Brian Laundrie used Gabby Petito’s bank card three days after she was last seen alive, her family’s lawyer, Richard Stafford, said on the “Dr. Phil” show on CBS-TV.
Petito’s last known appearance was at a Wyoming restaurant on Aug. 27.
Laundrie returned to their home in North Port, Florida, on Sept. 1 without Petito, but he was driving her white van, which the couple had used on their cross-country road trip. Ten days later, Petito was reported missing by her family.
“He ran, he stole her credit card, he used her credit card to get home, and then ran from the police,” Stafford said on the “Dr. Phil” show. “That’s going to show a lot what he was thinking back then.”
Indeed, U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie, who allegedly used an “unauthorized access device” (a debit card) related to activities after the death of Petito. The owner of the card was not identified by the FBI, according to the New York Post.
Laundrie allegedly used the card “on or about August 30, 2021, through and including on or about September 1, 2021” and “obtained things of value aggregating to $1,000 or more,” according to the New York Post,
When Laundrie returned home, he hired a lawyer and refused to speak with police about Petito’s whereabouts. He then left his home on Monday, Sept. 13. At the end of that week, his family reported him missing, saying Laundrie had left on Sept. 14. That story was changed this week, as the family said he left on Sept. 13.
Laundrie has been missing ever since.
Petito’s body was found on Sept. 19 in Wyoming outside of a major national park. Her death was ruled a homicide, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed.
Police have started a massive manhunt to find Laundrie, which included a deep search at the Carlon Reserve in Florida. Several people in North Carolina have told police that they’ve seen Laundrie, according to NBC News. And an Appalachian Trail hiker said he had a direct conversation with Laundrie, too.