How the search for Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of Gabby Petito, unfolded

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

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:


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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.


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.

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.


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.


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.


Reported witness describes seeing Petito ‘upset’, Laundrie ‘angry’ at Wyoming restaurant

Nina Angelo opened up to “Good Morning America” on Thursday about purportedly seeing Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie at the Merry Piglets restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Aug. 27, three days after her last known sighting.

The Blue Collar Restaurant Group told ABC News it believes Petito and Laundrie were at its Merry Piglet restaurant and have notified the FBI. However, its security cameras don’t go that far back so there is no footage of the duo allegedly inside the eatery.

Angelo described Laundrie in vivid detail as "aggressive" and "angry".

She said the couple was in an angry confrontation with restaurant staff.

“He was just very visibly angry. [Petito] was really upset, she was crying and he immediately went to the hostess stand and was just going in on the hostess and waitress, then eventually the manager,” Angelo said.

“I think she was being apologetic towards the restaurant staff for his behavior. She just kind of wanted to diffuse the situation. She was like, ‘I’m sorry, come on, let's just go.’ But she was visibly upset. She was crying,” Angelo said. “You could feel his temper. He was he was angry."

Authorities previously said the last time Petito was seen was Aug. 24.

Aug. 27, the day of the alleged restaurant sighting, was the same day Petito’s mom said she received a strange text from her daughter in which she referred to her grandfather as “Stan.” Petito’s mother said her daughter “never” referred to him as Stan.