An ex-FBI agent has said that police should have done more to prevent Brian Laundrie from disappearing after his partner was found dead.
The FBI confirmed his girlfriend Gabby Petito's death was a homicide, but an official cause of death has not yet been determined.
The 22-year-old''s remains were found in a remote area in Wyoming, US, on September 19.
Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in the case and authorities have yet to locate him since he went missing on September 14, after telling his parents he was going on a hike.
Michael Schneider, special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver office, said: "Mr Brian Laundrie has been named a person of interest.
"Anyone with information concerning Mr Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts should contact the FBI."
Now, former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan, who now works as a lawyer in South Florida, told The Sun that police should have ensured he didn't slip through the net.
He said: "I think hindsight being 2020, had they realised that at the very beginning this was more than a missing persons case, it may have been better served to have him in pocket. And that's the lingo. I think certainly had he been kept in pocket, we probably would not be having this discussion.
"He probably would be arrested and facing prosecution, not only for the bank fraud, but also for the murder of Gabby Petito."
Brian Laundrie, 23, and Gabby were high school sweethearts. They both went to the same school in Bayport, New York.
In 2019, the couple moved to North Port to live with Laundrie's parents.
In July 2020 Gabby announced through Instagram that she and Laundrie were engaged.
Gabby was on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie when she disappeared.
They began their trip in New York, and were supposed to be any for four months while visiting national parks.
They documented their travels on their Instagram account and YouTube, showing pictures and clips of them kissing and scaling rocks.
Gabby was reported missing when her fiancé returned from the road trip without her.
