Gabby Petito is Missing Update: Found Dead; Arrest Warrants Issued

[Howl]

Any comments/takes on Dog the Bounty Hunter inserting himself into the search for Brian Laundrie? 

Is he just an inveterate attention whore or does he have legit skills in finding people?

I saw a photo today from a woman who thinks she was camped adjacent to the Laundrie fam (Ma, Pa, Bryan) at a Florida campground over Labor Day weekend.  She thinks she captured Bryan in the background of a selfie that she took.  It looked to me EXACTLY like that famous grainy Bigfoot photo and about as clear.  The figure is wearing dark shorts and is above the heads of the two men in the middle of the photo: 

[clueliss]

Dog is an attention whore who I think has a new show he’s filming for.

[Howl]

19 minutes ago, clueliss said:

Dog is an attention whore who I think has a new show he’s filming for.

I suspected the attention aspect but wanted to make sure.  I'm vaguely aware of who he is, but find him to be a repellent character and haven't watched any of his shows.  

The DTBH PR is being worked HARD. There was an online reference to a possible campsite in the FL Keys. 

 

[DalmatianCat]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

I saw a photo today from a woman who thinks she was camped adjacent to the Laundrie fam (Ma, Pa, Bryan) at a Florida campground over Labor Day weekend.  She thinks she captured Bryan in the background of a selfie that she took.  It looked to me EXACTLY like that famous grainy Bigfoot photo and about as clear.  The figure is wearing dark shorts and is above the heads of the two men in the middle of the photo: 

If Brian wanted to really disappear (and I’ve got to admit…if he is still alive, I did not expect him to be able to disappear this well), he should cut his beard, grow his hair out long enough for a comb over, put on a button-down, tie, and a pair of khakis and go get an office job. Everyone is looking for a scruffy guy out in the woods. Blending into a big city would be harder to find him. Maybe that’s what he’s done.

[Howl]

16 minutes ago, DalmatianCat said:

he should cut his beard, grow his hair out long enough for a comb over, put on a button-down, tie, and a pair of khakis

Good points, but I think he'd have to shave his beard AND his head.  I think he's balding too much for a comb over.  But yes, those things would make him nearly unrecognizable.   For any kind of office job, though, he'd need ID, SSN to be on boarded.  Wonder if he spend some time googling "how to disappear" before heading out.  A rancher who lives by the nature preserve noted correctly that if he'd died in there, buzzards would be circling. 

[EmmieJ]

4 hours ago, clueliss said:

Dog is an attention whore who I think has a new show he’s filming for.

I think he's hoping to find Laundrie, get a ton of media attention,and then another lucrative tv deal.  If he somehow does generate a good lead that results in Laudrie's capture,  I'll give him all the props.  Odds of that happening?  A million to 1.

[Alisamer]

10 hours ago, EmmieJ said:

I think he's hoping to find Laundrie, get a ton of media attention,and then another lucrative tv deal.  If he somehow does generate a good lead that results in Laudrie's capture,  I'll give him all the props.  Odds of that happening?  A million to 1.

I think you're right. Until he manages to come up with something legit I put him in with all the random people who call in vague irrelevant "leads" or the psychics trying to get some airtime.

I am not psychic, but I like to play with tarot cards. I pulled a few with the question "what's going on with Brian Laudrie right now" and the cards essentially said "his parents are helping him run". I was like "huh. Probably accurate. Nothing new, though."

[Howl]

FBI was back at the Laundrie house for a few minutes to retrieve some Bryan possessions to help the sniffer (and cadaver?) dogs looking for Bryan.  Video showed people RIGHT THERE a few feet away taking pics with their cell phones of everything going on, which almost certainly included the person taking the video.  

No matter how horrible the Landries are, it would be great if spectators/news were kept off their property and out of their yard. Trespassers would be charged with criminal trespass.  This has to be a huge headache for neighbors and the entire neighborhood. 

[EmmieJ]

Per The Daily Mail (and elsewhere), since September 10, (police) officers have received at least 46 emergency calls connected to the (Laudrie) residence, including two 'public service' 911 calls connected to Brian Laundrie's parents' North Port home the day before Gabby Petito was reported missing.  Very little information on why the calls were made, but sounds like on at least one call, it was related to a call the Laudrie's received from Gabby Petito's father.  

Watching Scott Reich's Crime Talk episode last night and he said that there was a physical altercation between a neighbor of the Laundries and one of the "spectators" - the neighbor says that one or more people trespassed onto his property, he came out and got first into a verbal argument and then he pushed one of the people.   I agree that if people feel the need to stand outside the Laundrie home, they should be respectful of the rights of all neighbors to have peace and quiet, and not trespass on anyone's property.  Also, what do they hope to accomplish?  The Laundrie parents are not going to suddenly cave in and say "okay, we'll lead you right to Brian!  You wore us down."  

Edited October 1, 2021 by EmmieJ
clean up

[Howl]

On 10/1/2021 at 10:53 AM, EmmieJ said:

I agree that if people feel the need to stand outside the Laundrie home, they should be respectful of the rights of all neighbors to have peace and quiet, and not trespass on anyone's property. 

Someone was out there with a loudspeaker -- obnoxious. 

DTBH and his associates are nosing around Fort De Soto Park where the Laundries, including Bryan, went camping over Labor Day weekend.   The headline is K9 search expert: Promising clues emerging in hunt for Brian Laundrie (!) It's more than a little misleading though because they have sniffer dogs who are trained to recognize human scent BUT they have nothing with Bryans specific scent on it.  The park is   1,136 acres made up of five interconnected islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay. They're paddling around in kayaks along the shorelines  and if one of the dogs alerts to human scent, they go ashore to find a possible campsite. It's a park. People camp. 

That said, it's where the family went earlier, but Bryan would need a kayak to make this work and there's no evidence he has one. 

 

 

[Howl]

Not sure about the date on this, from The Independent: Hiker claims to have seen Brian Laundrie

Somewhat DTBH related, so...

Spoiler

A man from Florida has claimed to have spoken with Brian Laundrie on a deserted road near the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.

Dennis Davis, a 53-year-old engineer, said there was “no doubt in my mind” that he had seen the boyfriend of Gabby Petito.

“Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter sent me an audio file of Brian’s voice and the voice was the same I heard,” he told the New York Post.

“He said ‘man, I’m lost.’ I said ‘what are you trying to find?’ and he said ‘me and my girlfriend got in a fight but she called me, told me she loves me, and I have to get to California to see her.’

“I said ‘well, I-40 is right there and you could take it west to California’ and he said, ‘I’m just going to take this road into California’.

“He was worried and not making sense.”

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Howl

[SnarkyLawyer]

2 hours ago, Howl said:

Not sure about the date on this, from The Independent: Hiker claims to have seen Brian Laundrie

Somewhat DTBH related, so...

  Hide contents

A man from Florida has claimed to have spoken with Brian Laundrie on a deserted road near the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.

Dennis Davis, a 53-year-old engineer, said there was “no doubt in my mind” that he had seen the boyfriend of Gabby Petito.

“Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter sent me an audio file of Brian’s voice and the voice was the same I heard,” he told the New York Post.

“He said ‘man, I’m lost.’ I said ‘what are you trying to find?’ and he said ‘me and my girlfriend got in a fight but she called me, told me she loves me, and I have to get to California to see her.’

“I said ‘well, I-40 is right there and you could take it west to California’ and he said, ‘I’m just going to take this road into California’.

“He was worried and not making sense.”

 

If this guy actually saw him, why didn't he report it to law enforcement?

[AnnaSofia]

He claims that he tried:

Quote

He says Laundrie was driving a light-colored pickup truck, like a Ford F-150 and was wearing a bandana.

Davis says he called the FBI and dialed 911 but no one has returned his call.

https://www.tmz.com/2021/10/03/hiker-brian-laundrie-gabby-petito-appalachian-trail-missing/

There was also a supposed sighting in Mexico:

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/locals-claim-photo-shows-brian-laundrie-look-alike-at-restaurant-in-mexico

 

And in Canada as well:

https://www.the-sun.com/news/3718430/brian-laundrie-spotted-canada-hotel-flight-attendant-claims/

 

He's basically a Bigfoot/Elvis hybrid at this point.

 

 

[tabitha2]

He is a tall lanky young white dude who BTW has I  guarantee  you  shaved and grew is hair by now. If it was this easy he would have long found and apprehended by now.  

[Howl]

It seems people think that someone can magically get to Mexico and magically disappear.  

First, you need ID to get a tourist visa to stay in Mexico if you go further inland that the 20 km checkpoint.   He couldn't fly because you need ID/passport to get on a plane and I don't think it's impossible to check flight manifests to see if he's boarded a plane.   Mexicans love their TV and maybe already know about him.  If he's in a tourist spot with a lot of gringos, they'll ID him quickly.  If he's in a non-tourist spot, he'll stand out as non Mexican.  Driving a car/truck with plates from a US state is another entire headache + insurance.  If you're not driving a car/truck, it's public transport (buses). 

I'm most curious about what he told his parents and sister about where Gabby was when he returned without her.  As a reminder, Gabby lived with Bryan and his parents at their house for a YEAR.  She should be like a daughter to them. 

That said, I'm more inclined to believe (sadly) he's no longer alive or (not likely) is living with someone who is protecting him.  That his parents seem to be cooperating with the FBI makes me think that they are very worried about him and know what the worst outcome would be.  I just hope it wraps up soon. 

[tabitha2]

I bet if he is not dead he is long gone to somewhere no one expects.It’s a wide wide world , he had time to disappear and If you have money and survival skills it becomes so much  easier. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by tabitha2

[AnnaSofia]

If I understand it correctly, the last time Brian was definitely seen by anyone other than his parents was around September 10th, when a neighbor saw him at the family home in Florida. That was the day before Gabby was reported missing by her family, and a week before Brian was reported missing by his.

I think he had time to get pretty far before the media coverage became ubiquitous, and his parents almost certainly helped him. If he were smart, he'd be out of the country, though he doesn't seem particularly smart.

[tabitha2]

You don’t have to all that smart to run fast and far. 

[Howl]

17 hours ago, AnnaSofia said:

his parents almost certainly helped him

I agree,

17 hours ago, tabitha2 said:

You don’t have to all that smart to run fast and far. 

True, but it's incredibly hard to go anywhere without a trace.  If one has access to major, easily accessed cash reserves, maybe. Could he have left the country? Has it been confirmed that he has a passport?  It's hard to leave the US and gain entry into another country and secure a visa without a passport.

If his parents withdrew cash, cashed in stocks, withdrew from an IRA or savings, any action to secure substantial cash for him to go on the run, there is an electronic trail of those transactions. If they bought a car for him, there is an easily traceable record. 

He doesn't have a credit card.  Even using his parent's credit card, he is still easily traced.  

So -- he doesn't have ID, credit card, cell phone or a car that anyone is aware of.  Think of how difficult it is to function in the world with none of these things.  Also, he didn't go on the lam and disappear after he murdered Gabby. He drove the van across country to his parents; does he have a hard time functioning without their direction? 

Anyway, just thoughts.  I actually suspect, sadly, he's taken his own life. 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Howl

[DalmatianCat]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

I agree,

True, but it's incredibly hard to go anywhere without a trace.  If one has access to major, easily accessed cash reserves, maybe. Could he have left the country? Has it been confirmed that he has a passport?  It's hard to leave the US and gain entry into another country and secure a visa without a passport.

If his parents withdrew cash, cashed in stocks, withdrew from an IRA or savings, any action to secure substantial cash for him to go on the run, there is an electronic trail of those transactions. If they bought a car for him, there is an easily traceable record.

 

In order to do disappear at that level you’d need Murdaugh family-level connections and I don’t think the Laundrie family has those. I’m wondering how long they’re planning on paying this lawyer, or how long they’ll even be able to keep it up.

As an alternative theory…he could be living with a homeless population in a large city. When he gets tired of the lifestyle he might decide to turn up and face the music.

Initially I thought he most likely harmed himself after an early conversation with his lawyer who happened to mention that if he had reported Gabby’s death immediately he may have only been charged with involuntary manslaughter and a few years in prison, but by taking off without her and never even reporting her missing, he would probably be looking at at least life in prison and that’s what made him freak out and take off and…do whatever he did next…

But the fact that no remains have been found yet makes me wonder…could his family possibly have found the connections to buy a new ID for him? How has he managed this?

 

[AnnaSofia]

  The Laundries just sold a waterfront condo in July, as well as a house back in March of this year, both at a profit.

I'm not sure I'd use the term "flipping" because the interiors look quite dated in the listing photos (especially the condo),  but they owned these in addition to the main family home, so presumably they were investment properties.

Obviously if they made large withdraws around the time Brian disappeared, LE already know about it. However, it's possible they had some cash laying around.

[EmmieJ]

I suppose Brian could have wandered off into the swampy wilderness and then taken his own life.  Seems like there might have been signs of vultures or other birds of prey circling around the remains that might have at least caught the attention of all the searchers.

What I find puzzling is that brief camping trip his parents and Brian took to Fort De Soto.

08/24/21 - Brian's mom makes camping reservations for 2 people at Fort De Soto, for Sept. 1 - 3;

08/31/21 - Brian's mom canceled those reservations

09/01/21 - Brian returns home in Gabby's van but without Gabby 

09/03/21 - Brian's mom makes a new reservation at Fort De Soto, this time for 3 people, for Sept. 6 - 8

09/06/21 - Brian and his parents check into Fort De Soto

09/08/21 - The family checks out of Fort De Soto (I don't think anyone personally saw Brian with his parents in their vehicle as they checked out - so maybe he did return home with them; but maybe he didn't)  I thought a neighbor reported seeing Brian back at his parents' home after 09/08 but prior to 09/14, but I can't find any specific confirmation of that just now when I searched online.

09/11/21 - Petito's family report her missing

09/14/21 - Per the Laundrie's - this is the last day they see Brian; and I believe that is the day he bought a burner phone at an AT&T store, but yet he does not take this phone when he "leaves for a hike" - so the FBI have that phone. 

09/17/21 - The Laundries report Brian as missing

So what is up with that camping trip?  What did Brian tell his parents about why he had Gabby's van, but no Gabby?  Before Brian and Gabby went on the VanLife adventure, she lived with the Laundries and was supposedly engaged to their son.  Wouldn't they wonder what happened?  Even if he told them that they had broken up, had a fight and parted ways, whatever - wouldn't Gabby keep her own van?  Why would Brian have it?  Wouldn't the parents have had lots of questions?

Your son returns home without his fiance, but driving her vehicle.  The fiance's parents are worried about her.  And the family decides to take a week-end camping trip?  Why?  

[Alisamer]

4 minutes ago, EmmieJ said:

So what is up with that camping trip?  What did Brian tell his parents about why he had Gabby's van, but no Gabby?  Before Brian and Gabby went on the VanLife adventure, she lived with the Laundries and was supposedly engaged to their son.  Wouldn't they wonder what happened?  Even if he told them that they had broken up, had a fight and parted ways, whatever - wouldn't Gabby keep her own van?  Why would Brian have it?  Wouldn't the parents have had lots of questions?

Your son returns home without his fiance, but driving her vehicle.  The fiance's parents are worried about her.  And the family decides to take a week-end camping trip?  Why?  

The actions of his parents are so incredibly sketchy. I'd be amazed if they didn't have some idea at least of what was going on, because I can't imagine anything he could tell them that would excuse her absence while he still had the van. If he'd come up with "oh she left me for another guy, but let me borrow the van so I could get home..." they'd have come out with that publically by now, and the whole world would be looking for her new mystery man instead of Brian. If they'd broken up, she'd have taken the van and/or contacted her family immediately. If he'd left her stranded and taken the van, he'd still be in trouble and if she'd gotten help afterward she'd have a warrant out for him stealing her van. If she'd disappeared he'd have reported her missing. If she'd died in an accident he'd have reported it, or at minimum his parents might have reported it after he returned. 

And I'm still boggled that he wasn't immediately questioned as a person of interest, if nothing else, and that he was able to run. He was the last person to see her. He abandoned her on the other side of the country. He showed up in Florida driving a missing person's van. 

It was HER van. They should have been able to hold him on vehicle theft if nothing else. It might have been flimsy, but it would have been SOMETHING. 

Sadly he's generic looking enough that I think there'll be tons of sightings and it'll be difficult to figure out if any are true. My brother-in-law could shave his head and HE'd look just like this dude. 

[EmmieJ]

I'd say his parents can be confident that they won't be invited to any neighborhood BBQs.  The next thing I expect to read is that they've put their home up for sale and are moving to an undisclosed location. 

[BensAllergies]

Now the parents say (through their lawyer) that they think BL left for hiking on Monday, 9/13 and that their previous recollection about 9/14 is likely wrong.

So they waited FOUR days to report him missing.