Laundrie parents confirm they went camping with Brian during Gabby’s disappearance
Brian Laundrie and his parents had gone on a camping trip to Florida earlier this month, the family’s attorney confirmed.
The camping trip was taken by Chris and Roberta Laundrie soon after their son had returned from a cross-country trip without his girlfriend Gabby Petito, who was then reported missing and later confirmed dead.
Mr Laundrie had subsequently gone missing, after telling his parents he was going for a hike in the “vast and unforgiving” Carlton Reserve.
“The family camped from 09-06 to 09-07 and they all left the park,” Steven Bertolino, the family’s attorney, was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
Mr Bertolino also claimed Mr Laundrie subsequently returned home with his parents from the camping trip.
The clarification from the attorney, representing the Laundrie family, came hours after reality TV star Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman said the family left their son Mr Laundrie behind in Pinellas County’s Fort De Soto Park.
Mr Chapman had joined in the search for Mr Laundrie over the weekend.
His claim was seemingly confirmed by the reservations made in the park for the same dates.
Mr Laundrie was also reportedly spotted by a tourist in the park who said he had a strange encounter with a lone man resembling Ms Petito’s boyfriend at Bullwinkle’s Saloon in West Yellowstone.
The man’s interest piqued when the conversation between the tourist and his friends turned to “hunting and guns and politics”.
Mr Laundrie is a person of interest for police officials investigating the death of Ms Petito. Mr Laundrie’s parents, in a statement on Monday, denied helping him escape.
An autopsy report had earlier confirmed human remains found in a Wyoming campground were of Ms Petito.
The two had set out for a cross country trip in early July and covered scores of national parks, but things reportedly went downhill after fights and physical altercations reportedly occurred between the couple.
A police officer in Utah had seen Ms Petito crying inconsolably, while Mr Laundrie had scratches on his face from a fight with his girlfriend.
Days later, Ms Petito’s family said their daughter had disappeared, following which her death was confirmed as a homicide.
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