Brian Laundrie may be in Alabama. Gabby Petito’s ex-boyfriend was possibly spotted at a restaurant near Mobile.
WAFF 48 reports that police officers have begun searching for Laundrie in the Mobile area. That follows multiple reports that he was seen in Tillman’s Corner. A restaurant there, which WAFF did not name, confirmed that officers stopped by. Restaurant workers said police were headed for another restaurant where Laundrie may have been seen.
A Twitter user also reportedly claimed Laundrie was spotted walking across a road nearby. Someone giving him a ride had dropped him off at an area near a Wal-Mart, they said.
Gabby Petito’s Body May Have Been Found
Gabby Petito, 22, disappeared late last month while on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie, her boyfriend. Laundrie returned to Florida without Petito and promptly lawyered up. He has since refused to cooperate with the investigation into her disappearance.
There were some signs their trip had not been a harmonious one prior to Petito’s disappearance. Police in Moab, Utah responded to a 9-1-1 call about a domestic disturbance involving Petito and Laundrie while they were passing through there. A visibly distraught Petito could be seen on one officer’s bodycam footage during the encounter.
Up until last week, Laundrie was holed up at his parents’ house in Florida. But the Laundries claim that he told them he was going for a hike in a local nature preserve. He then disappeared. His parents filed a missing person report on Friday, three days after he went on the walk.
A body that authorities believe is Petito’s has turned up in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. That should help to identify Petito. It should also narrow down the cause of death and suggest whether or not foul play was involved.
Brian Laundrie Is a ‘Person of Interest’
Authorities have declared Laundrie a person of interest in the ongoing investigation. And the discovery of the body that police believe is Gabby Petito’s has advanced the case. It was evidently enough probable cause for the FBI to execute a search warrant at Laundrie’s parents’ house today.
Laundrie’s parents have also thus far refused to speak to police. But it is unlikely they will face charges for harboring their son. They have not actively interfered in the investigation. And that, law enforcement experts say, is the most likely way they’d be charged.
Meanwhile, the FBI completed their search of the Laundrie home Monday night. They also released the search warrant they used to comb through the van that Petito and Laundrie drove across the country. It shows they wanted to look at a computer in the van, among other things.
If Laundrie is found, his efforts to flee will likely not go over well. But authorities have to catch him first. In the meantime, the autopsy should shed more light on the circumstances surrounding Petito’s disappearance.
