NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – North Carolina authorities are investigating several still-unfounded reports of Brian Laundrie sightings in the area of the Appalachian Trail.
Gabby Petito's fiancé — the lone person of interest in her death — has been missing for more than two weeks as authorities continue to try and track him down. A warrant remains out for Laundrie's arrest relating to his actions after Petito's killing.
Here's the latest:
12:30 p.m., Oct. 2: AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATE BRIAN LAUNDRIE SIGHTINGS IN NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina authorities are continuing to look into still-unfounded reports of Brian Laundrie sightings in the state — particularly around the Appalachian trail, according to local outlets.
Officials at the Watauga County and Avery County sheriff's offices confirmed the investigations to WSOCTV, stating that they've received multiple tips over the last two days.
The Watauga County Sheriff's Office told the station they currently have no concrete evidence that would lead them to believe Laundrie is in the area but they noted he may already be familiar with the Appalachian Trail.
"We have been monitoring social media for alleged sightings or information of Brian Laundrie being in this area," Watauga County Sheriff Len Hagaman confirmed to the Watuga Democrat.
"But nothing has been verified," he added.
1:45 p.m., Oct. 1: LAUNDRIE ATTORNEY SAYS BRIAN'S SISTER SAW HIM ON 2 DAYS IN SEPTEMBER
Brian Laundrie's sister, Cassie Laundrie, saw her brother twice in Florida in September, including at her home and at the park where Brian and his parents camped, according to the family's attorney, Steven Bertolino.
While it was previously unclear if Cassie had seen her brother after he returned alone Sept. 1 from a cross-country van trip with fiancée Gabby Petito, Bertolino confirmed that she had to NewsNation reporter Brian Entin.
Earlier this week, Bertolino had confirmed that three members of the Laundrie family—Brian and his parents, Chris and Roberta—were at a campground in Fort De Soto Park on Sept. 6 and 7. It appears Cassie also spent time at the park.
"Cassie saw her brother Brian on September 01 when he stopped by her home and again on September 6 at Fort De Soto Park. Law enforcement agencies are well aware of these dates," Bertolino said. "Any prior communication by Cassie that does not reflect these dates is simply a difference of relating an answer to a question misinterpreted by Cassie or poorly posed by the inquirer."
Cassie became the first member of her family to speak to the press about Petito's case when she was featured in an interview for ABC's "Good Morning America" that aired on Sept. 17.
In the interview, which was broadcast before Petito's remains were found in Wyoming, Cassie Laundrie said, "Obviously me and my family want Gabby to be found safe."
"She's like a sister and my children love her, and all I want is for her to come home safe and sound and this to be just a big misunderstanding," she added.
Asked what the "oddest thing" about the situation was, Cassie said of Brian, "That I haven't been able to talk to him. I wish I could talk with him."
"I know that it's all because the lawyers, advising them not to say anything," she said, according to a transcript. "I've cooperated in every way that I can. I wish I had information or I would give more."
File photo: Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County.Getty Images
11 a.m., Oct. 1: DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER ADDS $10K TO BRIAN LAUNDRIE ARREST REWARD
Duane Chapman, aka Dog the Bounty Hunter, is adding $10,000 to the reward money for information leading to the arrest of Brian Laundrie.
A representative for Chapman told TMZ that his family will put $10,000 towards the standing reward, which was reportedly up to $170,000, with much of the money coming from private donors.
Chapman, who joined the manhunt for Laundrie last weekend, said he's received over 1,000 tips. He was most recently searching islands near the Fort De Soto Park campground, south of St. Petersburg, Florida, where Laundrie stayed with his parents in early September, days before he went missing.
9 p.m., Sept. 30: NEW UTAH BODYCAM FOOTAGE SHOWS PETITO DISCUSS CONFRONTATION WITH LAUNDRIE
Gabby Petito told Utah police that Brian Laundrie grabbed her "with his nail," according to new bodycam footage from a different officer responding to a domestic incident between the couple back on Aug. 12, about two weeks before Petito was last heard from.
The footage is from the day a witness called police on the couple in Moab after seeing them fighting outside a business. Last month, police released different bodycam footage from the same stop near the entrance to Arches National Park outside of town.
"Did he hit you though?" an officer asks Petito in the new footage.
"I guess, but I hit him first," she replied. She then said, "He like, grabbed my face ... he didn't like, hit me in the face ... he like grabbed me with his nail."
"I definitely have a cut right here," she then said, gesturing towards her face.
"He got really frustrated with me, and he locked me out of the car and told me to go take a breather, but I didn't want to take a breather," Petito also said. "And I wanted to get going. We're out of water."
The officer points out that Laundrie suffered some sort of injury from the incident on his face. The officer ducks off at one point to call a witness to the incident, who told police he didn't see Laundrie hit Petito, saying "I think I saw maybe a push or a shove."
Later in the 52-minute footage, the officers discuss the situation and how to handle it in line with how they're mandated to. One officer said, "In no way shape or form that I can perceive does what happened here, a little slap fight between fiancés who love each other who want to be together, can I perceive this is going to digress into a situation where he's going to become a battered man … but then again I don't have a crystal ball."
The Moab Police Department has come under criticism for the stop. The city of Moab announced last month that a formal investigation into the response would be conducted. The Moab police chief began a leave of absence earlier this week, just days after city officials announced the probe.
