Appalachian Trail Hiker Claims He Saw Laundrie In NC, Gave Him Directions To CA: Report

NORTH PORT, FL — As authorities continue to search for Brian Laundrie, 23, a person of interest in the death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito, a hiker claims he interacted with the Florida fugitive near the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina on Saturday.

Laundrie disappeared Sept. 14, days after Petito was officially reported missing by her family on Long Island.

The couple was traveling throughout the western United States in Petito's converted camper van this summer when she disappeared. Her family last heard from her at the end of August, and her body was found Sept. 19 near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. Her death has been ruled a homicide, though no cause of death has been released.

Laundrie returned to his family's North Port home — where Petito also lived for the past two years — alone in her van Sept. 1. She was reported missing Sept. 11, and his parents later alerted North Port police Sept. 17 that their son had also disappeared and they hadn’t seen him in days.

Authorities have been searching for him ever since, and a federal arrest warrant was issued for him in connection with the unauthorized use of an unnamed person's debit card.

The manhunt for Laundrie has led to tips pouring in from all over the country and the world. Authorities — as well as Duane Chapman, the reality TV star known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, and John Walsh of "America's Most Wanted" fame — have looked into reported sightings of Laundrie in Alabama, various areas of Florida, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and other locations.

Dennis Davis, who is hiking the Appalachian Trail, told the New York Post he’s certain he interacted with Laundrie near the trail on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

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Authorities and private investigators searching for Laundrie have speculated since he went missing that he could be heading to the trail. Numerous tips have come in regarding sightings of him in North Carolina along the trail. Laundrie, an experienced outdoorsman, also lived on the Appalachian Trail for three months, and he and Petito spent some time there together in March. The 2,180-mile trail stretches from Georgia to Maine.

“There is no doubt in my mind I spoke to Brian Laundrie — none whatsoever,” Davis told the Post.

He said a confused man driving a pickup truck pulled up next to Davis on a deserted road to ask for directions to California, noting he preferred to take the back roads.

The man, who “was worried and not making sense,” said he was lost and was trying to get back to his girlfriend, Davis said. “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.’”

Davis told the Post he later realized it might have been Laundrie and confirmed this by looking up photos of him online.

While the FBI hadn’t gotten back to Davis by Saturday night, he said the daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter contacted him immediately and shared with him an audio recording of Laundrie speaking, according to reports.

“The voice was the same I heard,” Davis said.

Dog the Bounty Hunter Continues Searching Florida Islands

Last week, Chapman focused his search on southern Pinellas County after confirming Laundrie and his parents reserved a campsite at Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde, just south of St. Petersburg, for Sept. 6-8. The historic park is about 75 miles north of their North Port home.

The bounty hunter searched Egmont Key and Shell Key — secluded southern Pinellas County islands just southwest of Fort De Soto Park and only accessible by boat — with boat crews, ground teams, and K-9 search-and-rescue dogs.

During his search, Chapman found a fresh campsite and Monster Energy drinks in the woods of Shell Key, Fox News reported.

Though he didn’t name a specific location, Chapman shared on social media Sunday that he continued the search for Laundrie “throughout the weekend on the islands off the west coast of Florida.” He posted a video of himself wading through swampy waters next to a boat.

Protesters Cited by Police, Move to Laundrie’s Sister’s Home

Protesters, often with bullhorns and chanting, and media have gathered outside the Laundries' Wabasso Avenue home since Petito was reported missing, even before Laundrie was declared a person of interest in her disappearance and death.

Many protesters have left flowers and signs to honor Petito and have called for the Laundrie family — especially Brian Laundrie — to speak with police.

Tensions have run high in the neighborhood as crowds have continued to gather there in the weeks since Petito was first reported missing. Last Wednesday, a neighbor of the Laundries was charged with battery and assault after being accused of shoving and throwing a punch at a protester.

On Saturday, a number of demonstrators were given citations for being too loud outside the home and using a loudspeaker without a permit. The group played “Let It Be” through the speaker.

A Fox News reporter tweeted videos of police explaining the city’s noise ordinance to the protesters. The officer explained a permit was required to use a loudspeaker or PA system, as well as the ranges of fines — a $50 fine for the first offense, $150 for the next one and $500 beyond that.

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Some protesters also shifted their attention to the Lakewood Ranch home of Cassie Luycx, the sister of Brian Laundrie.

Luycx has recently come under fire after it was revealed she visited her parents and brother Sept. 6 while they were camping at Fort De Soto Park.

This contradicts statements she previously made when interviewed by ABC's "Good Morning America" on Sept. 17. She said she hadn't seen her brother since he returned to Florida.

"I haven't been able to talk to him. I wish I could talk to him," she said during the interview. "I've cooperated in every way that I can. I wish I had information, or I would give more."

Protesters outside her home Saturday called for Luycx to cooperate with authorities, and to “pick up the phone and call the FBI,” according to a video shared by Fox News on Twitter.

Gabby Petito’s Mother Calls for Laundrie to Turn Himself In

About a week after Gabby Petito’s funeral, her mother tweeted her frustration to the world for the first time.

In her first tweet, posted Saturday afternoon, Nichole Schmidt addressed Laundrie, saying, “Mama bear is getting angry! Turn yourself in!”

In her Twitter bio, she describes herself as “a mom on a mission.” Schmidt added in her bio, “The fight for change and prevention will never end! My Gabby will never be forgotten!”

She's also retweeted posts from Joseph Petito, Gabby’s father, and Gabby's stepfather, Jim Schmidt, since starting her Twitter account. Other posts shared updates about the new Gabby Petito Foundation’s Twitter account. The foundation’s mission is to assist the families of people who are missing.

Controversial ‘SNL’ Sketch Pokes Fun at Laundrie Search

Dog the Bounty Hunter, played by Pete Davidson, made an appearance Saturday night in the 47th season premiere of “Saturday Night Live.”

In a sketch about a fake Lucerne County school board meeting, Davidson as Chapman spoke out during a public comment segment around the 4 minute and 30 second mark.

“As you know I’ve joined the hunt for Brian Laundrie. So, my question to you is, do you know where he is? Because I can’t find this dude anywhere,” Davidson as Chapman said.

He added, “I got no leads on this guy. Either he’s good or I’m bad, one of the two.”

The episode aired less than a week after Petito’s funeral, and viewers slammed “SNL” for the sketch.

One viewer tweeted that “poking fun at the Petito case was in very poor taste.”

“A woman’s brutal murder provides the stuff of comedy for the Hollywood elites,” another tweeted.

And another viewer called the sketch “absolutely sick and disturbing.”