The investigation into the disappearance of Brian Laundrie, whose fiancée Gabby Petito was found dead in Wyoming last month, has uncovered new details about his earlier movements as well as traces of human activity at the nature reserve that’s been the focus of a massive search.
The investigation into the disappearance of Brian Laundrie, whose fiancée Gabby Petito was found dead in Wyoming last month, has uncovered new details about his earlier movements as well as traces of human activity at the nature reserve that’s been the focus of a massive search. Police found the remnants of a campsite that appeared to be used recently in Florida’s Carlton Reserve, a sprawling 24,565-acre wilderness near Laundrie’s family home that has been closed to visitors, a source close to the family told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday. Laundrie’s father had been asked to show law enforcement the trails at the reserve, which his son had been known to use, the source said. But because of the campsite discovery, police restricted the search on Wednesday and did not include his father. Additionally, the North Port Police Department confirmed that a notice was placed on an abandoned vehicle belonging to the Laundrie family near the nature reserve on September 14. Laundrie’s family told police on September 17 that they had not seen him in days, saying he told the family he was headed to the reserve. The ongoing search comes as investigators try to piece together what happened to Petito,22, and Laundrie,23, on their trip in a white Ford Transit van through the American West this summer. Laundrie and the van — but not Petito — returned to his family home in North Port, Florida, on September 1. Petito’s parents, unable to make contact with either her or Laundrie, reported her missing 10 days later. As police searched for Petito, Laundrie declined to speak with investigators and then himself went missing. The national focus on her whereabouts also revealed conflicts in their relationship, particularly during an August domestic dispute and police interaction, that were at odds with their aspirational, sun-drenched posts on social media. Her remains were recovered September 19 in Wyoming, near where the couple had last been seen together, and a coroner determined she died by homicide, the FBI said.
