On the ninth day of the search for Brian Laundrie, North Point police scaled back their search efforts, choosing instead to focus on a few specific spots within the Carlton Reserve. A Florida rancher told news outlets that he did not believe Mr Laundrie could survive in the swamps.
On Sunday, Gabby Petito was honoured with a memorial service in her home town of Blue Point, New York. The services were open to the public and drew crowds of supporters to the funeral home. Ms Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, spoke during the service and urged people to be inspired by his daughter’s life and to leave abusive relationships.
Later on Sunday evening, the FBI returned to Mr Laundrie’s home to collect items for use in DNA matching. When the Laundrie family lawyer, Steven Bertolino, was asked why the FBI would need those items, he said the collection was “routine.” An arrest warrant has been issued for Mr Laundrie, though not for the murder of Ms Petito.
Duane Chapman, aka Dog the Bounty Hunter, also joined the search for Mr Laundrie over the weekend. He was photographed knocking on the Laundrie’s house, though he was not invited inside, and Roberta Laundrie called the police to complain about him. He told media outlets he was confident he could track down Mr Laundrie.
In a statement released on Monday, the parents of Mr Laundrie said: “Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him.”
