ONLINE sleuths have revealed numerous key clues that are assisting the search for Gabby Petito’s runaway fiancé Brian Laundrie, who was reported missing on September 17.
Laundrie returned to his parents’ Florida home without Gabby on September 1, about three weeks after the 22-year-old vanished on the couple’s cross-country road trip touring national parks around the United States.
Gabby’s remains were discovered in the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground area, in Grand Teton National Park, but cops received no help from the fugitive.
On October 12, her autopsy results revealed she was killed by strangulation, confirmed by Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue.
As the frantic hunt for Laundrie continues, take a look at these sightings internet sleuths caught of the fugitive.
ZION SPOTTING
A tourist’s video shot in Zion National Park reveals Gabby and Laundrie holding hands nearly five weeks before she was murdered.
Online sleuths were quick to recognize the 22-year-old and her fugitive fiancé, who were visiting the Utah spot at the time.
The Zion National Park location and the couple’s clothes in the video appear to match images uploaded to Laundrie’s Instagram.
One sleuth said: "It is 100 percent them. Just the necklace alone is proof."
Another said: "To me nothing sticks out. Normal behavior, holding hands, guiding through the trail."
Read our Brian Laundrie live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Laundrie’s own photographs of their trip to the park have a message alongside that is directed at Gabby.
It says: "It’s a lot easier walking up river holding someone’s hand than walking alone."
STORAGE LOCKER
Laundrie allegedly flew home to clean out his “storage locker” while he was on the cross-country trip with Gabby.
The missing fugitive left a motel in Salt Lake City to help his father empty out a storage unit that reportedly contained his and Gabby’s possessions, according to Meaww.
It was revealed that the 23-year-old returned to Utah and the couple checked out of the hotel on August 24.
Laundrie’s sister Cassie said he flew back to Florida after August 17 and confirmed he had a “storage locker” but did not know its location or what was inside.
The Laundrie family attorney confirmed that Brian flew back to Florida and that the locker was emptied.
He added that the couple emptied the locker as they were looking to "extend their trip."
“Brian flew home to Tampa from SLC on 08/17 and returned to SLC on 08/23 to rejoin Gabby," Steve Bertolino said in a statement.
"To my knowledge, Brian and Gabby paid for the flights as they were sharing expenses.
"Brian flew home to obtain some items and empty and close the storage unit to save money as they contemplated extending the road trip.”
One online detective tweeted: "So, what was in the locker?"
Another Reddit detective commented: “Dying to know what the hell was so important in that storage locker.”
WITNESSES
Before Gabby’s death, several witnesses encountered the couple and reveal vital clues in helping the police find Laundrie.
Sunny Mason, Nina Celie Angelo, Miranda Baker, Norma Jean Jalovec, William and Charlene Gutherie, and Neighbor Jen all reveal they witnessed the pair during their van-travels.
VAN SIGHTING
A couple that resides across the street from the Laundrie’s North Port, Florida home claims they saw Brian's parents leave the home with a van the day Gabby was reported missing.
William and Charlene Guthrie said that about a week after Brian returned to Florida on September 1, the Laundries packed up an attached camper to their pickup truck and left for what they assumed was a long weekend camping trip.
"We didn't know it was Gabby's, we just assumed it was [Brian's] van," Charlene told Fox News.
"We just thought they had come back from wherever. We didn’t know they were on a trip. We assumed they went back to their house or wherever they got a house … We didn’t know much about them at all," she added.
‘ACTING WEIRD’ ON CAMPSITE
A graphic designer allegedly spotted Gabby’s white van and a “man acting weird” at a campsite, which she claims helped FBI detectives find the 22-year-old’s body.
Jessica Schultz and her friends camped out at Spread Creek in Wyoming between August 22-29.
In a TikTok video, the camper said she and her pals noticed Gabby Petito's white Ford Transit van several times during that period.
Schultz said she saw the vehicle on August 26 and 27 – days after Gabby had told her family that she and her fiancé Brian Laundrie had reached Grand Teton National Park.
She also claimed she spotted it a third time after being left surprised that its owners had seemingly not been asked to move it to a parking spot, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The camper said she recognized the straw hat on the van's dashboard, which prompted her to contact the FBI after speaking to friends.
She said: “I just lost my s***. And that’s when I called the FBI and said ‘Guys look at Spread Creek.”
Schultz also claimed she spotted a “man acting weird” while at the campsite.
The Tiktoker said: “He was just acting weird. You know, when you’re out in the middle of nowhere, your hackles go up when you see something that’s out of the ordinary.”
CELL PHONE THEORY
Online sleuths are speculating that Laundrie “purposefully left his new cellphone at his parents’ home” as he hid from the law.
On September 14, Laundrie reportedly purchased a phone at the AT&T store with an "older woman" – the last day his parents, Chris and Roberta, say they saw their son when he left their Florida home to hike.
The FBI investigated Laundrie’s burner phone after investigating the brand new device he left at the house in North Port and reviewing CCTV footage from a cell phone store in North Port.
A screenshot of a Facebook status from a person called Allysun Paulson was shared in the r/Brian Laundrie sub-reddit that read: "I believe he purchased the new phone, with the intent to purposefully leave it behind.
"His old phone is now his 'burner phone,''' she added, claiming Brian would simply do a factory reset and use different SIM cards and could not be traced.
"He knows everything that is going on right now. Everything. Leaving the new phone behind was done to throw them off in the beginning to buy time."
MAKESHIFT CAMPSITE
Online sleuths revealed “evidence” of a “makeshift Florida campsite,” which was allegedly found by search teams while hunting for Laundrie.
Internet detectives claim they discovered a Gatorade bottle, small knife cuts in trees, and a pile of pistachio shells while scouring the woods in Fort de Soto earlier this month.
Laundrie and his parents camped in the Fort de Soto area on September 6 and they checked out days later.
Reality TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter has scoured the site for weeks and claimed earlier this month that he unearthed a “makeshift, primitive camp”.
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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