Brian Laundrie - update Petito family say missing man is alive as Dog the Bounty Hunter attacked by daughter

Gabby Petito’s father calls Laundrie family ‘cowards’

An ex-FBI agent has suggested Brian Laundrie is still in contact with his parents via their family lawyer.

Asked whether she thought the missing 23-year-old was in touch with his family, Jennifer Coffindaffer told a News Nation Now journalist: “Yes…although very loosely through the attorney.”

Ms Coffindaffer, who worked for the FBI for more than 20 years, added: “He has attorney-client privilege, as long as he doesn’t do anything in furtherance of crime.”

In a separate interview on Dr Phil McGraw’s show, Richard Stafford, the lawyer representing the Petito family, claimed Mr Laundrie stole his girlfriend Gabby Petito’s credit card and used it after leaving her in Wyoming. The claim came during an interview that also featured Ms Petito’s family.

Mr Laundrie’s sister, Cassie Laundrie urged her brother to come forward to “get us out of this horrible mess.”

Speaking on ABC News in an exclusive interview aired on Good Morning America she said: “I would tell my brother to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess.”

Hiker Dennis Davis, an engineer from Florida, said he believed he had spoken with Mr Laundrie on a road near the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina â€" close to the border with Tennessee. Audio of his 911 call was made public. He said the man he encountered was “talking wild” about having to get to California to see a girlfriend.

The state attorney for Palm Beach County in Florida claimed more serious criminal charges against Ms Petito’s missing boyfriend were “extremely likely” if he’s found alive.

David Aronberg defended his office for not filing charges against Mr Laundrie, saying “prosecutors have a higher burden to prove cases beyond any reasonable doubt”.

Asked by News Nation Now why Mr Laundrie hadn’t been charged with a more serious crime at this point in the death of his 22-year-old travel blogger girlfriend, which has been ruled a homicide, Mr Aronberg added: “I think that’s coming.”

Show latest update 1633528606Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter brands Brian Laundrie search ‘publicity stunt'

One of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughters has branded his high-profile search for Brian Laundrie as a “publicity stunt”.

Cecily Chapman, 28, told The Sun of her estranged father Duane Chapman: “He needs to back off and let the FBI handle it.

“It’s just a publicity stunt. That’s really what it is.”

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 14:561633525002Gabby Petito’s parents believe Brian Laundrie is still alive

The parents of Gabby Petito are convinced Brian Laundrie is still alive and accused him of being a “coward” in an interview with Dr Phil McGraw’s show which aired Tuesday.

When asked if they believe Mr Laundrie is 100 per cent out there hiding, Joseph Petito, Gabby’s father responded, “I do.”

My colleague Charlene Rodrigues has more details:

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 13:561633519775At least a dozen sightings of Brian Laundrie reported in North Carolina

Gabby Petito’s missing fiancé Brian Laundrie could have spent last weekend near the Tennessee border in North Carolina, according to tips received by the police from strangers who said they met a man fitting his description.

At least a dozen such tips and calls from the area have been received by the police since Thursday, said a spokeswoman for the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office.

My colleague Arpan Rai has the full story:

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 12:291633515605Brian Laundrie wasn’t ‘abusive’ or ‘angry’, sister tells protesters

The sister of Brian Laundrie has claimed she has never seen her brother be “abusive” or “angry”.

Asked by protesters outside her home whether she had ever seen Mr Laundrie and Gabby Petito fight, or if he had ever “hit” any woman he had been with, Cassie Laundrie answered “no”.

Watch video footage of the exchange here:

Watch: Brian Laundrie's sister tells protesters her brother wasn't 'abusive' or 'angry'

The sister of Brian Laundrie has addressed protesters outside her home, answering questions about the relationship he shared with Gabby Petito. Mr Laundrie is the only person of interest in the murder of Ms Petito, and the search for him has now entered the third week.Cassie Laundrie has claimed that she has never seen her brother be "abusive" or "angry".Protesters also asked if she had ever seen Brian and Gabby fight, or if he had ever "hit" any woman he was with, to which she answered "no".

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 11:201633513505Brian Laundrie will be found alive but not anytime soon, says ex-FBI agent

Jennifer Coffindaffer, who was an FBI agent for more than 20 years, said she believed Brian Laundrie would be found alive - but not anytime soon.

“I believe Brian will be found alive â€" I don’t believe it will be soon,” she told News Nation Now journalist Brian Entin.

“I just believe he’s going to be able to hide in his surroundings. I think he’s a learned outdoorsman and survivalist and I think because of that he’s going to be able to stay out of law enforcement’s grasp for a while.”

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 10:451633511480Petito’s boyfriend in contact with family through lawyer, suggests ex-FBI agent

A former FBI agent has suggested Brian Laundrie is still in contact with his parents via their family lawyer.

Asked whether she thought Gabby Petito’s missing boyfriend was in touch with his family, Jennifer Coffindaffer told NewsNationNow journalist Brian Entin: “Yes…although very loosely through the attorney.”

She added: “He has attorney-client privilege, as long as he doesn’t do anything in furtherance of crime.”

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 10:111633509126Gabby Petito Foundation to host first fundraiser

The Gabby Petito Foundation, set up by her parents shortly after her death to help the families of missing people, has announced its first fundraiser.

The event will take place at a music venue on New York’s Long Island on 17 October.

According to the foundation’s mission statement, Ms Petito’s parents hope it will “turn our personal tragedy into a positive”.

Chiara Giordano6 October 2021 09:321633500007Resurfaced podcast reveals Petito stop police officer speaking about challenges of the job

The police officer who pulled over Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie in Moab, Utah spoke about the challenges of his job on a podcast back in 2019.

Eric Pratt is one of the officers who is seen speaking to the couple in bodycam footage of the August incident in which Gabby Petito is seen crying and telling officers that her boyfriend hit her.

Weeks later she was found dead in Wyoming.

Pratt spoke on a 2019 podcast episode admitting that he sometimes hated his job, the Sun reported.

The officer talked about his police career on the Books In Heinessight podcast in 2019, in which he revealed that he quit as chief of Salina County police two years earlier, before going back into the profession “despite hating his job”.

He also quit the police a second time while working for the Moab Police Department, but later returned.

Pratt talks about being “disillusioned” with his work and feeling more like a tax collector than a police officer, recalling incidents where he would bend the rules to let impoverished members of the public avoid fines during traffic stops.

He said: “When the curtain got lifted and I got to see how everything’s going, why things are the way they are, I started to realise nobody really has the answers, we’re all kind of clueless.”

He continued: “The people who we put in place, they’re just like us. And so you start to have to do critical thinking.

“I think there’s a time in every man’s life when he kind of gets to know who he is and has to think critically. I’m a conspiracy guy too when it comes to critical thinking. Sometimes the conspiracy is the best, simplest and most logical answer.

“Long story short, at the same time I started to just kind of think ‘wow, why is this law this way,’ because if I go and enforce that law, I’m going to have this impact on this person’s life, and it’s my job to do it.”

Maroosha Muzaffar6 October 2021 07:001633497508Gabby’s mother: Laundries 'know a lot more'

Gabby Petito’s mother has alleged that Brian Laundrie’s parents know “a lot more information than they are putting out there”.

Speaking on Good Morning America, Nichole Schmidt told the host Phil McGraw that “somebody needs to start talking” when she was asked whether she believed the Laundries knew about their son’s whereabouts.

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing Mr Laundrie’s parents, has said that “Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him.”

Maroosha Muzaffar6 October 2021 06:181633496684Gabby and Brian got matching tattoos before their road trip

Gabby Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie got matching tattoos to “represent them and their love” before going on their road trip in July this year, it was reported.

A tattoo artist, Danny Nostrom, told the Daily Mail that they were “super excited” when they walked into his parlour in Venice, Florida in October last year to get the tattoos.

Mr Nostrom said: “They had texted for an appointment and were referred by a friend. They knew exactly what they wanted.”

He added: “They said they wanted a couple of vines around each one of their fingers to represent them and their love and the fact they were planning this big trip together.”

Maroosha Muzaffar6 October 2021 06:04

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