(Photo : Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Search Continues For Brian Laundrie, Wanted In Connection With Death Of Gabby Petito
VENICE, FL - SEPTEMBER 21: A general view of the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve as the FBI along with the North Port Police Department and surrounding law enforcement agencies continue their search for Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest after his fiancé Gabby Petito went missing on September 21, 2021 in Venice, 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)
After authorities discovered the ruins of a "new campsite" at the Carlton Reserve in Florida, the father of fugitive Brian Laundrie, the main person of interest in Gabby Petito's abduction and murder, has joined the search for his son.
Christopher Laundrie, 62, was seen leaving his house for the first time this week and arriving at the reserve on Thursday, when he finally joined the search for his missing son, who went missing on September 14 and is believed to be hiding somewhere within the large 24,565-acre reserve in Venice.
Fresh signs Brian Laundrie camped near Carlton Reserve emerge
Since their son vanished, Christopher and his 55-year-old wife, Roberta, have hardly left their house. Officers from the North Port Police Department visited the Laundrie patriarch before loading him onto a UTV and driving him west toward the Reserve, which borders the vast Myakka River State Park.
Investigators requested Christopher to lead them on a tour of the local trails that Brian was known to frequent, Daily Mail reported. According to a source close to Laundrie's family, law authorities discovered fresh signs of a camping within the T. Mabry Jr. Memorial Reservation within the Carlton Reserve.
Meanwhile, a family attorney told Cuomo that Laundrie's parents think "that is exactly where he is located."
Christopher came home earlier in the afternoon, wearing dry shoes and clothing, implying that he remained in a vehicle while escorting cops through the marshy terrain. As agents conclude their investigation into the new campground, he will continue to cooperate with them.
Per METRO, Gabby's father, Joe Petito, told Dr. Phil that he hopes Laundrie will spend the rest of his life in prison. As the search for Laundrie approaches its three-week mark, a swarm of wild ideas about his location are appearing.
False theory of Brian Laundrie's whereabouts emerge
Many are from individuals seeking justice for Gabby, a 22-year-old woman whose body was discovered in a Wyoming national forest. Chris and Roberta Laundrie appear to be working on one of their flowerbeds in their garden, according to drone footage.
Changes to a Spotify playlist Laundrie created shortly after Gabby vanished were observed by several. Others allege that since his disappearance, he has been unfollowing profiles on Instagram.
Online sleuths also allege he bought a burner phone with his mother in North Port, Florida, before fleeing, which some say is being probed by the FBI. Laundrie is accused of using Gabby's debit card between August 31 and September 1, according to police.
While Laundrie is still on the run, there have been reports of his being seen in Florida, Montana, Alabama, and along the Appalachian Trail. The majority of them have resulted in dead ends.
On Thursday, Florida police denied rumors that they had discovered traces of a new campground while scouring a swampy nature reserve for fugitive Brian Laundrie.
A source close to the Laundrie family informed Cuomo that a campground had been discovered at the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, where the FBI has been conducting a search since September 18. North Port Police Department spokesman Josh Taylor claimed that's not what he's being told in an interview with the network on Thursday, as per NY Post.
Related Article: Brian Laundrie's Sister Urges Parents To Talk To Police and "Come Clean," Reveals Family Rift While Speaking To Protestors Outside Her Home
