The attorney for Brian Laundrie’s parents has confirmed that all three family members went camping in a Florida national park just five days before his fiancée Gabby Petito was reported missing.
Steven Bertolino said all three members of the Laundrie family camped together at Fort De Soto from September 6, leaving together the following day.
‘They all left the park,’ Bertolino said, according to Fox 13.
Dog the Bounty Hunter, who has joined the search for Brian, said Monday night that Laundrie’s parents spent the night in Fort De Soto in Pinellas County, Florida, from September 1 to 3, staying in spot number 1.
They returned again with Brian to stay on spot 15 from September 6 to 8, and left without him, Dog claims.
Records did not show the Laundrie family staying at the park from September 1 to 3.
After first saying: ‘I will no longer give that dog credibility or dignify his false claims with the time of my reply,’ Bertolino confirmed the family had stayed at the site, though he gave the dates as being from September 6 to 7.
Brian Laundrie, 23, and Petito embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country road trip in July. But on September 1, Laundrie returned home to Florida without his 22-year-old fiancée. She was reported missing on September 11, and her remains were discovered near a Wyoming campsite on September 19.
If Dog’s claims are accurate, Brian could have had a week head-start before he was named a person of interest on September 15.
The attorney for Brian Laundrie’s parents has confirmed that all three went camping in Fort De Soto in Florida national Park just days before his fiancée Gabby Petito was reported missing. The camping site is seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos
The campsite (pictured) is located in Fort De Soto in Pinellas County, Florida, close to St Petersburg
Two months ago Laundrie and Gabby Petitio visited the same spot and posted photos hiking and showing them relaxing on the beach. They also posted this photo behind bars
The attorney for the family of Brian Laundrie has confirmed that Laundrie went camping with his parents at Fort de Soto Park five days before Gabby Petito was reported missing. Laundrie had returned home to North Port, Florida on September 1 and Petito was reported missing on September 11. Police and FBI are now searching Cartlon Reserve for any sign of him
Roberta Laundrie (right) has been accused of using a burner phone to keep in contact with her son, Brian, who is currently wanted by the police. Christopher (left) and Roberta (right) Laundrie visited their attorney in Orlando on Thursday
The confirmation of the camping trip comes amid growing speculation that Laundrie’s mother could be using a burner phone as the hunt for her son – the prime suspect in Petito’s murder – continues.
Reporters in Tampa approached the FBI after internet sleuths showed screen grabs of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter Lyssa Chapman appearing to confirm the FBI believe Roberta Laundrie is using a burner phone.
It has not been suggested that she is using the burner phone to communicate with her son.
‘We do not confirm or deny contact with any individual or entity in order to preserve their privacy, as such, we do not confirm or deny the receipt of any tip. We have no additional comment,’ the FBI said, according to 10 Tampa Bay reporter Shannon Clowe.
Lyssa Chapman, tweeted that the FBI confirmed the accusations that Roberta is in possession of a burner phone but did not present any evidence of the confirmation.
The Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, had ‘no comment.’
Internet sleuths have claimed that Brian is using a burner phone after allegedly noticing changes to his Instagram and Spotify accounts since he disappeared two weeks ago.
His Instagram account reportedly went live for three seconds on Monday showing waves and just a peak of an olive green boat, according to Inside Edition.
The account also reportedly unfollowed several people.
There have also been claims online that Brian’s Spotify playlist name changed from ‘Selfconsomption’ to ‘Nomatic Statik.’ The playlist was reportedly created after Petito’s disappearance.
Brian has been named a person of interest in the investigation into his fiancée’s death. Her remains were found in Wyoming and her death ruled a homicide after she was reported missing on September 11.
Dog the Bounty Hunter joined the search for Brian on Saturday and was quickly flooded with tips, one of which claimed that the Laundrie family spent the night in Fort De Soto Park with their son twice after he came back alone from Wyoming in early September.
Dog said in an interview with Dr Oz on Tuesday that he wants to speak to Brian’s father, because parents know where their kids are ’50 per cent of the time’ when they have been accused of a crime. He said another 35 per cent of parents help with the search.
Dog, who was convicted of first degree murder in the 1970s, added: ‘I wanna talk to his dad and explain the difference between involuntary manslaughter and murder one out of Wyoming.
‘In murder one, you’re facing the death penalty. A manslaughter is a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
‘I wanted to explain to him, “I know exactly what you’re going through right now. As a matter of fact, I personally went through it.” So, I just wanted to talk to the dad.’
A Fort Meyers couple have claimed they camped next to Brian and his parents during their campsite trip to Fort De Soto Park.
Marcie and Kenny Newson realized they may have stayed near the family after looking back on photos and seeing a red truck with a camper similar to the one parked in the Laundries’ driveway.
They said they could not confirm physically seeing Laundrie but a selfie from their trip appears to show him walking across the campsite.
‘They kept to themselves. They were there an then they weren’t’, they told NBC 2.
Another camper whose name appeared on the ledger was celebrating his anniversary with his wife three spots down from the Laundries.
Thomas Rutherford told Fox News that he could ‘vaguely remember’ spotting the Laundries’ vehicle, which they noted due to the novelty of seeing a camper attached to a vehicle.
Since the tip lead investigators to the Florida park about 75 miles north of North Port, it has been revealed that Brian and Petito have stayed at the campsite before.
Two months ago, the pair uploaded a series of photos to hiking website The Dyrt that show them relaxing on the beach and exploring the Fort De Soto campground.
A spokesman for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office told DailyMail.com that there is no search underway and the only activity at the 1,130-acre site Tuesday was a handful of media helicopters circling overhead.
A spokeswoman for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said: ‘We are not conducting an investigation at Fort De Soto. We are unaware of any confirmed sightings of Brian.’
Dog continues to push the idea that Laundrie could be there, hopping from island to island in a canoe to evade detection.
In one photo from the fateful couple’s visit, Laundrie and Gabby are seen peering through the bars of a jail cell at an old fort. In more snaps, Gabby is seen reading a true crime novel book on the beach, exploring the dunes and holding a starfish in the palm of her hand.
‘Really nice campground, beautiful area with many hikes and easy walks, the beach, historic sites, really nice camp store and well maintained sites!’ the couple said in a review.
Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, (pictured at the weekend outside the Laundrie house in North Port, Florida) said on Monday that he had located a campsite where the Laundrie family stayed in September and where he believes Brian Laundrie is hiding out
Brian (left) has also been accused of using a burner phone after activity to his social media accounts were allegedly spotted by people online
Petito, (right) was found dead in Wyoming after Brian (left) returned from their cross-country ‘van life’ trip without her on September 1
Records show that the Laundrie family checked into the Fort De Soto campground
Based around a fort built in 1900, Fort De Soto contains more than seven miles of waterfront, eleven floating docks and multiple places to launch kayaks and canoes.
Last week, Laundrie’s neighbors, Charlene and William Guthrie, said they saw the family hook up the camper to the back of their pickup truck for a weekend trip away about a week after their son’s return, on September 11 – the same day Gabby was reported missing.
The family would have returned about two days later as DailyMail.com photos show the camper back in the driveway on September 13.
Marcie and Kenny Newsom (first and second right) said they could not confirm physically seeing Laundrie but a selfie from their trip appears to show him walking across the campsite
A Fort Meyers couple realized they may have stayed near the family after looking back on photos and seeing a red truck with a camper (left) similar to the one parked in the Laundries’ driveway (right)
When police contacted the Guthries over the disappearance of Petito, William told them about the family’s trip, noting that it was unusual for Christopher and Roberta Laundrie to go off in such a small camper with their 23-year-old son.
‘I saw them doing some work. And then when they prepared for their trip, I saw them loading the camper,’ William told Fox News.
Search efforts have so far been concentrated at the Carlton Reserve – an alligator-infested watery 25,000-acre site 13 miles north of the Laundrie family home in North Port.
‘Really nice campground, beautiful area with many hikes and easy walks, the beach, historic sites, really nice camp store and well maintained sites!’ Gabby and Brian said in a review of the campsite during their visit two months ago (pictured)
An extensive search for Laundrie has been underway since his parents reported him missing on September 17 – two days after he was named a person of interest in the homicide of Petito, whose remains were found on September 19
In more snaps Gabby is seen reading a true crime novel book on the beach, exploring the dunes and holding a starfish in the palm of her hand
‘Allegedly, what we’re hearing, is two people left on the 8th,’ said Chapman.
‘Three people came in on the 6th, and two people left on the 8th. I think he’s been here for sure.’
A Fox News Digital reporter overheard a park worker say investigators had checked surveillance video on the grounds.
The Laundries maintained their silence Tuesday when they were seen leaving home mid-morning to buy groceries at Walmart. They have not publicly commented on Brian’s disappearance or the slaying of his fiancé.
Brian was charged with ‘use of unauthorized access device’ last Thursday, but said they will ‘continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito’s homicide.’
An extensive search for Brian has been underway since his parents reported him missing on September 17 – two days after he was named a person of interest in Petito’s case.
Dog believes that Laundrie could be in this area, hopping from island to island in a canoe to evade detection
Based around a fort built in 1900, Fort De Soto contains more than seven miles of waterfront, eleven floating docks and multiple places to launch kayaks and canoes
Dog is adamant that Brian could be hopping from island to island in a kayak or canoe at the Fort De Soto camping site
Petito and Brian visited the De Soto campground together according to their review on The Dyrt
The FBI refused to confirm or deny the allegations as Steven Bertolino, the Laundrie family attorney, declined to comment
A group of 75 officers from more than 16 agencies joined the search last week, using drones, diver units, dogs and ATV vehicles to comb the 25,000-acre preserve since his parents reported that Brian might be there.
Over 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are contained in the park, along with camping areas and rivers. Wildlife there includes alligators, bobcats, snakes and coyotes.
Florida cattle rancher Alan McEwen, who lives outside the Carlton Reserve, has spent 30 years exploring the area and said it’s not somewhere humans can easily live. He has been assisting police in their search for Brian.
‘There’s no surviving out here, I don’t know how to say it,’ he told Fox News.
‘I’ve been in the woods in and out all my life. I have learned a lot in my life, and one thing I know is no one is gonna survive out there for two weeks on foot.’
Dog vowed to find him before his 24th birthday on November 18. Seattle’s Boohoof Law offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Travelers describe ‘odd encounters’ with Brian Laundrie in the final days of Gabby Petito’s life
Hunter Mannies, 44, (pictured) believes he had an encounter with Brian Laundrie, 23, in a bar one day before Gabby Petito, 22, went missing
Multiple travelers are sharing stories of their encounters with a man they believe to be Brian Laundrie that took place in the days before Gabby Petito was last seen alive.
Hunter Mannies, 44, from Louisiana, has said he believes he saw a man matching Laundrie’s description at Bullwinkle’s Saloon in West Yellowstone, Montana on August 26.
‘It was an odd encounter,’ Mannies said during a Fox & Friends interview.
‘There was a guy by himself at the end of the bar. We really didn’t pay him much attention until he got kind of – he just seemed overly invested in our conversation and eventually ended up speaking up.’
Mannies says the bargoer – who introduced himself as ‘Brian’ – was giving off an ‘uncomfortable vibe’ during the time he was in the bar, before he interjected in the conversation that Mannies was having with a friend about hunting, guns and politics.
‘[Laundrie] abruptly jumped into it with a comment about ‘stupid Southerners’ and some expletives about Republicans,’ he shared.
‘I kind of laughed and said, ‘Well, where are you from?’ and he said, ‘New York,’ Mannies explained. ‘And I said, ‘Okay, New York’ and he said, ‘I have a name, it’s Brian,” Mannies added, speaking with The New York Post.
‘I said, ‘Let me ask you this, New York. What did you expect to find in a small mountain town in the middle of nowhere Montana? Did you expect to find a bunch of Democrats?”
He added: ‘He was overly invested in our conversation. We felt watched. He wasn’t talking to the bartenders. He was there alone. It just stood out as odd. He was just mad at the world it seemed like.’
Mannies also said that the bargoer ‘he had that serial killer look.’ He has reported the encounter to the FBI.
Mannies claims Laundrie was sitting alone at Bullwinkle’s Saloon in West Yellowstone August 26
Mannies says the bargoer – who introduced himself as ‘Brian’ – was giving off an ‘uncomfortable vibe’ during the time he was in the bar, before he interjected in the conversation that Mannies was having with a friend about hunting, guns and politics
Two women have also come forward, each claiming that they picked up Laundrie who was hitchhiking in Grand Teton National Park.
TikToker Miranda Baker said she and her boyfriend were at Grand Teton National Park on August 29 when Laundrie approached the couple and asked them for a ride at 5.30pm.
‘He approached us asking for a ride because he needed to go to Jackson and we were going to Jackson that night. So I said, ya know, “hop in” and he hopped in the back of my Jeep,’ Baker explained.
TikToker Miranda Baker (pictured) said she and her boyfriend were at Grand Teton National Park in Colter Bay, Wyoming, on August 29 when Laundrie approached the couple and asked them for a ride at 5.30pm
Baker explained that her, her boyfriend and Laundrie ‘then proceeded to make small talk’ and found out he had been camping for multiple days without his fiancée.
‘He did say he had a fiancée and that she was working on their social media page back at their van,’ Baker said.
She also said that Laundrie told her he and his companion were not camping on a regulated campsite through the national park.
‘They were camping basically out in the middle of nowhere along Snake River,’ she said.
Baker recounted the alleged story Laundrie told her and her boyfriend: ‘This is key information. He said that he had hiked for days along Snake River but looking at his backpack, it wasn’t full.
‘And he said all he had was a tarp to sleep on. And, if you’d think you’re going camping for days on end you’d want food and a tent and he had none of that.’
She added: ‘He had scruff but he didn’t look dirty for someone who was camping for multiple days. He didn’t look dirty, he didn’t smell dirty, so that part was kind of weird.’
Then, when Baker told Laundrie they were driving to Jackson Hole he supposedly ‘freaked out’ and asked them to pull over and said: ‘Nope, I need to get out right now.’
Baker said they pulled over at the Jackson Dam in Grand Teton National Park, which she noted was not very far from where they originally picked Laundrie up.
He allegedly hurried out of the car and told the couple he would find someone else to hitchhike with.
Police have since told Fox 13 News that Baker’s story is ‘possibly credible’.
Gabby Petitio’s body was found in the Spread Creek campsite in Wyoming on Sunday and the next day her death was ruled a homicide. She is pictured during a police stop in August
Laundrie was last seen more than a week ago and his whereabouts remain unknown. He is pictured during a police stop last month
A second woman, Norma Jean Jalovec, also said she picked Laundrie while he was hitchhiking up on August 29.
She claims Laundrie asked her tp drop him off at the gate of the Spread Creek campground and tried to jump out of the car when she offered to drive him inside.
‘He got agitated when I said, ‘Do you want me to take you past the gate, down the road [to the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area]?” Jalovec told People.
‘He was like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. This is fine.’ He said, ‘Just let me out here. You can let me out here.”
Jalovec said she found his ‘antsy behavior’ to be odd, noting that he offered her $200 for gas money, even though she only drove him a short distance.
‘He was antsy and just wanted to get out at the gate. I said, ‘Oh, you don’t want your fiancée to see you being dropped off out of an SUV. You want her to think you hiked all the way back.”
She continued: ‘But now we all know, obviously, there was a reason why he probably didn’t want me to go down that road.’
‘If no one else comes forward about seeing him after 6:40 p.m., then I was the last person to see him.’