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Brian Laundrie's sister breaks silence, says 'we're suffering'

Cassie Laundrie reveals trip to Fort De Soto after brother returned to Florida
Posted at 12:29 PM, Oct 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-06 12:29:14-04

NORTH PORT, Fla. — The family of Brian Laundrie has remained silent throughout the investigation involving their missing son and Gabby Petito's death.

However, Laundrie's sister broke her silence Monday when she stepped outside and spoke to several protesters after she said they were making her children cry.

TikTok user Olivia Vitale posted the entire interaction on her feed.

In the video, Laundrie's sister, Cassie, revealed that she saw her brother more than she previously had said.

"At Fort De Soto on the 6th [of September], we got there around 2 o'clock, and we left around eight, cause the kids had school the next day," Cassie said.

She said her mom, dad and brother were there. Originally she told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she hadn't spoken to Brian since he returned to Florida after his trip with Gabby.

Brian Laundrie's sister breaks silence about search for brother

"I did not say that I saw my brother," Cassie said. "I said I haven't been able to speak to him in reference to the time when I was called by the police. Since that point, I haven't been able to speak to my brother."

Cassie has been cooperating with law enforcement since she found out Petito was reported missing Sept. 11.

"The police have known everything that's out there this whole time," Cassie said. "The world does not need to know what the FBI knows. "This is me coming out against them. We're suffering."

Amid the search for Brian, there seems to be a growing family division between the Laundries.

"We're are just as upset, frustrated, and heartbroken as everybody else. And I am losing my parents and my brother and my children’s aunt and future sister-in-law on top of this," Cassie said.

No other members of the Laundrie have spoken about the investigation since it began last month.

Brian Laundrie
This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Brian Laundrie talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12, 2021. The couple was pulled over while they were having an emotional fight. Petito was reported missing by her family a month later and is now the subject of a nationwide search. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

"For us, silence was not guilt," Cassie said. "We're unfortunately in the dark as much as everybody else."

Cassie's husband, James Luycx, was by her side during the video and offered his thoughts about the case.

"We're not the evil monsters we're made out to be," Luycx.

Manhunt Continues For Brian Laundrie

Authorities in North Carolina said this week they have investigated multiple reported sightings of the 23-year-old Laundrie.

The Haywood County Sheriff's Office (N.C.) said tipsters have reported a dozen sightings of Laundrie in the western part of the state near the Tennessee border since Thursday.

Those reports include a 911 call by a man claiming he was "99.99 percent" positive he spoke to Laundrie.

Investigators in North Carolina said they've followed up on every tip, "but all to no avail."

Laundrie was last seen by his parents at their Florida home on Sept. 14.

Gabby Petito, Moab police bodycam recorded Aug. 12
Police bodycam video shows Gabby Petito being interview by officers in Moab, Utah, on Aug. 12, 2021 after a domestic disturbance between her and Brian Laundrie.

His family said he had gone hiking in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County but never returned. An extensive search of that reserve also came up empty.

Laundrie has been named a person of interest in Petito's disappearance.

She went missing in late August after embarking on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie.

Police have said Laundrie returned home without* Petito on Sept. 1, which was 10 days before she was reported missing.

Petito's remains were later found at a campground in Wyoming on Sept. 19.