Gabby Petito case: search continues for missing woman, fiancé Brian Laundrie

NORTH PORT, Fla. (WABC) – The FBI in Denver said on Saturday that officers were conducting ground investigations in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, with help from the National Park Service and local law enforcement , looking for clues about Gabby Petito’s disappearance.

His last known contact with family members was from the national park known for its mountainous terrain.

Former FBI agent Brad Garrett looking for Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie:

Meanwhile, the search for a vast Florida nature reserve is set to resume on Sunday as authorities seek to locate Brian Laundrie, Petito’s fiancé.

Local and federal law enforcement marched through a huge county park known as the Carlton Reservation, which spans over 24,000 acres and is located just north of the house that Laundrie and Petito shared with his parents.

WATCH | Chopper hovers over police looking for Brian Laundrie on the Carlton reservation

Police said his family believe he entered the area earlier this week after leaving the house with a backpack on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Petito’s family claim that Laundrie hasn’t gone missing but is in hiding.

The Petitos released the following statement through their lawyer overnight:

Gabby’s whole family wants the world to know Brian hasn’t gone missing, he’s in hiding. Gabby is missing.

More than 50 police officers were accompanied by FBI agents, drones, K-9s and sleuths to search for Brian Laundrie, law enforcement said on Saturday.

Police have shared new photos of the search for laundry in the Carlton Preserve area.

North Port, Florida Police spokesman Josh Taylor told a news conference that a family council had led law enforcement to the Carlton reservation.

His family told police on Friday that they last saw the 23-year-old leaving with a backpack on Tuesday and told them he was on his way to the reservation.

Laundrie’s family told police where he had gone after “worrying about where he was” and wanted to file a missing person report, according to Taylor.

He said Laundrie’s vehicle was in the reserve and was found at the family home, but when asked who or how the car would have returned without a sign from Laundrie, the spokesperson said “we are let us stick to the word of their family “.

Laundrie’s family say they haven’t seen Brian since Tuesday.

Investigators removed items from the house from laundries to help with his search, according to his lawyer Steven Bertolino.

RELATED | Timeline of Gabby Petito’s disappearance: what we know so far

Police said on Twitter that this was the first time the Laundrie family had spoken to them in detail about the case.

They reiterated that Brian is a person of interest in Gabby’s disappearance, but that they “are not currently working on a criminal investigation.”

He and Petito are now considered missing persons.

Speaking to Good Morning America on Saturday, North Port Police Public Information Officer Josh Taylor said the police “were trying to corroborate everything they told us.”

Taylor said detectives spoke to Chris and Roberta Laundrie in person with their attorney on the phone.

“I wouldn’t say it was, you know, a full conversation. Right now their focus was on helping us find their son,” Taylor said.

Taylor said investigators are still working to piece together Brian’s journey from the western states to their home in Florida.

“Sure, that truck hasn’t driven from, you know, potentially, you know, the mountain to the west so far with a tank of gas, so we know there have been stoppages going on. road. If people have seen anything as far as these moves, we’re piecing that together, we’ve solidified parts of the timeline. We know her mother spoke to her, saw her on facetime on August 25, ” Taylor said.

Watch the full GMA interview with Josh Taylor:

“We’re glad they called the police and want to cooperate, but until … I’m not speculating, I don’t know what to believe,” Petito’s stepfather Jim said. Schmidt.

A spokesperson for the department appeared on CNN later Friday evening and said the department had more details but could not yet be released.

“I think it will come out here, very soon, we just want to line up our ducks a little bit,” the spokesperson said. “It’s been a situation that has developed very quickly here over the last hour for the most part. So we’re working on it. We want to make sure we’re specific in everything we say.”

Petito, a 22-year-old woman from Long Island, disappeared on a road trip across the country with Laundrie.

The Florida couple were on their way to Oregon when Petito stopped communicating with his family somewhere in Wyoming in late August.

Laundrie, who has been identified as a Person of Interest by Police in North Port, Fla., Returned to her Gulf Coast home in Petito’s 2012 white Ford Transit van on September 1, 10 days before Petito is reported missing by her family at Blue Point.

North Port Police held a press conference Thursday in which Petito’s father pleaded for his safe return and for Laundrie to speak out and stop obstructing the investigation.

“What I need from everyone is help,” said Joseph Petito. “This goal is to get Gabby home safely. I ask for help from everyone here. I ask for help from everyone at home. I ask for help from Brian’s parents. , and I ask for help from family members and friends of the Laundrie family as well. “

MORE: Police Body Camera Video Shows Gabby Petito Her Boyfriend After 911 Call

Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt said the last video chat she had with her daughter was on August 24 or 25, although they texted for a few days.

She has since said that she doesn’t know if it was her daughter who actually sent these texts.

“We don’t eat, we don’t sleep, we just actively seek it out,” she said.

The engaged couples had documented their trip on YouTube and were due to arrive in Portland in October.

“We were excited for them,” Schmidt said. “I believe she is in danger because she is not in contact with us. She might be alone somewhere. She might be stranded somewhere in the wild and she needs help.”

Petito is described as a white female, measuring around 5 feet 5 inches and 110 pounds.

She has blonde hair, blue eyes and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that says “Let it be”.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about Petito’s disappearance to contact Suffolk County Police at 1-800-220-TIPS, the North Port Police Department at 941-429-7382, or the FBI at 1- 800-CALL-FBI or 303-629. -7171. Information may also be submitted online.

ALSO READ: ABC Exclusive: Full Interview with Brian Laundrie’s Sister on Gabby Petito

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