Brian Laundrie - update: Parts of Carlton Reserve opened to public as search for fugitive enters fifth week

Gabby Petito’s parents said they want a face to face meeting with Brian Laundrie’s parents so they can ask them why they are continuing to protect their son in the face of mounting evidence that he may have been involved with the woman’s murder.

A man believes his CCTV security cameras may have picked up images of fugitive Mr Laundrie in Florida, a report says.

According to the TMZ website, the images were recorded on the outskirts of the man's property in Dunnellon on 9 October.

Meanwhile, Mr Laundrie’s father, Chris, received court summons for tearing up a protester’s sign. The sign read “What if it was Cassie?” and had been placed on the family’s front lawn.

It appears that police may be permanently scaling back their search for Mr Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve. However, that has not stopped the overall search for Mr Laundrie, including a number of false alarms.

Earlier, a man resembling Brian Laundrie found himself handcuffed by US Marshals. The man looked so similar to Mr Laundrie that he adopted the trial name “Not Brian” to ward off the comparison.

Read More

What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

Gabby Petito: Autopsy confirms cause of death as strangulation

Gabby Petito timeline: When was she found and how did she die?

Brian Laundrie: Everything we know about Gabby Petito’s boyfriend as manhunt continues

Key Points

• Brian Laundrie’s parents are being ‘tortured’

• Seven bodies found during search for Brian Laundrie

• Brian Laundrie’s father hit with court summons for trashing protester’s sign

• Gabby Petito’s mother on Moab incident: 'I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her'

• What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

• Gabby Petito’s friends speak out after learning what caused her death

Gabby Petito timeline: When was she found and how did she die?

10:40 , Eleanor Sly

The focus of the Brian Laundrie manhunt has shifted back to the Carlton Reserve in Florida after the family attorney said he believes the missing fugitive is still hiding out in the 25,000-acre nature reserve.

Steve Bertolino said Mr Laundrie, 23, may be unaware of the nationwide manhunt for him, telling Fox News: “I believe Brian is still in the preserve. And as such I don’t think he has access to the news.”

As law enforcement ramped up their search of the park on Wednesday, Mr Bertolino also revealed that Brian’s father Chris Laundrie had been asked to join in the hunt for his missing son.

Read more here:

A timeline of events in the Gabby Petito case

Laundrie’s former co-worker: he was like a “chameleon"

10:15 , Eleanor Sly

Brian Laundrie had the personality of a “chameleon”, according to one of his former co-workers.

Michael Livingston, who said he worked with Mr Laundrie during parts of 2017 and 2018, said that the 23 year old “never came across as the kind of person that would be the killing type.”

Mr Livingston, aged 31, worked at a Long Island garden centre, where Mr Laundrie also worked doing odd jobs and at the sales counter.

Speaking on Mr Laundrie, Mr Livingstone said: “He did have that tendency to be — I don’t wanna say the wrong thing and make him sound worse than he already is — he was kind of a guy who would get p---ed off pretty quick,” Fox News reported.

"I remember from back then he was a big yoga nut, always telling me, ‘I gotta worry about my zen,’" Mr Livingston said. "And I thought he was this weirdo."

Emily Ferlazzo: Suspicious disappearance of another van-life woman in wake of Petito case as husband ‘admits to killing’

09:50 , Eleanor Sly

The husband of a 22-year-old woman, who has been missing for four days, has been arrested by the Vermont state police after he allegedly admitted to killing her.

A body, believed to be that of Emily Ferlazzo, was also recovered on Tuesday. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

Joseph Ferlazzo told investigators that he had killed his wife inside their camper van in the Vermont town of Bolton, police said. He has been charged with first-degree murder and his arraignment is scheduled for 10.30 am on Wednesday at the Vermont Superior Court in Burlington.

Suspicious disappearance of another van-life woman in wake of Petito case

Parts of the Carlton Reserve reopen to the public

09:25 , Eleanor Sly

Areas of the Carlton Reserve have been reopened to the public for the first time since the search for Brian Laundrie manhunt started.

The reserve is located in Florida and is made up of more than 24,500 acres. Alligators, venomous snakes, and other animals all live in the nature reserve and it is thought that Mr Laundrie could have been hiding there too.

See video below:

Brian Laundrie: Everything we know about Gabby Petito’s boyfriend as manhunt continues

08:59 , Eleanor Sly

Federal prosecutors have indicted Brian Laundrie, 23, in the case of Gabby Petito, whose remains were discovered in a Wyoming national park after an extensive nationwide search.

The fiance of the 22-year-old “van life” blogger, whose death has been ruled a homicide, Mr Laundrie was travelling with Ms Petito on a cross-country road trip from New York to Oregon when she went missing in late August.

Mr Laundrie returned to his family’s home in Florida alone on 1 September in the white Ford transit van the couple had been living in and ultimately disappeared himself on 13 September, having apparently told his family he was going for a hike in the nearby Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre wilderness.

Everything we know about Brian Laundrie as manhunt continues

Brian Laundrie’s parents are being ‘tortured’

06:52 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing Brian Laundrie’s parents, said that his clients are being “tortured” by protesters “in their own home.”

“They are being tortured in their own home by these protesters outside,” Mr Bertolino was quoted as saying by the Insider.

For weeks now, protesters have been showing up regularly outside their home in North Port, Florida — sometimes even knocking on the Laundries’ door and shouting abuse, and a number of signs have been left outside.

The attorney said: “They are being harassed with lawsuits for a $40 sign that was more than likely on their property and should be considered litter.” A day before, a protester had filed a lawsuit against Christopher Laundrie for yanking off a sign from his front lawn. The protester had said that she contributed $40 for the sign that read “What if it was Cassie?”, referring to Brian Laundrie’s sister.

“And all of the foregoing is occurring when they have no idea whether their son is alive or not,” Mr Bertolino added.

Petito fundraiser organisers credit Gabby’s family for ‘paying it forward’

06:21 , Maroosha Muzaffar

One of the organisers of the first-ever Gabby Petito Foundation fundraiser — that was held on 17 October — has spoken about how the Petito family “insisted on paying it forward”.

Steve Campo, Bill Nevin and Christian Cabrera — the organisers — are friends of Petito’s stepfather Jim Schmidt, and the three “made sure to get her parents’ blessing for the fundraising events”.

Mr Nevin said: “We went to the family to make sure they were okay with it, and they’ve been updated every time we did something.”

Initially, the fundraiser was going to support Petito’s family directly, but they refused. “We were just gonna get the money to the family because of the expenses they incurred,” Mr Nevin said.

Instead, the Petito family insisted the money be used to help others, saying: “We want the foundation to help other victims of domestic violence and any other families that have to go through the tragedy that their family went through.”

Gabby Petito’s mother on Moab incident: 'I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her'

05:52 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Speaking about the Moab incident between Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt recently said that she wanted to “jump through the screen and rescue her.”

In September, the Moab police released bodycam footage that showed Petito sobbing. The couple were on a cross-country road trip at that point.

Ms Schmidt, in an interview, recently said: “It’s just hard to watch. I wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her. I saw a young girl that needed someone to just hug her and keep her safe. I just felt so bad for her. I wish that she reached out to me.”

On 19 September, Petito’s remains were found on the outskirts of a national park in Wyoming and the coroner later declared that she died due to throttling.

Behavioural scientist examines clues from the Moab incident

05:34 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Dr Ann Wolbert Burgess, a behavioural scientist, examined clues from the Moab incident in an interview and concluded that there were “classic signs” of Gabby Petito being controlled by Brian Laundrie.

She pointed out two incidents: one in a restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming and the Moab incident between the couple and said that those were the “critical clues” to the case.

She said that these incidents “start to add up and give us a better profile of him.”

Talking about the Moab incident, Dr Burgess told News Nation Now: “She [Gabby Petito] has to go back and apologise to him. That is the key to what might have happened.”

Seven bodies found during search for Brian Laundrie

04:46 , Maroosha Muzaffar

At least seven bodies have been discovered around the US amid the ongoing search for the fugitive, Brian Laundrie.

The seventh body — that of a woman who went missing near an area in Colorado where Mr Laundrie and Petito visited in early July — was found this week, the Sun reported.

At least four other bodies were found under “suspicious circumstances” near areas where police were searching for either Mr Laundrie or Petito before her remains were found.

Two other bodies were found before Mr Laundrie went missing near the areas where he was road tripping with Petito. The manhunt for the 23-year-old fugitive has been ongoing for five weeks now.

Florida woman sues Brian Laundrie over garden sign

04:02 , Graeme Massie

A Florida woman has sued Brian Laundrie’s father for $40 for removing her sign from outside the family home.

Andra Griffin, of Bradenton, filed the lawsuit in the small claims division of a Sarasota County court and says she hopes her lawsuit irritates Christopher Laundrie into breaking his silence on the case.

The lawsuit says her sign read “What if it was Cassie?” and includes a picture of Mr Laundrie removing the sign at his home in North Port, Florida.

“On or about the morning of October 16th, 2021, the Defendant, Christopher Laundrie, came out of his home, walked up to the sign, stole it and walked back onto his property,” the lawsuit alleges.

The family’s lawyer, Steven Bertolino, said on Tuesday that the Laundries were being “harassed with lawsuits for a $40 sign that was more than likely on their property and should be considered litter.”

Missing California woman’s husband arrested for murder

03:03 , Graeme Massie

The husband of a missing California mother of three was arrested on Tuesday for her murder, 10 months after she disappeared, police say.

“Today, the Chula Vista Police Department is announcing the arrest of Larry Millete for the murder of his wife May,” authorities said.

Ms Millete was last seen alive on 7 January , 2021, shortly before a trip to the mountains with with her husband and she and h their daughters—aged 4, 9, and 11.

Her family called police in Chula Vista, near San Diego, on 9 January to report her missing.

Brian Laundrie described as ‘chameleon’ by former co-worker

02:02 , Graeme Massie

“He never came across as the kind of person that would be the killing type,” Michael Livingston, who says he worked with 23-year-old Mr Laundrie during 2017 and 2018, told Fox News.

“But he did have that tendency to be — I don’t wanna say the wrong thing and make him sound worse than he already is — he was kind of a guy who would get p***ed off pretty quick.”

Mr Livingston, 31, says he was a landscaper for a Long Island garden centre, where Mr Laundrie worked on the sales counter and did other odd jobs.

Brian Laundrie’s parents dodge media questions on shopping trip

01:01 , Graeme Massie

Chris and Roberta Laundrie stayed quiet as they stepped out on Tuesday to shop at Wal Mart.

North Port police say new searches will continue “when needed"

Tuesday 19 October 2021 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

A North Port police spokesman said that searches for Brian Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve would continue “when and where needed.”

Searches at the site have been scaled back in recent days, and sections of the protected swampland were reopened to the public today.

The reduction in police activity in the area have led some to question whether or not police were ceasing their search at the reserve.

What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

Tuesday 19 October 2021 21:30 , Graig Graziosi

What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

Mr Laundrie has been missing for more than a month, and police are scaling back their searches of the Carlton Reserve, even allowing certain sections to be reopen to the public.

Could Mr Laundrie be tried in absentia? What if he was found dead?

The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has those answers below...

What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

Indigenous women say the media not Gabby Petito is to blame for ‘epidemic of violence’ being ignored

Tuesday 19 October 2021 21:04 , Graig Graziosi

Indigenous women claim that the media, not Gabby Petito, is to blame for an epidemic of violence and missing people in their communities going unnoticed.

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe spoke with Indigenous women who argue missing and murdered people in their communities are ignored in the press.

Read their stories below...

Indigenous women: Media not Gabby Petito is to blame for ignored ‘violence epidemic’

Brian Laundrie’s parents seen leaving AT&T store

Tuesday 19 October 2021 20:40 , Graig Graziosi

Brian Laundrie’s parents reportedly visited an AT&T store today during an early morning supply run.

The couple also stopped at a Walmart, where they were bombarded with questions from a Fox News reporter as they loaded groceries into their truck.

The Laundries have been hounded by press and protesters for weeks as their son - the only person of interest in Gabby Petito’s death - remains missing.

Husband of missing Vermont woman has disappeared after her suspicious disappearance

Tuesday 19 October 2021 20:20 , Graig Graziosi

In the wake of the nationwide frenzy over Gabby Petito’s disappearance and death there have been calls for greater coverage of other missing person cases across the US.

The husband of Emily Ferlazzo, a 22-year-old woman who has been missing for roughly three days, has gone missing.

Police in Vermont are asking for the public’s assistance in locating her husband, 41-year-old Joseph Ferlazzo, as he is the woman’s last known contact.

Law enforcement officials said Ms Ferlazzo’s disappearance was “suspicious.”

In a police report, investigators claimed Mr Ferlazzo told her family they had gotten into an argument while driving in their camper van on the Bolton Valley Access Road at approximately 1 p.m. Saturday. He claimed that Ms Ferlazzo left the vehicle and began walking along Route 2, which connects to the road they were traveling.

He said he continued driving to a nearby convenience store and, upon returning to pick up his wife, could not find her.

Mr Ferlazzo and the family’s dog are both missing.

Anyone with information regarding any of the parties involved are encouraged to contact the Vermont State Police at 802-524-5993.

Family of Miya Marcano sues apartments where she lived and worked

Tuesday 19 October 2021 19:40 , Graig Graziosi

The family of missing woman Miya Marcano is suing the Arden Villas apartments where the woman lived and worked.

The lawsuit claims the apartments did not do enough to protect Ms Marcano. A maintenance worker at the apartment with a master key to all of the apartments is suspected to be the one who murdered Ms Marcano.

The Organ County Sheriff’s Department released a police report detailing their findings, but more than 3/4s of the report were redacted.

Gabby Petito’s mother wants face to face meeting with Brian Laundrie’s parents

Tuesday 19 October 2021 19:20 , Graig Graziosi

Gabby Petito’s mother told 60 Minutes Australia that she wanted to talk to Brian Laundrie’s parents and ask them why they continue to stay silent about their son’s location.

“I think silence speaks volumes. I believe they know probably, if not everything, they know most of the information,” Ms Schmidt said. “I would love to just, face to face, ask, ‘Why are you doing this? Just tell me the truth.’“

The Independent’s Helen Elfer has more from the interview below...

Gabby Petito’s parents want face-to-face meeting with Laundries

ICYMI: Brian Laundrie look-a-like ambushed by federal agents near Appalachian Trail

Tuesday 19 October 2021 18:50 , Graig Graziosi

A man who resembles Brian Laundrie was ambushed by police while resting from a hike on the Appalachian Trail.

The man said federal agents dragged him out of his hotel room by gunpoint and, after clearing him, told him to shave his beard.

The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has the full story below...

Brian Laundrie look-a-like ambushed by US Marshals near the Appalachian Trail

Jelanie Day funeral to be held today

Tuesday 19 October 2021 18:30 , Graig Graziosi

As the world watched Gabby Petito’s case unfold, another missing person went largely unnoticed.

Today, Jelani Day will be laid to rest. The graduate student’s body was found nearly a month after he was reported missing, floating in a river 60 miles north of his college.

The LaSalle County Coroner said Mr Day’s cause of death is still unknown, pending further investigation.

Mr Day’s family is demanding answers and equal attention for the loss of their loved one. They have been critical of the police response to their son’s disappearance and death.

“To them, Jelani didn’t mean anything,” Carmen Bolden Day, Mr Day’s mother, told CNN last month. “There is no effort. There is no push. There is no nothing that was being done about my son.”

Carlton Reserve still closed

Tuesday 19 October 2021 18:14 , Graig Graziosi

Despite the reopening of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, the Carlton Reserve remains closed to the public.

Police have been searching the protected swamplands for Brian Laundrie for more than a month.

Tuesday 19 October 2021 16:53 , Graig Graziosi

The Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, part of the Carlton Reserve, has been re-opened after being closed to the public for nearly a month during the search for Brian Laundrie.

The reopening may be a sign that police are permanently winding down their search for Mr Laundrie in the protected swamplands.

Gabby Petito’s parents collect her remains from Wyoming

Tuesday 19 October 2021 16:41 , Graig Graziosi

Gabby Petito’s parents were finally given permission to collect their daughter’s remains from a funeral home in Wyoming.

The Independent’s Graig Graziosi recounts the day Ms Petito’s parents recovered her ashes in the story below...

Gabby Petito’s parents collect her remains from Wyoming funeral home

No activity at Carlton Reserve so far today

Tuesday 19 October 2021 16:20 , Graig Graziosi

Police activity at the Carlton Reserve - where Brian Laundrie is believed to be hiding - has been quiet for a second day in a row.

Law enforcement searches have fluctuated at the site since Mr Laundrie disappeared in mid-September, and it appears the FBI is once again scaling back its effort at the swamp.

It is unclear where - if anywhere - the FBI is refocusing its search.

Internet detective thinks Brian Laundrie’s Pinterest proves he’s still alive, citing dubious evidence

Tuesday 19 October 2021 16:01 , Graig Graziosi

A social media sleuth thinks the fact that an account she believes to be Brain Laundrie’s gaining an additional follower is evidence that the man is still alive.

The account that blogger Shaynah Dodge believes to be Mr Laundrie’s follows 146 people, one more than it did three weeks ago. She believes that development to be “weird’ and potentially indicative of the man still being alive.

Law enforcement agencies investigating the case have said it has no indication one way or another if Mr Laundrie is alive or dead.

“Tonight I was scrolling some of his pins on his account and I noticed this … He now follows 146 people. That’s weird right?” Ms Dodge said. “Like of course his follow count went up as people have flocked to his pages but how did who he follows go up within the past three weeks. Can bot pages make you follow them?”

The explanation is likely very simple: someone who Mr Laundrie followed previously deactivated their account and has since reactivated. As a result, the number of accounts Mr Laundrie is following has increased by one.

Laundrie family bombarded with questions during Walmart run

Tuesday 19 October 2021 15:12 , Graig Graziosi

Brian Laundrie’s parents have been under near-nonstop surveillance from protesters and the press since their son disappeared in mid-September.

During a recent trip to Walmart, Chris and Roberta Laundrie were hounded by a Fox News reporter questioning them about their son’s whereabouts while live streaming the encounter.

‘I thought he would take care of her'

Tuesday 19 October 2021 14:42 , Matt Mathers

In a heartbreaking interview, Gabby Petito’s mother and stepfather recalled trusting her fiance, Brian Laundrie, and took a painful look back at the couple’s ill-fated van trip.

“I felt safe because she was with Brian, and I felt like she would be OK,” Ms Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, told 60 Minutes Australia. “I thought he would take care of her.”

My colleague Nathan Place has more:

‘I thought he would take care of her’: Gabby Petito’s parents speak out

Grieving parents collect daughter's ashes from mortuary

Tuesday 19 October 2021 14:16 , Matt Mathers

Gabby Petito’s parents have collected their daughter’s remains from a mortuary.

The Petitio family visited the Valley Mortuary in Wyoming, Jackson, on Saturday, DailyMail.com reported.

The 22-year-old van life blogger was cremated and the family took home her ashes.

ICYMI: What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

Tuesday 19 October 2021 13:55 , Matt Mathers

Can Mr Laundrie be tried even if he is never found?

My colleague Graig Graziosi reports:

What would happen if Brian Laundrie is never found?

ICYMI: After Gabby Petito’s death is confirmed as strangulation, key questions remain

Tuesday 19 October 2021 13:40 , Matt Mathers

As a coroner ruled that Gabby Petito died by strangulation, key aspects of the investigation into her disappearance and homicide remain shrouded in mystery.

My colleague Bevan Hurley reports:

After Gabby Petito’s death is confirmed as strangulation, these key questions remain

Watch: FBI agents raid home of Brian Laundrie

Tuesday 19 October 2021 13:20 , Matt Mathers

Fugitive is a ‘chameleon’ and ‘weirdo’ who could quickly lose his temper, former co-worker says

Tuesday 19 October 2021 12:52 , Matt Mathers

Brian Laundrie has the personality of a “chameleon” and is a “weirdo” who gave the impression he could quickly lose his temper, one of his co-workers has said.

“He never came across as the kind of person that would be the killing type,” Michael Livingston told Fox News Digital.

“I don’t wanna say the wrong thing and make him sound worse than he already is — he was kind of a guy who would get p****d off pretty quick,” he added.

Mr Livingston worked with the fugitive in parts of 2017 and 2018, according to Fox.

“I remember from back then he was a big yoga nut, always telling me, ‘I gotta worry about my zen,’” Mr Livingston added. “And I thought he was this weirdo.”

Possible sighting of fugitive in Florida

Tuesday 19 October 2021 12:38 , Matt Mathers

A man believes his CCTV security cameras may have picked up images of fugitive Brian Laundrie in Florida, a report says.

According to the TMZ website, the images were recorded on the outskirts of the man’s property in Dunnellon on 9 October.

Video obtained by the website shows a man wearing dark clothes cycling along a dirt track in a remote location.

The man, who has facial hair, can be seen wearing a black cap, black jumper, green trousers and is carrying a backpack.

Recap: Everything we know about Gabby Petito’s boyfriend as manhunt continues

Tuesday 19 October 2021 12:14 , Matt Mathers

Federal prosecutors have indicted Brian Laundrie, 23, in the case of Gabby Petito, whose remains were discovered in a Wyoming national park after an extensive nationwide search.

The fiance of the 22-year-old “van life” blogger, whose death has been ruled a homicide, Mr Laundrie was travelling with Ms Petito on a cross-country road trip from New York to Oregon when she went missing in late August.

Mr Laundrie returned to his family’s home in Florida alone on 1 September in the white Ford transit van the couple had been living in and ultimately disappeared himself on 13 September, having apparently told his family he was going for a hike in the nearby Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre wilderness.

Days later, when Mr Laundrie’s parents reported his disappearance, a major manhunt was launched, which remains underway amid a flurry of international media interest.

The FBI announced its charge against Mr Laundrie on 23 September for alleged “use of unauthorised access devices”, along with an arrest warrant.

My colleague Helen Elfer has more below:

Everything we know about Brian Laundrie as manhunt continues

US Marshals Service says they received Brian Laundrie sighting tip

Tuesday 19 October 2021 06:32 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The US Marshals Service (USMS) has issued a statement after a Brian Laundrie lookalike claimed he was stopped by armed US marshals on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.

USMS said it “often supports investigations conducted by our federal, state, local, and tribal partners”.

“In this instance, the Graham County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) in North Carolina had received a tip that the fugitive Brian Laundrie had been sighted in their jurisdiction,” the US Marshals Service told Fox News.

“GCSO asked the USMS task force to support them in making contact with the subject.”

Severin Beckwith from New York had claimed that he was approached by “a bunch of guys with riot shields with US Marshals written on them, handguns pointed at my face” while he was on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.

Brian Laundrie’s father hit with court summons for trashing protester’s sign

Tuesday 19 October 2021 06:26 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Christopher Laundrie, the father of the absconding fiancé of deceased Youtuber Gabby Petito, was slapped with a court summon on Monday.

Read the full story here:

Brian Laundrie father hit with court summons for trashing protester’s sign

Private investigator believes Brian Laundrie is hiding along the Appalachian Trail

Tuesday 19 October 2021 05:39 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A private investigator believes that Brian Laundrie is hiding in the Appalachian mountains, even as law enforcement agencies are yet to find any trace of him.

Jason Jensen told New Nation Now that he is absolutely certain that the fugitive is hiding along the Appalachian Trail as Brian Laundrie is familiar with the hike.

He said that Mr Laundrie was spotted in Gabby Petito’s TikTok page hiking the Appalachians. And was also spotted wearing the Appalachain Trail t-shirt when the couple was in southern Utah.

Mr Jensen said that he is “absolutely” sure that Mr Laundrie is hiding in those mountains.

Meanwhile, the search for the fugitive in the Carlton Reserve seemed to be wrapping up on Monday. A retired FBI Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer also said that Jensen’s guess was “certainly plausible.”

Brian Laundrie’s father given summons for trashing protester sign

Tuesday 19 October 2021 05:18 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The father of 23-year-old fugitive Brian Laundrie has been sent a court order and asked to report to the Sarasota County small claims court on 1 December for trashing a protester’s $40 lawn sign, according to Florida court records.

Christopher Laundrie yanked a protester’s sign that said “What if it was Cassie” out of the front lawn of the family’s home in North Port, Florida – it and a cluster of other protest signs were placed on the lawn near the road, on the street side of police tape cordoning off the home.

Protesters have been camping near the Laundrie home for almost a month now, demanding justice for Gabby Petito. The court claim against Brian Laundrie’s father was filed by one protester identified as Andra Griffin who said that she helped pay for the sign that was taken and trashed.

Prior domestic incident could be used to establish motive in Petito homicide case, lawyer says

Tuesday 19 October 2021 04:50 , Maroosha Muzaffar

If Brian Laundrie is apprehended by the police and named as a suspect in the killing of his girlfriend Gabby Petito, their history of domestic incidents could be used as evidence in court, a lawyer has said.

Brian Laundrie is the subject of a federal arrest warrant and is a person of interest in the Petito homicide case.

Police have previously released bodycam footage of their response to a fight between the couple in August, not long before she went missing and died, during which they admitted to hitting each other.

Ajay Pallegar, a Sarasota-based criminal defence attorney, told Fox News that even though the prosecution is not allowed to “admit evidence of a prior crime to show that the defendant has a bad character … or acted in bad faith” or to show that “because he committed this similar crime before, he’s likely to do it again,” there are circumstances under Florida law where the prosecution can try and introduce evidence of past bad acts to show intent, motive, knowledge, modus operandi and so on.

Opinion: ‘I’m a survivor of intimate partner violence. Gabby Petito’s killing is the wake-up call we all need'

Tuesday 19 October 2021 04:11 , Justin Vallejo

More likely than not, at least one woman you know, whether that be your mother, sister, cousin or a friend, has faced violence at the hands of a man, writes Victoria Gagliardo-Silver for Independent Voices.

“If you stood in a room with four or more female family members, the likelihood of one of them being an abuse, rape, or assault survivor is nearly 100 per cent. Someone you know, someone you love, has faced this. I am one of those women. I experienced sexual, physical, and emotional violence in one of my college relationships… and yet, I struggled to leave.”

Read the full piece:

Gabby Petito’s death is the partner violence wake-up call we all need

Opinion: It has been a media circus. But without the coverage Gabby Petito’s body would have been found in 8 days

Tuesday 19 October 2021 03:15 , Justin Vallejo

The interest over every aspect of the case, be it the reported sightings of the young woman’s boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, or the reaction from the families to each development, has been obsessive, writes The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe.

“One point, ignored by the coroner, but not by Petito’s family or the police or the FBI, is that without the massive media coverage, it is very unlikely that the young woman’s remains would have been found within just eight days.”

Read the full piece:

Without the media it’s unlikely Gabby’s body would have been found in just 8 days

Petito timeline: When was she found and how did she die?

Tuesday 19 October 2021 02:15 , Justin Vallejo

Agencies have been scouring the alligator-infested wilds of Florida for several weeks with helicopters, drones, all-terrain vehicles and canine units.

The timeline of Brian Laundrie’s movements both before and after his girlfriend Gabby Petito went missing has altered dramatically since the YouTuber went missing.

It is now known that Mr Laundrie flew from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Florida on 17 August for six days before returning to join Ms Petito on their cross-country road trip.

Catch up on the full timeline.

A timeline of events in the Gabby Petito case

Watch: Gabby Petito’s parents speak out

Tuesday 19 October 2021 01:11 , Justin Vallejo

“I felt safe because she was with Brian, and I felt like she would be OK,” Ms Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, told 60 Minutes Australia. “I thought he would take care of her.”

Brian Laundrie look-a-like ambushed by US Marshals

Tuesday 19 October 2021 00:09 , Justin Vallejo

Severin Beckwith looks like an average man. He is of generally average height and build, with a mid-length beard and a bald head – a perfectly normal looking guy.

That is why US Marshals pointed guns in his face when they raided a hotel he was visiting in Western North Carolina.

Mr Beckwith was traveling with his partner, Anna Brettmann, along the Appalachian Trial, aiming to hike from George to Virginia.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Brian Laundrie look-a-like ambushed by US Marshals near the Appalachian Trail

ICYMI: ‘I thought he would take care of her’: Gabby Petito’s parents speak out in plea for justice

Monday 18 October 2021 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

Gabby Petito’s parents spoke with 60 Minutes Australia about their daughter’s death and their feelings about Brian Laundrie, the only person of suspect in the woman’s killing.

“I felt safe because she was with Brian, and I felt like she would be OK,” Ms Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, said. “I thought he would take care of her.”

The Independent’s Nathan Place has more from the interview below...

‘I thought he would take care of her’: Gabby Petito’s parents speak out

More signs at the Laundrie house Monday

Monday 18 October 2021 21:12 , Graig Graziosi

Protesters put up more signs outside the Laundrie family home on Monday.

One read “no justice, no peace” and another was a large cutout photo of Gabby Petito.

Over the weekend Chris Laundrie, Brian Laundrie’s father, tore a sign off his lawn that read “What is it was Cassie?”

ICYMI Laundrie attorney slams Dog the Bounty Hunter and “America’s Most Wanted” creator John Walsh

Monday 18 October 2021 21:00 , Graig Graziosi

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing Brian Laundrie and his parents, called Dog the Bounty Hunter - real name Duane Chapman - and “America’s Most Wanted” creator John Walsh “dusty relics” who were involved with the Gabby Petito case to feed their own “egos.”

The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has more from the attorney in the story below...

Laundrie attorney slams Dog the Bounty Hunter, John Walsh for exploiting Petito case

Artist who painted angel wing mural that served as a background for one of Gabby Petito’s photos speaks out

Monday 18 October 2021 20:40 , Graig Graziosi

Diego Jaguart’s mural of colorful angel wings in Old Colorado City became synonymous with Gabby Petito after the woman’s social media images were spread worldwide in the wake of her disappearance.

Since then, Mr Jaguart says his understanding of the piece has changed.

“It’s different now. For me, it changed,” Mr Jaguart told Fox News. “It’s … bittersweet, you know? My sensation now is honor … because the people love the mural, but for the first time, I was feeling very, very sad.”

He said he created the mural for Valentines Day two years ago. He recently “refreshed” the mural by touching up spots where the paint had faded.

After Gabby Petito’s death is confirmed as strangulation, key questions remain

Monday 18 October 2021 20:30 , Graig Graziosi

After Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed that Gabby Petito died by strangulation, several questions surrounding her death remain.

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley digs into those questions below...

After Gabby Petito’s death is confirmed as strangulation, these key questions remain

Would it have taken longer to find Gabby Petito’s remains without the media frenzy?

Monday 18 October 2021 20:15 , Graig Graziosi

Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue chastised the media coverage of the the Gabby Petito case, pointing out that other domestic violence cases do not get nearly the same attention.

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe says the doctor is correct, but points out that without the media coverage of the case, Ms Petito’s remains may have stayed hidden for far longer.

Read his argument below...

Without the media it’s unlikely Gabby’s body would have been found in just 8 days

‘I thought he would take care of her’: Gabby Petito’s mom recalls fateful van trip

Sunday 17 October 2021 21:09 , Nathan Place

In a heartbreaking new interview, Gabby Petito’s mother and stepfather recalled Brian Laundrie as “quiet” and “polite,” and took a painful look back at the couple’s ill-fated van trip.

“I felt safe because she was with Brian, and I felt like she would be OK,” Ms Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, told 60 Minutes Australia. “I thought he would take care of her.”