Is Brian Laundrie Hiking The Appalachian Trail?

NORTH PORT, FL — There was no news Monday afternoon from authorities completing a “scaled back” search for Brian Laundrie – not even the usual tweet saying crews were done for the day and will head out tomorrow.

Laundrie, 23, has been named a person of interest in the death of his slain fiancee, Gabby Petito, 22, whose funeral was held Sunday on Long Island. Petito, an up-and-coming "van life" influencer, disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie while documenting their travels for social media.

Her remains were found Sept. 19 in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Preliminary results from an autopsy concluded that Petito's death was a homicide.

Laundrie is the target of an arrest warrant for taking money from a bank account he doesn't have authorized access to, the FBI said.

Steven Bertolino, attorney for the Laundrie family, said Brian Laundrie left his family house on Sept. 14 without his wallet or cell phone. Laundrie's parents are concerned their son might hurt himself, FOX News reported.

On Friday, just before crews headed out for their second weekend, after North Port Police Commander Joe Fussell defended the utility of the eight-day, roughly million-dollar search, North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor said that they are turning over the operation to the FBI, who will be leading a “scaled down” search of the 25,000-acre preserve for Brian Laundrie that will mostly be limited to air supply. Instead, the FBI is shifting its attention to a more digital search. On Sunday, FBI agents returned to the Laundries’ North Port home to collect Brian's DNA.

Other than that, not much news came out Monday, other than the protesters chanting, “Your silence is guilt!” and other accusatory and threatening slogans in front of the Laundrie house earlier in the day. Here’s the latest:

Many experts think Laundrie is on the Appalachian Trail

Doubts are growing that Laundrie could survive the inhospitable Carlton Reserve, which is full of deadly predators and offers virtually no way for anyone to feed or hydrate themselves. Instead, several commentators – including Dog the Bounty Hunter, who knocked on the Laundries’ door this weekend, causing Robert Laundrie to call 911 – are saying that Laundrie may be somewhere on the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine.

On March 27, nine days after her 22nd birthday, Petito posted a series of photos of herself and Laundrie along the trail in northern Georgia. Rose Davis, one of Petito’s closest friends, told the Daily Mail that Laundrie survived alone for roughly three months in the Appalachian Trail, and believes he could do it again. Unlike the hot, swampy Carlton Preserve, the Trail offers numerous ways for solo survivalists to stay alive.

Dog the Bounty Hunter, whose real name is Duane Chapman, said the Appalachians were the “hottest lead.”

"If there’s anywhere out there that looks the hottest, that could be the area," Chapman said, according to The U.S. Sun. "I think he’s young enough, not an experienced criminal, but what is his greatest experience? Outdoorsman - that’s what he does the best...I don’t think he can shoplift, live on the run, live in cheap hotels. On a one-to-10 he’s probably a six, compared to the outdoorsmen and some of the guys I’ve captured."

Laundrie’s social media posts reveal that he was researching supplies that could help him survive for months. On his Pinterest account, he shared images of ways to pack a backpack, camping hacks, rock climbing gear, and home electrical wiring.

Private investigator Bill Warner also floated the theory, citing Laundrie’s Pinterest account. “Elite hiker, outdoorsman, on the run in the woods, may be headed for the Appalachian trail.”

New witness says he might have seen Brian Laundrie

Many witnesses have reported to police that they Laundrie either yelling or acting strangely in the days just before and after his fiancée went missing. The latest is a Louisiana man on a road trip through Montana who says he had a strange encounter with a man he believes was Brian Laundrie, according to The New York Post.

Hunter Mannies, 44, told The Post that he saw a man resembling Laundrie wearing a hoodie and drinking by himself in a bar in West Yellowstone, Wyo. on Aug. 26, the night before Petito was last seen alive.

Mannies said the man seemed like “he was just mad at the world.”

He also said that he and his friend started talking about hunting, guns, and politics. After a while, the man waited for a lull in the conversation and then said, “Stupid southerners and f–ing Republicans.”

On Thursday, a new witness came forth. Norma Jean Jalovec, a seasonal Wyoming resident from Florida, told Fox News Digital that she picked up Laundrie on Aug. 29 and dropped him off around 6:30 MT at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, where Petito's remains were later discovered. Jalovec said Laundrie asked her to drop him off at the gate to the campground, which consists of a single long road. She offered to drive him inside, but Laundrie reportedly insisted that he be let out of the moving vehicle.

Earlier in the week, a woman named Miranda Baker said in a series of TikTok videos that she picked up Laundrie in Wyoming on the same day, which was two days after Petito was last seen. Baker said Laundrie told her he had hiked for four days along Snake River, but his backpack wasn’t full, and he appeared clean. Baker also said that when she told Laundrie they were driving to Jackson Hole, he ‘freaked out’ and asked her to pull over. Baker said she dropped him at Jackson Dam in Grand Teton National Park, not far from where she originally picked him up.

Nina Celie Angelo told Fox News that she and her boyfriend were having lunch at a Wyoming restaurant Aug. 27, when she and her boyfriend saw a man who fit Laundrie’s description acting aggressively at the restaurant. According to Angelo, the man stormed out and returned four times, causing Petito to apologize to restaurant staff.

Emmy Award-winning news anchor suspended for mentioning ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’

As Petito’s case continues to draw breathless attention, million-dollar search efforts, and memorials all over the country, many have wondered why the millions of other missing people – particularly Black and Indigenous people – go ignored. In Wyoming, where Petito’s remains were found, 710 Indigenous persons have been reported since 2011, with many of them never found, according to The Independent.

Many point to “Missing White Woman Syndrome,” a phenomenon coined by the late PBS anchor Gwen Ifill described the outsize attention given to cases involving victims who are young, white, and attractive.

As the world remains glued to the Petito case, many families of color have described their frustrations trying to get law enforcement to take their cases seriously, let alone devote over a week and a million dollars to them.

Frank Somerville, an Emmy Award-winning anchor at KTVU in Oakland, was suspended indefinitely after he told his station news manager that he wanted to discuss the disparities in coverage, The Independent reports. Somerville was reportedly told by his boss, Amber Eikel, that such a discussion would be inappropriate, and he was suspended.

Related:

• Laundrie: Cops 'Not Wasting Our Time' With Search
• Dog The Bounty Hunter Searches For Brian Laundrie, $20K Reward

North Port Remembers Gabby Petito

On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered Saturday night for a butterfly release and candlelight vigil to honor Gabby Petito's memory.

Mourners gathered around a spot in front of a tree that has been serving as a growing makeshift memorial for Petito, who was confirmed dead Sept. 21. The city of North Port has placed signs in front of the site that designate the area as the official spot for the memorial.

As the sun set, the crowd released monarch butterflies into the air, a tribute to Petito’s final social media post in front of a butterfly mural in Ogden, Utah.

“I felt a connection with Gabby, mainly because my dad was murdered in 2017. It was my daddy, but no parent should ever lose their child,” North Port resident Renee Zalewski told ABC Action News. “Please keep Gabby as the good memories, not the bad, and keep those good memories that will help you, and the world’s got your back.”

Related:

Memorial Butterfly Release Planned In North Port For Gabby Petito

Funeral services were also held in Petito's native Long Island. For five hours Sunday afternoon, Moloney’s Holbrook Funeral Home opened to the public, and hundreds of mourners poured in. In a eulogy at a private service, Joseph Petito described his daughter as a “happy girl” who loved being outdoors, scuba diving, hiking, sand surfing and making others feel welcome.

“I want you to be inspired by Gabby, that’s what we’re looking for,” Joseph Petito said.

Petito also urged viewers to leave relationships that aren’t working, an apparent nod to Laundrie.

“Parents aren’t supposed to bury their children," said Jim Schmidt, Petito's stepfather. "That’s not how this is supposed to work.”

Related:

• 'Be Inspired': Gabby Petito's Dad At Long Island Memorial Service
• Gabby Petito Memorial On LI Expected To Draw 1000s: Funeral Home
• Lighting Up Long Island's Sky For Gabby Petito
• Gabby Petito Remembered As Free Spirit 'Who Loved Living Life'

Utah Police Knew of Domestic Violence Allegations

Recently released police audio recordings reveal that Moab, Utah officers knew of prior domestic violence allegations before pulling the couple over.

Although the responding officer wrote in a report that “no one reported that the male struck the female,” dispatch audio obtained by FOX 13 Utah contradicts this.

“RP (reporting party) states seeing male hit a female, domestic,” the dispatcher says in an Aug. 12 recording, just before police pulled over Laundrie and Petito’s van. “He got into a white Ford Transit van, has a black ladder on the back, Florida plate.”

One of the responding officers asked for the witness phone number and victim location, and the dispatcher again said that Laundrie had struck Petito.

“The female who got hit, they both, the male and the female, both got into the van and headed north,” the dispatcher said.

A responding officer wrote that “the driver of the van, a male, had some sort of argument with the female, Gabby.” Officers advised the couple to separate for the night and did not file charges. Utah law requires officers to make an arrest or issue a citation when they have “probable cause to believe that an act of domestic violence has been committed,” according to a report in Newsweek.

On Thursday, the city of Moab announced that an unaffiliated law enforcement operation will conduct a formal investigation into how Moab police handled the Aug. 12 incident.

“At this time, the City of Moab is unaware of any breach of Police Department policy during this incident,” the city wrote in a statement. “However, the City will conduct a formal investigation and, based on the results, will take any next steps that may be appropriate .... the Moab City Police Department will make all information from the incident available to the law enforcement agencies investigating Ms. Petito’s death. Moab Police will also make sure our officers are available to answer any questions those investigating agencies may have.”

Related:

• Brian Laundrie Indicted, Sought By FBI On Arrest Warrant
• Wave Of Support For Gabby Petito's Family In Long Island Hometown
• Witness Says She Saw Gabby Petito In 'Blowout' In Wyo Restaurant