NEW YORK – Brian Laundrie’s father was helping authorities search a Florida nature park Thursday for his 23-year-old son, who is a person of interest in the death of fiancée Gabby Petito and is also wanted on a federal fraud-related charge.
Here's the latest:
9 p.m., Oct. 7: POLICE REFUTE CAMP SITE REPORT
Florida police have pushed back against reports that authorities searching for Brian Laundrie came across a fresh campsite.
A source close to the Laundrie family told CNN's Chris Cuomo that law enforcement found “fresh traces of a campsite” in the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday as the weeks-long search for fugitive Brian Laundrie continues there.
But the North Port Police Department told The Post in an email that the report was incorrect.
According to the CNN report, Chris Laundrie's involvement in the search Wednesday was postponed after the discovery of a campsite that appeared to have been recently used, as law enforcement wanted to search the area alone. Brian's father then helped in the search Thursday.
3 p.m., Oct. 7: FATHER'S SEARCH EFFORTS 'HELPFUL,' BUT NOTHING FOUND
Law enforcement search efforts Wednesday with Brian Laundrie's father Chris didn't net any discoveries, family attorney Steve Bertolino said.
"Today Chris Laundrie accompanied members of law enforcement into the Reserve to show them the trails and places Chris and Brian have hiked and which Brian was known to frequent. There were no discoveries but the effort was helpful to all," Betrolino said in a statement.
Chris Laundrie returned to his home Wednesday following the search and did not answer any reporter questions.
"It seems the water in the Preserve is receding and certain areas are more accessible to search. The entire Laundrie family is grateful for the hard work of the dedicated members of law enforcement that have been searching the Preserve for Brian over the last few weeks. Hopefully Brian will be located soon," Bertolino continued.
1:30 p.m., Oct. 7: 'MAYBE' BRIAN LAUNDRIE WILL BE FOUND THURSDAY, FAMILY ATTORNEY SAYS
The Laundrie family attorney, Steve Bertolino, said "maybe" law enforcement will find Brian Laundrie on Thursday.
Bertolino gave the response to Fox News when asked whether the 23-year-old fugitive could be found Thursday, nearly three weeks after he was reported missing by his parents on Sept. 17. He was last seen four days earlier, on Sept. 13, after going hiking in the area of the Carlton Reserve, a trip from which he didn't return.
12:30 p.m., Oct. 7: REMNANTS OF RECENTLY USED CAMPSITE FOUND DURING SEARCH OF FLORIDA RESERVE: REPORT
A source close to the Laundrie family told CNN's Chris Cuomo that law enforcement found “fresh traces of a campsite” in the Carlton Reserve on Wednesday as the weeks-long search for fugitive Brian Laundrie continues there.
Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino said Wednesday that Brian’s father, Chris, had been “asked to assist law enforcement in their search for Brian at the preserve” but that “North Port police had to postpone Chris’ involvement.”
According to the CNN report, Chris’ involvement was postponed after the discovery of a campsite that appeared to have been recently used, as law enforcement wanted to search the area alone.
North Port Police told CNN that the FBI would have to answer any questions related to updates in the search effort, as the bureau is leading the investigation.
“The FBI would have to answer if that was true,” police department spokesman Josh Taylor told CNN, which reached out to the FBI for comment.
Speaking on “Cuomo Prime Time” Wednesday night, legal analyst Joey Jackson noted that “you may find the remnants of a campsite, but the question becomes, ‘Whose campsite?’ It’s a large world.”
Chris Laundrie ultimately joined law enforcement for the first time Thursday in their search of the Carlton Reserve area. He was spotted arriving at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which connects to the reserve, Thursday morning and going into the park with authorities.
“Chris was asked to point out any favorite trails or spots that Brian may have used in the preserve,” Bertolino said of Chris’ role in the search.
Bertolino said Thursday that he believes "Brian is still in the preserve."
11 a.m., Oct. 7: LAUNDRIE ATTORNEY CONFIRMS BRIAN’S DAD ASKED TO ‘POINT OUT FAVORITE TRAILS’ OF BRIAN’S AT PARK
Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino confirmed to WCBS 880 that “Chris Laundrie is assisting Law Enforcement today in the search for Brian” in the area of the Carlton Reserve in Florida. Brian is believed to have gone hiking there before disappearing on Sept. 13, sparking a weeks-long manhunt.
“Chris was asked to point out any favorite trails or spots that Brian may have used in the preserve,” Bertolino said. “Although Chris and Roberta Laundrie provided this information verbally 3 weeks ago it is now thought that on-site assistance may be better.”
“The preserve has been closed to the public and the Laundries as well but the parents have been cooperating since the search began,” Bertolino added.
10:30 a.m., Oct. 7: BRIAN LAUNDRIE’S DAD JOINS SEARCH AT FLORIDA NATURE PARK
Brian Laundrie's father, Chris, arrived at Florida’s Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in his red Dodge Ram pickup truck to join the search for his son, according to Fox News.
The park connects to the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, where law enforcement has been searching for Brian for weeks.
Chris Laundrie joined up with law enforcement personnel at the park's entrance and was spotted going into the park with them.
Minutes earlier, Chris was seen entering his pickup truck outside his home in North Port, which is about five miles from the park entrance. His wife, Roberta, was not with him.
On Wednesday, Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino said Chris had been “asked to assist law enforcement in their search for Brian at the preserve” but that “North Port police had to postpone Chris’ involvement.”
Bertolino had said Chris was “excited” to join the search and that the family was “waiting for the call from the North Port Police Department to make that happen.”
“Since the preserve has been closed to the public Chris has not been able to look for Brian in the only place Chris and Roberta believe Brian may be,” Bertolino told Newsday.
Brian’s parents have said they last saw their son on Sept. 13, when they say he went hiking at the reserve but didn’t return. They reported him missing four days later on Sept. 17.
Bertolino said Chris searched the reserve on the night of Sept. 13. Chris and Roberta then spent four or five hours hiking there the next day to search for Brian.
“They are distraught and they are upset and they are hopeful that their son will be found,” Bertolino said.
9:30 a.m., Oct. 7: LAUNDRIE FAMILY ATTORNEY BELIEVES BRIAN IS ‘STILL IN THE PRESERVE’
The attorney for Brian Laundrie’s family said he believes Brian is still in the Florida nature reserve where authorities have been searching since he was reported missing on Sept. 17.
“I believe Brian is still in the preserve,” attorney Steve Bertolino told Fox News. “And as such I don't think he has access to the news.”
Asked about Brian’s ability to survive in the outdoors, Bertolino described the 23-year-old as a “backpacker.”
9 p.m., Oct. 6: GABBY PETITO'S DAD WANTS LAUNDRIE FOUND ALIVE
Gabby Petito's loved ones openly expressed what they want to see as a result of the search for Brian Laundrie.
Joseph Petito told Dr. Phil in a pre-taped interview, "I just hope he's found ... like alive. I want to see him in a jail cell for the rest of his life. Where he’s an outdoorsman, being in that concrete cell and he can’t go see those trees and smell the fresh air like that."
Gabby's mom Nichole Schmidt followed by saying, "I want to look him in the eyes."
Jim Schmidt, Gabby Petito’s stepdad, told Dr. Phil that he had placed a stone cross to commemorate his stepdaughter at the exact location where her remains were found in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest.
“It was the exact spot that they found her. So, I laid the cross directly over where her torso was and I was told the direction which her head was laying — and that’s where I placed two flowers on the ground,” Schmidt said.
Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt said they “bawled” when Jim sent them a photo of the tribute.
Jim Schmidt also described the area where Petito's body was found.
"There was the remnants of a fire ring there ... there was a clearing where I would assume, knowing I have a similar tent, where I would place my tent, and that opening would face out overlooking the mountain range. Her body was found, I guess it would be, in front of a tent," he said.
"Not many people cross all the way over there to go over there," Schmidt added.
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