The Hunt for Brian Laundrie

Brian Laundrie and Gabrielle Petito had an on and off relationship after meeting in high school. They reconnected and got engaged in July 2020. Brain, 23, and Gabby, 22, are long island natives. On July 2, 2021, they traveled the country visiting and camping in national parks while documenting their trip on Instagram and Youtube. Their relationship looked perfect to outsiders, but friends were concerned by their inconsistent behaviors. A close friend of Petito said “Laundrie was charismatic yet manipulative, often jealous”. They wish to keep their name private. Mutual friends declared the couple often had drama and fought frequently. Body cam footage was released on August 12 after Utah police responded to a call about domestic assault through multiple news sources, such as CNN. It is seen that Brian had scratches across his face and had Gabby in tears after reporting to police she did not feel comfortable nor safe. 

Four months later, on September 1st, Brain returned to Florida from a road trip without Gabby. Petito was announced missing 10 days later on September 17 after her parents reported to the authorities they have not heard from her since three days prior. On twitter, North Port police Chief Todd Garrison, posted a plea to Brains lawyer, Steven Bartolino, to arrange a conversation with Brian. Laundrie quickly exercised his constitutional rights to not speak with authorities. Shortly after, on September 19, in Bridger-Teton National Park in Wyoming, Petitos body was found. The cause of death was strangulation as a result of homicide. Her autopsy report was withheld as authorities asked the coroner not to release her results during Brian’s search. The report was filed on October 5, but not released until a week later on October 12. 

The day Petitio was reported missing was the same day Laudrie went missing. On september 23, the FBI issued a warrant for Brian’s arrest for fraud by using unauthorized debit cards after her death. During the two month search, several other bodies were found. One of them being an unidentified homeless man found in a dumpster. Two others were Kylen Shulte and Crystal Turner, a newly wed couple who were found at the campsite in Utah where Laundrie and Petito stayed. Their death came days after Brian and Gabby argued where Kylen worked. The couple left the campsite after being made uncomfortable by a creepy man. Currently, there is suspicion Brian may have murdered them, but authorities have no correlation between the two. To add onto the search, Dog the bounty hunter joined as a helping hand to help find closure for the families. 

On October 21, 2021, skeletal remains were found in Florida in search for Laundrie, along with a notebook and backpack. Through dental records, the FBI confirmed the body belonged to Brian. Criminologist Casey Jordan pointed out the possibility of a suicide note within the notebook. On instagram, Laundrie is pictured with notebooks while on his travels with Petito. Gabbys last Instagram post was on August 24 and facetimed her mother, Nicole Shmidt, a few days before the post. Her mother reported getting strange text messages from her daughter which included calling her grandfather by his first name, which she never did before. 

Brian’s parents, Chris and Roberta, have had suspicious activity during the search for their fugitive son since their actions are pointing to them knowing more than they are saying. One thing that stood out to the crowd would be how their son’s remains were found where they told law enforcement to search, which was to search an area of a reserve that was previously underwater. If proven to be involved, they could be charged with harboring a known felon and lying to investigators. David Thomas, having twenty years of experience as a police officer, stated Chris and Roberta made the decision to get involved to go with the direction of their attorney. However, if they were smart, they would let their attorney do the talking. Another thing that was pointed out was drone footage of Roberta gardening in her backyard as her son was missing. Once Chris saw the drone, he pointed it out to her and they rushed inside. This sparked attention as others assumed they were hiding something. 

As expressed, the hunt for Brian Laundrie was attention grabbing as others gathered around his parents house to protest the right of speech, Brian and Gabrielle’s relationship was toxic to those who witnessed it around them, and police witnessed it first hand. Dog the Bounty Hunter joined the search while Chris and Roberta sat back and did nothing. With new information being released everyday, the situation lights more tension and skepticism. Overall, the hunt for Brian was intense and overwhelming. However, one question needs to be answered, what do the parents know that we don’t?