North Port To Remove The Makeshift Gabby Petito Memorial At City Center By Tuesday

NORTH PORT, FL — Items at the makeshift Gabby Petito memorial at the North Port City Center Front Green near city hall will be removed by Tuesday, the city said on its Facebook page.

“The family of Gabby Petito and the city of North Port have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support shown by residents of the city and beyond,” the city said on its Facebook page. “The physical memorial set up at city hall has been a shining example of that support, but items have become damaged in the Florida sun and rain.”

Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who both lived in North Port with his parents, were traveling throughout the western United States in her 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, although no cause of death has been released.

Laundrie fled his family’s home Sept. 13, and authorities have been looking for him ever since.

While Petito's memorial is removed from in front of city hall, the Laundrie family also removed items left behind by protesters at their home. And as the search continues for Laundrie in Florida, reality TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter has returned to Colorado to nurse an injured ankle.

The items removed from Petito’s memorial will be given to the Petito family, the city said. A permanent memorial is being planned.

Calling the memorial’s removal a “sensitive and important issue,” the city urged supporters to donate to the Gabby Petito Foundation, run by Petito’s family in New York and dedicated to helping locate missing children.

Laundrie’s Parents Remove Items From Front Yard

Items left by protesters were also recently removed from the front yard of the Laundrie family home in North Port, Fox 13 reported.

Brian Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, came outside in the middle of the night to remove laundry baskets, signs and a tribute poster dedicated to Petito.

The couple haven’t spoken publicly since Petito was reported missing and have only issued statements through their attorney, Steve Bertolino. Their story about when and how their son left home has changed several times since they first spoke with authorities, though.

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Most recently, Bertolino told investigators Brian Laundrie left his parents' home Sept. 13 to go hiking at the nearby Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County. That’s one day earlier than they initially told North Port police.

Josh Taylor, the city of North Port’s public information officer, said there’s “a lot of oddness” in their story, Radar reported.

"I don't necessarily know what to believe anymore. I think it's perfectly possible that they're expressing what they know … but we'll see," Taylor said. "We've said from the beginning there's a lot of oddness here, a lot of things that just didn't make sense."

Laundrie’s father was invited to the reserve last week to assist with the ongoing search there. He was asked to point out his son’s favorite trails and spots at the preserve.

Dog the Bounty Hunter Leaves Laundrie Search

Duane Chapman, known on TV as Dog the Bounty Hunter, has left the hunt for Brian Laundrie in Florida because of an ankle injury, tweeted Josh Benson, a WFLA reporter.

The 68-year-old reality TV star joined the search for Laundrie, 23, more than two weeks ago after a federal arrest warrant was issued for him in connection with the unauthorized use of an unnamed person's debit card to withdraw more than $1,000 at ATMs. The Petito family attorney later said that Laundrie used his fiancée’s bank card to return to Florida.

Chapman has fielded numerous leads in the search for Laundrie, focusing much of his efforts on Fort De Soto Park in Tierra Verde and islands off the Pinellas County post, including Egmont Key State Park and Shell Key.

Although he’s returned to Colorado to consult with his doctor and recover from his ankle injury, Chapman’s team continues its work in Florida. He’s also reportedly raising money for what he refers to as an “expensive search” for Laundrie.