Brian Laundrie may be ‘hiding in the woods on the Appalachian Trail,’ claims ‘sleuth’ & shares possible route
GABBY Petito's fiance Brian Laundrie "may be heading to the Appalachian Trail", according to one private investigator, as authorities continue to search a 24,000-acre Florida swampland.
Bill Warner shared his theory on Wednesday evening, laying out a route the missing 23-year-old could be taking in Facebook and Twitter posts.
“Brian Laundrie photo from Pinterest @blaundrie1197 page, elite hiker, outdoorsman, on the run in the woods, may be headed for the Appalachian Trail,” said the PI of Bill Warner Investigations, based in Florida.
Warner provided an aerial map showing red circles of Black Water River State Forest in Milton, Florida, the Baker Block Museum in Baker, Florida and Conecuh National Forest in Andalusia, Alabama.
Police said yesterday that trial footage taken in Baker - which is close to Blackwater River State Forest and the museum - did not show Brian.
Officers were looking into reports Laundrie had been spotted in Mobile, Alabama - a two hour drive from Conecuh National Forest.
“Brian Laundrie going all out "Eric Rudolph style" who eluded the FBI for 5 years while hiding in the woods," Warner said.
Rudolph was wanted by law enforcement back in 1998, for masterminding three Atlanta bombings.
He managed to dodge capture by reportedly hiding out along the Appalachian Trail until May 31, 2003, when he was spotted digging through a North Carolina grocery store’s dumpster for provisions.
The FBI special agents and local law enforcement officers have been scouring Florida’s Carlton Reserve in hopes of finding Brian.
Police have been focusing their manpower to find Laundrie in the Carlton reserve after initially calling off the search there on Monday, claiming they had "exhausted all leads."
There has been a relentless pursuit of Laundrie, with authorities sending in underwater recovery teams.
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"They are motivated and they are hungry to find Brian Laundrie," a dive team member said on Wednesday as Laundrie remains outstanding.
But private eye Warner isn’t sold on Laundrie being able to duck the law for over a week at the reserve.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the very latest news and updates...
He found it hard to imagine that Laundrie is “still be alive with snakes and alligators and water covering all the trails from recent storms.”
Laundrie remains a "person of interest' in Petito’s homicide case.
The young man hasn’t been heard from or seen since last Tuesday, according to his family, who claims he left home to go hiking in Carlton Reserve, near Venice, Florida but never returned.
Gabby’s last text from her phone was released by the FBI and uses the word "Stan" which internet sleuths claim is a codeword for “danger”.
In the August 27 text to her parents, the vlogger wrote: "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls."
The Teton County Coroner D. Brent Blue said initial findings were that Petito died as a result of homicide but the cause is still pending final autopsy results.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:
- June 2021 - Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 - Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 - Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
- August 12 - Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 - Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip. The video receives more than 200,000 views.
- August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "more and more tension" between her and Brian.
- August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 - Gabby is seen for what's believed to be the final time. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 - Gabby's parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 - Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 - Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 - Brian's parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 - Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
- September 21 - Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said Gabby's official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 - Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 - Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
- September 26 - Gabby's funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
Laundrie's family lawyer commented "May Gabby rest in peace" when asked for a statement on the body identification.
Now, some are wondering if Laundrie could have evaded authorities and made it across a border and into another country.
“Brian Laundrie most likely fled the country with his parents help weeks ago,” wrote one Twitter user.
A second person poked holes in that theory, noting: "This assumes that he has a passport. If flying, there would be traceable records.
"He hasn’t left the country. Highly doubtful.”
ON BOAT?
Some of the sleuths believe Laundrie is no longer on land but on a boat after a post went live on Instagram for a matter of seconds on Monday.
The Sun has not been able to verify that Laundrie went live on his Instagram page.
A video clip that lasts a couple seconds shows the closeup of what appears to be a body of water and shot from a green vessel with the image of an empty gallon water bottle.
EVIDENCE CROPPING UP
A variety of theories have provided some guesswork that puts Brian Laundrie updating his Spotify playlist unfollowing Instagram accounts while on the run.
There has been a theory running that Petito was pregnant.
A video posted by travel bloggers Jenn and Kyle Bethune, shared an image that has all the trappings of a “sonogram.”
Sleuths also speculated that Petito maintained a Pinterest board titled: “Oh Baby.”
In a TikTok video by a fellow camper captured footage that appeared to be Gabby Petito's white Ford Transit van on Aug.26 and 27 - days after the young woman had told her family that she andLaundrie had reached Grand Teton National Park.
VAN LIFE TRIP ENDS IN DEATH
Laundrie and Patito had logged about two months into a four-month roadtrip adventure when Laundrie returned alone to his parent’s Florida home with Petito’s van on Sept. 1.
"Two people went on a trip, one person returned, and that person isn't cooperating," North Port Chief of Police Todd Garrison said early on in the search for Petito, who had been reported missing on Sept. 11.
Seven days later, even as a throng of press and protesters camped outside the parents’ front lawn, Brian Laundrie disappeared and was reported missing by his family.
He allegedly told them that he was going to take a hike in the Mabry Carlton Reserve.
Laundrie's parents said that they drove his silver Ford Mustang home from a Florida wildlife reserve after he "failed to return from a hike" - days before they reported him missing.
'CRIME SCENE'
On Monday, cops entered Laundrie’s home and ushered his parents into a police van after declaring the area a "crime scene."
The FBI announced a "search warrant" twice before they removed Chris and Roberta Laundrie from the home. The parents were placed in a van on their lawn.
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Police also towed away Laundrie's silver Mustang from his parents' home.
It's believed that Laundrie may have driven the Mustang when he allegedly went for a hike in the swampy nature reserve in the Sarasota area on Tuesday, the last time his family says they saw him.
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