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No sign of Brian Laundrie at Venice preserve
Kimberly Kuizon reports
NORTH PORT, Fla. - The only person of interest in Gabby Petito’s case has yet to be found, and now that investigators have found her body, their efforts to track him down have since intensified.
It’s been one week since Brian Laundrie’s parents apparently heard from him, according to North Port police. On Tuesday morning, police announced they were resuming their search in the Carlton Reserve, the 25,000-acre park in Sarasota County, where crews were over the weekend.
The preserve is closed until further notice, according to the non-profit, Friends of Carlton Reserve.
Searchers wrapped up as night fell Tuesday, saying they would resume their search for Laundrie in the morning.
After yesterday’s heavy rains, North Port police say sections of the Carlton Reserve were waist-deep in water in several areas, calling it "unforgiving terrain." The conditions of the park would give someone fewer places to hide, they added.
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Survivalist explains how long Laundrie could last in Florida wilderness
An expert in outdoor survival told FOX 13 News what it would take for someone like Brian Laundrie to survive on his own in Florida's wild terrain
Last week, Brian's parents said they believe he was there, authorities said, prompting the extensive search.
On Monday morning, FBI agents executed a search warrant at their home after the preserve search was halted. His parents were escorted out as detectives poured in.
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SkyFOX view: Investigators resume search for Brian Laundrie in Sarasota County
Deputies, police and state wildlife officials returned to Carlton Reserve on Tuesday morning, resuming their search in the 25,000-acre park for Brian Laundrie.
Agents filled several vehicles with cardboard boxes and larger items – all presumed to be evidence related to Petito's disappearance.
A statement from the agency said agents were executing a search warrant at the home "relevant to the Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito investigation." Search warrants explain detectives are looking for a digital trail of evidence that may be stored on electronic devices and external hard drives.
They know the camper van the couple used for the cross-country trip was spotted August 27 near Grand Teton National Park – not far from where her body was found on Sunday. Laundrie was back in North Port with the van five days later.
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Agents remove loads of evidence from Laundrie home in search for Brian
The search for Brian Laundrie moved from a swampy Sarasota preserve back to the home he shares with his family Monday. FBI agents spent most of the day searching the home, filling police vehicles with evidence, and speaking with his parents.
Detectives are hoping to use whatever data they can recover from electronic devices to build a timeline of Gabby’s whereabouts as well as Brian’s.
The warrant also says Gabby’s mom told detectives she and her daughter had discussed growing tension between her and Brian on the trip. It also says her mom was worried something was wrong after her final text came August 27. In it, Gabby had called her grandpa by his first name, something she says Gabby never did. The text asked her mom to help him because he kept calling her.
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North Port PD releases video from search for Brian Laundrie
Officers resumed their search of the Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the disappearance of Gabby Petito, whose remains were presumed to have been found in Grand Teton National park. Courtesy North Port Police Department
"Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls," states the search warrant, filed in the Sarasota County Circuit Court on Friday and made public Monday.
According to the document: "The reference to ‘Stan’ was regarding her grandfather, but per the mother, she never calls him ‘Stan.’ The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter."
The text was one of a dozen grounds local law enforcement claimed it had for probable cause to conduct a search warrant at the home of Brian Laundrie, Petito’s fiancé, and his parents in North Port, Florida.
Brian Laundrie's parents were seen outside their North Port home after the FBI arrived to serve a search warrant on September 20, 2021 (Photo from FOX)
Police also noted Gabby's mental health seemed to be deteriorating.
Laundrie’s Ford Mustang was also towed from the property on Monday. North Port police say Laundrie’s parents claim he last used the car a week ago to drive to the Carlton Reserve, where they say they later found it and brought it back home.
As for Brian, he’s still nowhere to be found. A two-day search of the 25,000-acre wildlife refuge yielded nothing. His lawyer initially scheduled a press conference for Tuesday afternoon out of New York but later said he decided to cancel it after speaking with the FBI.
Deputies in the Florida Panhandle were checking into a Facebook post that showed a person of similar description on a rural trail cam in the community of Baker.
Meanwhile, a coroner confirmed that a body found Sunday in Wyoming was indeed Gabby. Investigators believe Laundrie – Gabby's fiancé – is the last person to see her alive.
Her body was found nearly three weeks after Brian returned home to North Port with the camper van – without Gabby. Brian was later named a person of interest in her disappearance.
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911 caller saw Brian 'slapping' Gabby in Utah
The 911 caller who reported a 'domestic dispute' between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito in Moab, Utah, on Aug. 12 was heard telling a dispatcher that 'the gentleman was slapping the girl' and hitting her, Fox News has confirmed Monday after exclusively obtaining the audio of the call.
After not speaking with investigators for days, the Laundrie family eventually told investigators Brian had left days earlier with a backpack, heading for the preserve. The family’s attorney said Brian’s parents actually went looking for him on Wednesday and found his car parked at the preserve, but they left it so he could drive home.
READ: Gabby Petito case: Autopsy to be completed Tuesday for human remains found in Wyoming
However, when he didn’t return Thursday morning, the parents say they went to retrieve the car themselves.
A search warrant released Monday revealed that police had already searched the couple's van and found an external hard drive they plan to search for any clues.
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Tampa family says it was fate that led to video of Gabby Petito’s possible van
The Bethunes, who live in the Tampa area, say they spotted what is believed to be Gabby Petito's camper on August 27. On Sunday, they submitted their video to the FBI -- which also happens to be the birthday of their son, Ethan, who died in 2011. ‘He would’ve turned 17, and I fully believe that Ethan had a hand in bringing Gabby home for sure.’
An attorney for the Petito family says Brian is not missing but rather on the run, adding that the Laundrie family’s request to have the North Port police look for their son but not for Gabby is "reprehensible and hypocritical."
The Laundrie family put out a statement Sunday night, saying the news about Gabby is "heartbreaking," adding that they’re praying for her and her family. Their attorney told FOX News on Monday that he had no immediate comment on the FBI search.
MORE: Gabby Petito investigation: Who are Brian Laundrie's parents?
The Laundrie family lawyer has planned to make a statement during a press conference Tuesday at 1 p.m., but that press conference was canceled Monday night.
Investigators are still asking the public for help in locating Brian Laundrie. They say he is a white male, 5-foot-8 and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, very short brown hair, trimmed facial hair, and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Gabby Petito investigation: 911 call reveals Brian Laundrie seen hitting, 'slapping' her before disappearance
- Gabby Petito’s possible remains found near where Tampa family spotted camper van
- FBI removes loads of evidence from Laundrie family home in connection with Gabby Petito's disappearance
- Body found at Wyoming search site matches description of missing Florida woman
- Gabby Petito updates: Everything known about her disappearance
- Gabby Petito case: Timeline of 22-year-old woman's disappearance
- Police speak with TikTok user who claimed to give boyfriend Laundrie a ride
- Gabby Petito's family, North Port police chief express frustration with Brian Laundrie's silence
- Missing woman's haunting songs on Spotify account may provide answers
- Gabby Petito showed behavior of victim in Utah bodycam video, domestic violence counselor says