarasota County home, according to his parents, as per Newsweek via MSN.
Protestors gather outside Brian Laundrie's family house
On Monday morning, protestors surrounded Brian Laundrie's family house, screaming "justice for Gabby" when officers arrived to collect DNA samples for testing.
Per The Sun, demonstrators with posters and a megaphone gathered outside the property in North Fork, Florida, to scream their demands. Since the news of Gabby Petito's abduction on September 11, protesters have gathered outside the residence.
Days later, her body was discovered in a Wyoming national park, with an initial autopsy revealing that she died as a result of a homicide. When Laundrie came home without his girlfriend, the couple had been traveling throughout the United States in their van.
On Sunday, two agents paid a visit to Laundrie's parents' house and requested any of his personal belongings that may help in DNA matching. Brian Laundrie was reported missing by his parents, Chris and Roberta, on September 17, just days after he purportedly informed them he was going for a hike.
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FBI continues searching for Gabby Petito's boyfriend
The agents were seen exiting the house with a brown paper bag in their hands. Since Brian returned to Florida alone on September 1, FBI agents have paid multiple visits to the Laundrie residence.
Since last Saturday, when the 23-year-old apparently informed his parents he was going for a hike, detectives have been scouring the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota. Petito's missing fiancé has yet to be found, but police are likely to pull back their search efforts in the coming days.
Following a failed search for his whereabouts, the FBI issued a federal arrest warrant for him last Thursday in connection with Petito's death. Petito's family, meanwhile, had a memorial service in Long Island, where relatives and friends gathered to pay their respects.
Joseph Petito called his daughter "the most amazing person" and urged everyone to learn from her and end unhealthy relationships. The visit came nearly a week after FBI officers surrounded his home with guns drawn, taped it up with crime scene tape, and loaded his parents into an unmarked vehicle, The Independent reported.
Related Article: $20,000 Brian Laundrie Reward Issued After FBI Releases Arrest Warrant; Gabby Petito's Neighbor Offers $5,000 For Information
