BRIAN Laundrie's father is reportedly being sued for $40 over a sign left outside his home by protesters.
The lawsuit filed Monday in Sarasota County, Florida, accuses Christopher Laundrie of stealing a placard that was placed near his yard amid the manhunt for his son Brian, the fugitive fiance of slain hiker Gabby Petito.
The plaintiff listed on the civil complaint circulated on social media is Andra Griffin.
The filing states that Griffin contributed money to help construct a sign placed near Chris and Roberta Laundrie's home on October 15.
The sign read: "What if it was Cassie?" – referencing Brian's sister Cassie Laundrie.
On the morning of October 16, Chris "came out of his home, walked up to the sign, stole it and walked back onto his property," the complaint claims.
The lawsuit is listed on the Sarasota County Court Clerk's website alongside a summons for Chris to appear in court on December 1.
The Sun approached Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino for comment about the lawsuit on Monday.
Asked if Chris was being sued over a protester's sign, Bertolino replied: "Idk [I don't know]."
Griffin shared a news article about the lawsuit on her Twitter account, where she has documented her personal search for Brian over the past several weeks.
Read our Brian Laundrie live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Several fellow sleuths reacting to the suit online slammed Griffin's move, saying that the state should be focused on finding Brian instead of going after his father over a sign.
POTENT PROTESTER
Griffin has attended multiple protests at Brian's parents' home over the course of the manhunt, according to local media reports.
She spoke to FOX 4 on September 27 as she joined a small group of demonstrators demanding answers from the Laundries.
"Give answers to the world, the world is watching and we’re not going away!" Griffin was heard yelling through a megaphone.
She told a news crew: "People are concerned. People want to know what’s going on. People want to know why they’re hiding in that home and not helping."
At the time, Griffin said she had spent the past six days driving from her home in Manatee County to camp outside the Laundries home.
“We want to know what the parents know," she says. "We want them to start cooperating with authorities.
"Right now they are lawyering up, they’re not doing much. Their child is also missing, as I had explained earlier, and they don’t seem to care. They don’t seem to care where their own son is.”
Brian, 23, and his fiancee Gabby, 22, were two months into a planned four-month road trip touring America's national parks when she vanished in Wyoming around August 27.
Brian quietly returned home to Florida alone in Gabby's van on September 1 but failed to alert police or her family that she was missing.
Gabby was eventually reported missing by her mother Nichole Schmidt on September 11, three days before Brian disappeared after allegedly telling his parents he was going camping.
Gabby’s remains were found in a shallow grave in Bridger–Teton National Forest in Wyoming on September 19.
A coroner confirmed she died by strangulation last week amid the manhunt for Brian, who is considered a person of interest in Gabby's death.
WALL OF SILENCE
Over the course of the search, speculation has continued to mount over how much Brian's parents know about his whereabouts and his potential involvement in Gabby's death.
The couple have refused to speak to the media or comment on the situation publicly and have only been issuing statements through lawyers.
Protesters have been camped outside the Laundries' home for weeks, aiming to ply pressure on the duo to break their silence.
Meanwhile, internet sleuths have pointed out the family’s allegedly suspicious behavior, believing the Laundries might be hiding something.
Brian Laundrie timeline
Brian Laundrie has not been seen since the morning of September 13. Here is a timeline of Laundrie’s latest whereabouts:
- July 2021: Brian Laundrie and his fiancé Gabby Petito leave for a grip across the country. The couple visit numerous national parks across the way.
- August 12: Police in Utah respond to an incident involving the couple. The bodycam footage is not released for another month but it shows a visibly upset Gabby talking to police after reports of a domestic violence incident outside a grocery store.
- August 24: Gabby is seen leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Laundrie.
- September 1: Laundrie returns to his home in North Port, Florida without Gabby.
- September 6: Laundrie joins his family on a camping trip about 75 miles from their home in North Port.
- September 11: Gabby's family reports her missing.
- September 13: Laundrie leaves home to go hiking in Carlton Reserve, Florida. His family had initially said he departed on September 14, but revised their timeline weeks later.
- September 15: Laundrie is named a person of interest in the case of Gabby.
- September 16: Bodycam footage is released regarding the incident between Gabby and Laundrie.
- September 19: The FBI announces a body found at a Wyoming national park is believed to be that of Gabby's.
- September 23: The FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest claiming he "used unauthorized debit cards after Gabby Petito's death."
- September 26: A funeral is held for Gabby in New York.
- September 27: Dog the Bounty Hunter announces he will lend a hand and help search for Laundrie.
- September 28: Gabby's family held an emotional press conference as the search for Laundrie continued.
- October 5: Laundrie's sister, Cassie, appeared on Good Morning America and urged her brother to come forward.
- October 7: Laundrie's father, Chris Laundrie, assisted law enforcement in the search to find his son.
- October 12: Gabby's autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
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