NORTH PORT, Fla. — The man who has been identified as a person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancée, 22-year-old Gabrielle Petito, is now missing, according to his family attorney.
Dozens of protesters crowded the front of Brian Laundrie’s home Friday, asking for answers regarding Petito's disappearance.
Petito has not been heard from since she spoke to her mother on Aug. 25 after a trip with Laundrie, across the western United States.
Laundrie has refused to cooperate with authorities since returning to his home in North Port without Petito on Sept. 1, prompting her family to report her missing on Sept. 11.
Shortly into the protest, North Port Police with the FBI went into the Laundrie home at the request of Brian Laundrie’s parents, who had still never previously spoken with law enforcement.
Brian Laundrie’s attorney confirmed the FBI was at the home to collect evidence to try to determine where Brian Laundrie might be.
Protesters did not know whether Brian Laundrie was inside the home or not throughout the protest. There had been little to no activity seen at the home for days.
They wanted to pressure anyone from the Laundrie family to speak to investigators.
“Especially my parents you know they’re very overprotective of me and I can’t imagine this happening to me and I know they would want answers and I’m sure if the shoe was on the other foot they would want answers for where he was,” said Selina Oyala, a nearby North Port resident.
WPTV watched officers coming in and out of the home, bringing inside brown evidence bags, and searching through a silver mustang in the driveway.
It’s still unclear if Laundrie’s parents disclosed anything to investigators related to Gabby, or if the conversation was focused solely on finding Brian.
The attorney for the Laundrie family, Steven Bertolino, said in a statement that Brian's whereabouts are "currently unknown" and that the FBI is "looking for both Gabby and Brian."
“Be advised that the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie are currently unknown. The FBI is currently at the Laundrie residence removing property to assist in locating Brian. As of now the FBI is now looking for both Gabby and Brian.”
North Port police said Friday the family now claims they have not seen Brian since Tuesday of this week.
On Saturday, authorities were searching the Carlton Reserve for Brian. His family said he entered the area earlier this week.
The North Port Police Department, FBI, and agency partners are currently conducting a search of the vast Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie. His family says they believe he entered the area earlier this week. More details when available. pic.twitter.com/I5x7DvQ3Jt
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 18, 2021
Police also released a flier with information about Brian's disappearance and his description.
KNow anything? Please call 1-800-CALL-FBI pic.twitter.com/oCDTwHJvCt
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 18, 2021
North Port Police say Brian Laundrie hasn't been seen by his family since Tuesday. The family, through their attorney, called FBI Friday wanting to talk about the disappearance of their son.
— Meghan McRoberts (@MeghanWPTV) September 18, 2021
Police say, "We understand the community's frustration, we are frustrated, too."@wptv
New statement from FBI Denver https://t.co/7L8Z4AEvVH
— Meghan McRoberts (@MeghanWPTV) September 18, 2021
Now there are multiple reports that Brian Laundrie is missing. FBI was at the Laundrie home to speak with his parents, looking for clues as to where he might be.
— Meghan McRoberts (@MeghanWPTV) September 18, 2021
Ironically, we asked police today if they knew where he was. A spokesperson was confident he was in north port