Dog the Bounty Hunter searching for Brian Laundrie on foot at campground as he ‘closes in on Gabby Petito’s fiancé’
DOG the Bounty Hunter is searching for Brian Laundrie on foot at a Florida campground where he believes the wanted fiance of Gabby Petito may be hiding from the police.
The reality TV star, real name Doug Chapman, arrived at Fort De Soto Park on Wednesday afternoon with his fiance Francie Frane after claiming he was “closing in” on 23-year-old Laundrie.
The bounty hunter is reportedly working with a team that includes skilled ground and boat crews.
Images captured from the scene show a large green canoe strapped in the back of Dog’s truck.
Law enforcement was also believed to be conducting searches at the park on Wednesday, with helicopters and police cars spotted in the area, WFLA’s Josh Benson reported.
When asked by The Sun about police “activity” at Fort De Soto Park, the North Port Police Department said they “can’t give any of that information out over the phone.”
CHASING LEADS
Dog’s arrival at the park comes a day after he revealed he’d received a tip that Laundrie and his parents had gone camping at Fort De Soto on September 6, days before Gabby was reported missing.
Dog also claimed that Brian was not with Chris and Roberta Laundrie when they checked out of the park two days later, on Sept. 8.
The reality TV star told Fox News: “They were registered, went through the gate. They’re on camera. They were here.
“We think at least if he’s not here right now, we are sure he was caught on camera as he went in the gate — that he was here for sure. Not over in the swamp.
“Allegedly, what we’re hearing, is two people left on the 8th. Three people came in on the 6th, and two people left on the 8th. I think he’s been here for sure.”
The Laundrie family has confirmed that they went camping with Brian on September 6 but denied Dog’s claim that Brian didn’t return home with them.
In a statement to WPBF, the Laundrie family’s lawyer Steven Bertolino wrote: “That dog doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“They did go to that campground September 6 and 7 as a family and they all left together.”
Bertolino added that Brian and his parents went to “other places on two different dates” which the FBI is allegedly aware of.
“So Brian obviously returned home after camping and what that dog is spewing is nothing but baloney,” he wrote.
DOG SAYS LAUNDRIE ‘ALIVE’
Still, sources close to Dog have told TMZ that he’s confident that Laundrie is alive and that he believes he’s close to capturing him.
He reportedly obtained a tip at 10pm on Tuesday night regarding Laundrie’s whereabouts.
The nature of that apparent lead in the case is not clear, however, Dog previously suggested that Brian may be on a canoe and paddling from island to island inside the park to avoid detection.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the very latest news and updates…
“There’s a lot of little islands around the area where we’re at, that he could get to on a canoe,” the bounty hunter told Fox News. “We talked to the caretakers today of the islands, they said he could be out here.”
No further information is currently available.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Sunshine state, law enforcement continued their search for Laundrie in Carlton Reserve, Sarasota, with search teams seen taking to the water.
Investigators have been searching the park for several days, but their extensive efforts have so far proved fruitless.
Brian Laundrie has now been missing for more than two weeks.
He is not currently considered a suspect in Gabby’s murder but has been cited as a person of interest. He is also wanted on a warrant for alleged bank fraud after running up $1,000 in charges on a debit card that’s believed to have belonged to Gabby.
The couple was around two months into their planned four-month cross-country road trip touring the US’ national parks before Gabby vanished sometime around August 27.
Brian quietly returned home to Florida alone on September 1, failing to alert police or Gabby’s family that she was missing.
He reportedly acted “without a care in the world” upon his return, neighbors said, mowing the front yard and enjoying idyllic bike rides with his mom.
As reported by The Sun on Tuesday, Brian even went camping with his parents on September 6 at Fort De Soto Park.
Gabby was eventually reported missing by her mother in New York on September 11. That came after 10 days of allegedly being stonewalled by Brian and his parents about where her daughter was, she said.
Then, on September 14, Brian allegedly vanished after telling his parents he was going hiking at Carlton Reserve.
But they didn’t report Brian missing until three days later when police showed up at their home.
PARENTS CALL 911 ON DOG
Dog attempted to speak with the Laundries on Monday, but they called 911 on him after he knocked on their door.
Speaking to Fox, Dog said it was a “shame they wouldn’t speak” to him.
“The police said we were welcome to knock on the door so we did. I wanted to tell the Laundries that our goal is to find Brian and bring him in alive.”
North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor confirmed: “We’ve been called to the house numerous times for all sorts of issues: media, protesters, celebrity searchers.
“It’s not something normal. If the family calls and is concerned, we will respond like we would for anyone.”
In a later interview with Dr. Oz, Dog explained that he wanted to specifically speak with Brian’s father, and said “50 percent of the time parents know where their kids are.”
Another “35 percent of the parents help,” Dog said, adding he hopes the Laundrie family will fall into that number.
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“Well, you know, I wanna talk to his dad and explain the difference between involuntary manslaughter and murder one out of Wyoming,” Dog said.
“In murder one, you’re facing the death penalty. 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.”
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.
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