Police in North Port, Florida, said Tuesday night that Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of the late Gabby Petito, has not been found despite rumors of the contrary.
In an email to the Deseret News, North Port police spokesperson Joshua Taylor said the department had received requests about Laundrie’s possible capture.
“These reports are unfortunately false. Please rest assured that when Brian is found, we will be more than happy to let everyone know,” Taylor said in an email.
The North Port police will inform the public if “important details” come to pass, Taylor said.
Laundrie has been missing since Tuesday, Sept. 14, when his family last saw him. The Laundrie family informed police on Friday, Sept. 17, that Brian Laundrie had left their home.
Laundrie’s disappearance came after police began a massive search for Gabby Petito, 22, who traveled with Laundrie on a cross-country road trip. The two visited multiple Utah locations, including Mystic Hot Springs and Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Arches national parks.
But only Laundrie returned home on Sept. 1 to North Port, Florida. Petito was reported missing on Sept. 11.
On Sunday, Sept. 19, the FBI in Denver said officials had found human remains in Wyoming that were consistent with the description of Petito. It wasn’t until Tuesday that the FBI confirmed the body was of Gabby Petito.
- “Coroner Blue’s initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results,” the FBI said in a tweet.
Now, the search continues for Laundrie. Police have focused their efforts on the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre park in Sarasota County, Florida. The North Port Police Department told the Deseret News Thursday that the search does not include anywhere else such as Utah or Wyoming. The search is focused on the Carlton Reserve right now.
“Just here,” North Port police spokesperson Joshua Taylor told the Deseret News in an email.