How the search for Brian Laundrie unfolded

Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend.

ByBill Hutchinson, Ivan Pereira, Marlene Lenthang, Meredith Deliso, and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: October 22, 2021, 6:22 AM EDT

A massive search for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of slain 22-year-old travel blogger Gabby Petito, took a dramatic twist Thursday with the announcement that human remains found in a Florida nature preserve are those of the wanted fugitive, according to the FBI.

The remains were recovered Wednesday, nearly five weeks after Petito's body was recovered in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. The Teton County Coroner ruled her death a homicide by strangulation.

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie was centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said he returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

Laundrie had been named by police as a "person of interest" in Petito's disappearance and a federal warrant had been issued for him alleging unauthorized use of Petito's credit card.

He refused to speak to the police and vanished on Sept. 13. His parents told investigators they believed he was headed to the Carlton Reserve in North Port.

The case grabbed national attention as Laundrie and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media. Petito's parents reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here is how the weekslong search for Laundrie unfolded:

Key events

All times Eastern.
Sep 21, 2021, 10:24 AM EDT

Search resumes for Laundrie in 'gator and snake infested' swamp preserve

Police returned on Tuesday morning to the vast Carlton Reserve near North Port, Florida, to resume their search for Brian Laundrie a day after they said they had "exhausted all avenues in searching the grounds."

A North Port Police Department spokesman released a statement saying police, FBI, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other law enforcement agencies resumed the search for Laundrie on the Venice, Florida, side of the roughly 25,000-acre preserve.

Laundrie's parents told police their son said he was going to the preserve on Sept. 14 and that was the last time they heard from him.

Police spent most of Saturday and Sunday searching the preserve, entering from the North Port side. Josh Taylor, the North Port police spokesperson, said on Monday that the initial search of the preserve turned up no clues of Laundrie's whereabouts there and that bloodhounds and K-9 units did not pick up Laundrie's scent.

"Please be aware, the Carlton Reserve is a vast and unforgiving location at times. It is currently waste deep in water in many areas. This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake-infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails," Taylor said in the statement released on Tuesday.

Sep 21, 2021, 9:56 AM EDT

Laundrie family lawyer calls off press conference

A press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon by the Laundrie family and their attorney has been called off.

Steven Bertolino, the family's lawyer, told ABC News that he canceled the press conference after speaking with the FBI. He did not elaborate on what prompted the cancellation.

PHOTO: FBI agents talks with a North Port officer while they collect evidence from the home of Brian Laundrie, Sept. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla.
FBI agents talks with a North Port officer while they collect evidence from the home of Brian Laundrie, Sept. 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla. A body has been found by authorities in Wyoming that fits the description of Gabby Petito, who went missing while on a cross country trip with Laundrie.
Octavio Jones/Getty Images

The press conference was scheduled to be held at 1 p.m. ET at a hotel in Long Island, New York, near Petito's hometown of Blue Point.

Sep 20, 2021, 6:34 PM EDT

FBI ends search at Laundrie residence

The FBI Tampa office tweeted Monday evening that they ended their search of the Laundrie residence North Port, Florida.

"No further details since this is an ongoing investigation," the office tweeted.

Sep 20, 2021, 5:29 PM EDT

Search warrant last week uncovered hard drive, revealed Petito's last text

Details of a search warrant executed last week by Florida investigators looking into into Gabby Petito's disappearance were revealed Monday.

This warrant, filed by the North Port Police Department this past Wednesday, wasn't associated with the FBI activity at the Laundrie family’s North Port home Monday.

Police say that after they searched the 2012 Ford Transit van, crime scene technicians found an external hard drive that they believed "may contain viable digital forensic data that could assist in the location" of Petito, court documents said.

A detective said Petito’s mother received an "odd text" from the 22-year-old, on Aug. 27, -- making it likely the last communication from Petito, according to court documents.

The text asked Petito's mom, "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls,” referring to Petito’s grandfather, who she “never” refers to as Stan, according to her mother.

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