A renewed search for Brian Laundrie began shortly before 10 a.m. on Sunday morning at a nature preserve in Sarasota County. The search has since been suspended for the day.
The North Port Police Department, in a tweet, said more than 50 law enforcement officers are once again in the Carlton Reserve searching for Laundrie. Crews spent all of Saturday there, too.
The search for Brian Laundrie continues Sunday morning in the Carlton Reserve. A team of more than 50 looking for anything of note after his parents say this is where he went. We continue to corroborate all info in the search for him and Gabby. 1-800-CALL-FBI. pic.twitter.com/20nt70mezz
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 19, 2021
The search through Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie has concluded Sunday. As of about 5:40 p.m., North Port Police says nothing was found.
Our search of the Carlton has concluded for the evening. Nothing to report.
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 19, 2021
Meanwhile, agents are searching for Laundrie’s fiancee Gabby Petito, who has been considered missing since Sept. 11. The search for Petito is centered at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, which is the east boundary of Grand Teton National Park.
The #FBIDenver Field Office and its Wyoming Resident Agencies, in coordination with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff's Office & Jackson Police Department, have been conducting ground surveys at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area. pic.twitter.com/95HjWcEuDU
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 19, 2021
FBI Denver confirms they will be giving updates on the search for Gabby Petito at 4 p.m. MDT which is 6 p.m. EDT. The Teton County Coroner says that he was dispatched to Grand Teton National Park to recover a body. Human remains have been found that are consistent with the description of Petito but the body has not been identified and authorities cannot confirm it was Gabby Petito.
#UPDATE: #FBIDenver, @NatlParkService & our law enforcement partners will provide an update in the investigation into Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito’s disappearance at 4:00 PM MDT at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park. @GrandTetonNPS pic.twitter.com/hmTxBfxrYo
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 19, 2021
Reports show Grand Teton is where Petito was last seen by her family during a call. They have been unable to communicate with Petito since Aug. 24, except for a text message she sent.
The couple went on a road trip in their converted sleeper van to crisscross the states and visit the nation’s national parks.
Gabby & her boyfriend were traveling in a white 2012 Ford Transit van with a variety of stickers on the back with Florida plate QFTG03. The FBI has a Missing Person poster that includes photos of Gabby & her van available for review or download here: https://t.co/FEblNZY2tP.
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 19, 2021
Laundrie returned from the trip to North Port on Sept. 1 in the van the couple shared without Petito and has not spoken to authorities of her whereabouts despite her family’s pleas for information.
Laundrie’s family broke their silence to report their son missing on Friday. His family said they believed he was at the Carlton Reserve, an expansive, 24,000-plus acre park that connects to the Myakka Island Wilderness Trial and the Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County.
North Port Spokesman Josh Taylor said the case remains a missing person’s case, adding that Laundrie is still only a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance and not a suspect.
“Brian is a resident of this community; Brian was not a suspect in a crime,” Taylor said on Saturday. “We are not following him everywhere he is going.”
The North Port Police Department, which is the lead agency in the case, was focused on putting resources toward finding Petito, Taylor said.
North Port Police told WINK News that Brian’s family got his mustang home at some point on Tuesday, the same day he disappeared.
“We knew we would deal with Brian eventually but this is certainly a twist,” Taylor said.
On Sunday morning, law enforcement was gathering to start the search. A volunteer arrived to block off the entrance to Sarasota nature preserve.
Officials and search and rescue teams arrived at 6:30 this morning. FWC is here with ATVs, side by sides as well as North Port PD. K9 search and rescue teams are also here #BrianLaundrie #GabbyPetito #BringGabbyHome pic.twitter.com/mhqOaYdCrp
— Andrea G (@andreag_news) September 19, 2021
As Laundrie remains elusive, the question is where does the investigation go. The route to Laundrie’s family home was also being blocked off this morning.
Taylor says this entire case is unusual. “There’s been nothing normal about any of this. The circumstances they’re not what people understand and we have laws and how we’re able to act and if we don’t act accordingly potentially some of the evidence that you receive is then thrown out and those that are responsible get off,” said Taylor.
FGCU professor David Thomas, who is also a former law enforcement officer, said investigators still need to find some sort of evidence linking Laundrie to Petito’s disappearance.
“There’s tons of convictions where there is no body, it’s more difficult but they built on good circumstantial evidence just to be able to show this is what happened what transpired,” Thomas said.
Petito is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and 110 pounds. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads “Let it be.”
Laundrie is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, and 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, short brown hair (almost bald) and trimmed facial hair. He was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap.
KNow anything? Please call 1-800-CALL-FBI pic.twitter.com/oCDTwHJvCt
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 18, 2021
TIPS: If you have any information on the disappearance of Gabby Petito or Brian Laundrie, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or you can submit a tip online at fbi.gov/tips.