NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Authorities have scaled back their manhunt for Brian Laundrie at a Florida nature reserve more than a week after the intensive search began.
The ongoing search of the Carlton Reserve resumed Monday, a day after a memorial service was held for Gabby Petito on Long Island and the FBI returned to the Laundrie home in Florida.
Here’s the latest:
11 p.m., Sept. 27: UTAH POLICE CHIEF TAKES LEAVE OF ABSENCE AMID PROBE
Moab Police Chief Bret Edge is on a leave of absence that began Monday, just days after city officials announced that there will be a probe into a “possible breach of police department policy” when officers responded to the "domestic dispute" between Petito and Laundrie in a national park.
Edge made his request for a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act, according to city of Moab communications director Lisa Church.
Church added, "The city cannot provide any additional details or comments."
It is unclear how long Edge will be on leave and who will replace him.
9:05 p.m., Sept. 27: COPS STOP MAKESHIFT GABBY PETITO MEMORIAL FROM FORMING ON LAUNDRIE'S FL LAWN
Local police have banned a makeshift Gabby Petito memorial from forming on the lawn of Brian Laundrie's family home in North Port, Florida, according to video from the scene.
Footage from reporter Brian Entin Monday shows a North Port officer instructing a florist at the scene to remove their flowers and place them at the official Petito memorial at North Port City Hall.
“There’s no memorial here,” the police officer says.
"It's all going to go in the garbage," the officer said. “Public works is going to come here in the middle of the night and throw it in the garbage.”
Officials have reserved a section near City Hall where mourners have left flowers, stuffed animals and candles.
7:15 p.m., Sept, 27: GABBY PETITO FEATURED IN 2013 ‘IRREPLACEABLE’ MUSIC VIDEO ABOUT SANDY HOOK SHOOTING
Gabby Petito and her two younger brothers were featured in a 2013 music video created to spread awareness of school shootings following the Sandy Hook massacre.
The video was for a song titled “Irreplaceable” by fellow Long Island native Deb Henson, and features a clip of Petito holding a sign that reads “I’m Irreplaceable.”
“The lyrics are almost eerie now. It’s ironic and tragic that she’s in this video and that this happened to her,” Henson told The Sun.
“This song isn’t just about violence against kids. It’s also about domestic violence and violence in general. It’s just God awful really what happened to Gabby,” Henson added.
Petito was 14 years old at the time of the recording.
“She was just this kid who was really sweet and just wanted to be involved and help,” Henson told News 12 Long Island.
6:25 p.m., Sept. 27: PETITO FAMILY PLANS NEWS CONFERENCE, LAUNDRIE PARENTS SLAM RUMORS THAT THEY HELPED HIM FLEE
The family of Gabby Petito plans to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday from their lawyer's Long Island office, the family announced Monday.
Meanwhile, the lawyer representing Brian Laundrie's parents slammed unfounded rumors that they helped their missing son flee as media attention swelled around Petito's dissapearance.
"Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him," the lawyer said in a statement. "The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong."
Laundrie disappeared on Sept. 14 after allegedly telling his parents that he was traveling to the Carlton Reserve. Petito's family reported her missing three days prior.
12:20 p.m., Sept. 27: LAUNDRIE FAMILY CALLED 911 ON DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER
Brian Laundrie’s family called 911 on Dog the Bounty Hunter after the TV celebrity showed up at their Florida home and knocked on the front door Saturday.
Video from Saturday shows Duane “the Dog” Chapman standing outside the Laundrie home for several minutes, at one point knocking on their front door.
North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor confirmed to both Insider and Fox News on Monday that Laundrie’s parents called 911 to report that Chapman was on their property.
“The female, Roberta... called in on 911,” a dispatcher can be heard saying in audio obtained by Fox News. The dispatcher appears to be referencing Roberta Laundrie, Brian’s mother.
“We've been called to the house numerous times for all sorts of issues. Media, protesters, celebrity searchers,” Taylor told Fox News. “It's not something normal. If the family calls and is concerned, we will respond like we would for anyone.”
Chapman has since said he wanted to talk with the parents about their missing son, as he has joined the ongoing manhunt for him.
“It’s a shame they wouldn’t speak with us,” Chapman told Fox News on Monday. “The police said we were welcome to knock on the door, so we did. I wanted to tell the Laundries that our goal is to find Brian and bring him in alive.”
10 a.m., Sept. 27: ‘DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER’ SAYS HE’S RECEIVED OVER 1,000 LEADS
After joining the manhunt for Brian Laundrie last week, TV star Duane Chapman, known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter," said he has received more than 1,000 leads in connection with the case.
Chapman told "Fox & Friends" Monday morning that he got on the case after he was "notified by a couple of family members."
"We've gotten over 1,000 leads," he said. "So we're going through all those leads. It's incredible."
"I would say within 48 hours, we probably will have a location where we start the tracking at," he said.
Chapman said he believes Laundrie is outdoors somewhere.
"Please pray that God will lead me through the wilderness right up to him, and that I'll be able to bring him in alive," he said of Laundrie.
Chapman said the case is personal for him, as he lost his 23-year-old daughter, Barbara Katy Chapman, in a car crash in 2006.
“My Barbara Katy was exactly the same age when she was killed in a car accident, so I kind of know what it feels like, and it’s the saddest thing they’re in,” Chapman said. “And catching this guy will not bring that much justification, but it will make sure he doesn’t do it again.”
9:45 a.m., Sept. 27: PROTESTERS RETURN TO HOME OF BRIAN LAUNDRIE'S PARENTS
Two protesters with megaphones were back at the North Port, Florida, home of Brian Laundrie's parents on Monday morning, video shows.
"The whole world is watching Laundrie. You can't hide from this," one protester said. "Your silence is guilt."
Protesters were at the home earlier this month urging to Brian Laundrie to speak with police before it was announced that he was missing.
Last week, a federal court issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie in connection with his "activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito." The FBI alleged he "knowingly and with intent to defraud, used one or more unauthorized access devices, namely a Capitol One Bank debit card."
His parents have not been accused of a crime.
8:30 a.m., Sept. 27: AUTHORITIES TO ‘SCALE BACK’ SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE AT FLORIDA RESERVE
Law enforcement agencies plan to “scale back” their search for Brian Laundrie at the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, nine days after the search began on the weekend of Sept. 18.
“I don’t think you’re going to see those large scale types of efforts this week,” North Port Police Department spokesman Josh Taylor told Fox News on Monday.
“The FBI is now leading the search. I’m told it will be scaled back and targeted based on intelligence. Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access,” Taylor said.
Authorities have been searching the largely flooded reserve by land and air after Laundrie was reported missing by his parents on Sept. 17, three days after they say he left for the reserve. An arrest warrant has since been issued for Laundrie.
7 a.m., Sept. 27: TV ANCHOR SUSPENDED AFTER DISPUTE OVER GABBY PETITO COVERAGE
An anchor for Fox-owned station KTVU in the San Francisco area was reportedly “suspended indefinitely” following a dispute over the coverage of Gabby Petito.
Frank Somerville wanted to add a tagline at the end of a report about the case that questioned the “extraordinary” level of media coverage surrounding it, according to The Mercury News.
Somerville, who is the adoptive dad of a Black teenage daughter, reportedly wanted to mention that missing person cases involving women of color and Indigenous people often don’t receive as much coverage, an issue referred to as "missing white woman syndrome."
Station management deemed the tagline inappropriate and told Somerville that he was suspended the next day, sources told The Mercury News. Somerville had returned to the air just weeks prior; he was forced to take an indefinite leave of absence to “focus on his health” after he reportedly slurred and stumbled over his words during a newscast back on May 30.
KTVU faced criticism online this weekend after Somerville was suspended.
5 p.m., Sept. 26: MOURNER REMEMBER GABBY PETITO AT LONG ISLAND MEMORIAL SERVICE
Hundreds of mourners grieved Gabby Petito's tragic death on Long Island, with her dad delivering an emotional eulogy to attendees.
Long lines formed outside the Blue Point funeral home for a public memorial service that ran through the afternoon for members of Petito's hometown. The event was live-streamed and drew thousands of viewers.
"When you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought to the table because the entire planet knows this woman's name now. And she's inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do what's best for them first," Joseph Petito said at Moloney's Holbrook Funeral Home.
Petito also made an apparent reference to Laundrie, when giving advice during his eulogy.
"If there's a relationship that you're in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now," he said.
3:15 p.m., Sept. 26: FBI VISITS LAUNDRIE HOME AGAIN, REPORTEDLY FOR 'DNA MATCHING'
The FBI was filmed briefly visiting the home of Brian Laundrie's family in North Port, Florida, to collect items for DNA matching purposes, according to multiple outlets.
"The FBI requested some personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie to assist them with DNA matching and Brian’s parents provided the FBI with what they could," Steven Bertolino, Laundrie's lawyer, told Fox News.
Related
