Searchers returned to Florida’s Carlton Reserve on Tuesday to continue looking for Brian Laundrie, the fiancée of Gabby Petito, a missing young woman who was known for social media posts about her cross-country travels while living in a van.
NBC 2 reported on the development:
Last Tuesday, Sept. 14, Laundrie packed a backpack and told his family that he was heading out for a hike at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. He drove a silver Ford Mustang to the preserve and hasn’t been seen since. That same day, one of Brian’s family members picked up the car from the park and drove it back to their home on Wassabo Avenue, officers said.
Officers from the North Port Police Department (NPPD), authorities with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), K 9 search units, and crews from other government agencies are conducting a search of the Venice side of the reserve and nearby areas.
In a social media post on Tuesday, North Port police announced the search would continue and asked for the public’s assistance in providing additional information regarding the case:
“A weekend ground search and aerial search Monday of the 25,000-acre preserve has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on,” Josh Taylor, a spokesman for NPPD, told NBC 2.
The department also shared pictures of officials gathered at the reserve:
Officials described the reserve as “vast and unforgiving,” the NBC 2 report said, adding, “Water levels are waist-deep in many areas and search teams are often wading through gator and snake-infested swamps and flooded trails.”
Fox 13’s Kim Kuizon posted additional photos of authorities’ vehicles at the entrance:
Meanwhile, aerial footage showed crews at the scene:
The Teton County Coroner said Sunday officials responded to a report of a body found at Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, the general area where officers had been looking for Petito.
The news came as officers in North Port were searching the reserve for Laundrie, a person of interest in her disappearance.
The pair had been traveling across the country since June and documenting their journey online. However, Laundrie reportedly returned home to North Port on September 1 without his girlfriend, according to police.
On Monday, FBI Tampa announced it was “executing a court-authorized search warrant” at the Laundrie residence in regard to the Petito investigation:
“No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation,” the agency said.