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The whereabouts of Florida fugitive Brain Laundrie remain unknown nearly four weeks after his parents said they last saw him leave their North Port home for a hike to a nearby environmental reserve.
The 23-year-old New York native is wanted for debit card fraud and has been named a Person of Interest in connection with the death of his 22-year-old fiancée Gabby Petito, whose FBI remains were discovered at a campsite in Wyoming on September 19. This marked eight days after her mother reported her missing and more than two weeks after Laundrie reportedly showed up at her parents’ home in Petito’s van – without her.
Although there have been conflicting reports regarding the extent of his skills as an outdoor enthusiast, he has a habit of spending extended periods of time in state and national parks.
HIKER WHO SAYS HE SEEN BRIAN LAUNDRIE NEAR THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL SAYS FBI “TAKEN A LOT OF NOTES”
According to hiking guides, now is not a good time of year to start heading north on the Appalachian Trail from its southern tip in Georgia, but the stretch along the North Carolina border. North and Tennessee could be a great place to hide. Even as it nears the end of the season heading south, with the hikers that started in Maine nearing completion, the trail winds along state lines in places far removed from major cities.
Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino described Brian Laundrie as “a backpacker” and rebuffed claims he was a survival specialist.
But there have also been a series of possible sightings reported from Laundrie along or near the long stretch of the Appalachian Trail where it crosses the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
“The south and north ends of the trail are the areas where you can really crouch and get lost,” said Orlando Calas Jr., a 23-year-old hiker who has hiked the entire trail.
POSSIBLE OBSERVATION FROM BRIAN LAUNDRIE: HEAR THE 911 CALL FROM THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKER
Soft water is plentiful, he said, as long as you have a basic filter. And while food may be more difficult, it is still available.
“It’s extremely difficult to do even if you have the support,” he said.
A road sign at Clingmans Dome, a major scenic lookout along the Appalachian Trail, May 11, 2018, near Cherokee, North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina, deep in the Appalachian mountain range.
(George Rose / Getty Images)
Calas had some help on his trip – setting off with a cousin and joining other travelers he met on the trail. His father also followed their progress in a vehicle, helping them when they needed food and water or anything else. When they needed a break on the trail, known as “day zero,” he picked them up and drove them to hotels.
“I consider this to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, just because of the physical and mental strength you need to have to be able to complete it,” he told Fox News. . “It’s exhausting – just miles and miles of walking, falling, bad weather.”
The Appalachian Trail spans over 2,000 miles in all.
(iStock, file)
With that kind of help, Calas rated the trail an eight on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most difficult.
Without this support system, he said, “it would be 10, easily.”
It’s still doable, he says. Fishing and hunting are viable ways of finding food in the area, he said, and there is a plentiful supply of food for forage.
“There are definitely enough wildlife and so many berries,” he said.
Groups of volunteers are also helping hikers with food, shelter and getting around along the way – but Calas said the news has probably spread all over the trail by now and people are probably looking out. looking for someone matching Laundrie’s description.
“They do a good job of keeping hikers up to date with what is happening on the trail,” he said. “What areas to avoid, whether there is a suspicious person or a forest fire. So there is a network of people dedicated to educating hikers… or even Trail Angels about the dangers that occur around the Appalachian Trail. “
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Calas, who is from Florida, also said the terrain for the Appalachian Trail is very different from hiking in the flat areas of the Sunshine State.
“It’s all flat – you really can’t compare it,” he said. “You just have to manage the humidity and cold rain that permeates all your gear and deal with the actual elevation changes as opposed to hiking on an Everglades walk.
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