Authorities in Florida have found evidence of a recent campsite in Carlton Reserve, a lawyer for the family of Brian Laundrie has said.
A source close to the Laundrie family told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that investigators had found what appeared to be a recently used campsite as well as evidence of human activity in the sprawling nature reserve in Sarasota County, Florida, where Laundrie’s parents said he was headed when they last saw him in mid-September.
Brian Laundrie’s girlfriend Gabby Petito was found dead of an apparent homicide in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Park on September 19, close to three weeks after Laundrie left the couple’s cross-country road trip alone and returned to Florida with Petito’s converted camper fan. Petito’s family has said that Laundrie and his parents all refused to communicate with them as they tried to reach them with their concerns about Gabby, who stopped communicating with her family in late August. Petito was ultimately reported missing on September 11, two days before Laundrie’s parents now say they last saw him.
READ MORE: Brian Laundrie’s Parents Change Story About When They Last Saw Their Son
Authorities have not confirmed the discovery of the campsite remnants, though photos and videos taken by local media outlets from the Carlton Reserve Wednesday showed increased police activity
As previously reported, Laudrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino told WFLA that North Port Police had asked Brian’s father Chris Laundrie to help with the search of the reserve, which has been closed to public during the investigation. According to multiple reports, police told Chris Laundrie that his participation would have to be postponed due to the discovery of the campsite; a claim that has not been confirmed by investigators.
“The FBI would have to answer if that was true,” Josh Taylor, spokesperson for the North Port, Florida, police department, told CNN; explaining that the FBI is the lead agency and would be in charge of those decisions. The FBI did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
CrimeOnline will continue to update this developing story.
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