Brian Laundrie: Who Is Gabby Petito's Fiancé, And What Do We Know About Him?
(CBS New York) -- Officials confirmed Tuesday that the body of Gabby Petito was found Sunday near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The manner of death is considered a homicide, but the actual cause of death has not been determined. Meanwhile, Brian Laundrie, Petito's fiancé, is now the subject of a manhunt. Laundrie disappeared from his family home in Northport, Florida after returning home from his trip without Petito. The FBI has since searched his home. Who is Brian Laundrie, and why are the police looking for him?
#UPDATE: Investigators from #FBIDenver, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff's Ofc, Teton County Search & Rescue, and Jackson Police Dept searched for evidence in a remote area of Grand Teton National Park & Bridger-Teton National Forest. pic.twitter.com/l3PfIRBAtB
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 21, 2021
The couple set out on a four-month, cross-country drive in early July, posting photos of their stops in scenic national parks on Instagram. They were pulled over by Utah police on August 12, after a 911 call reported a man slapping a woman on the sidewalk and then driving off in the white Ford van described. Laundrie and Petito were not confirmed to be the subjects of the call. But body camera footage of the two at the traffic stop shows them in the middle of what seems to be an emotional argument.
- Brian Laundrie, 23, is the fiance of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old Long Island woman not heard from since August. Police recently found her body in northwest Wyoming.
- Laundrie, a person of interest in the investigation, returned home to Florida on September 1 without Petito. She was pronounced missing on September 11, but he refused to talk to police.
- Laundrie disappeared on September 14 and was believed to be camping in Carlton Reserve, near his home. Authorities have searched for him there but have since broadened their search.
- A search warrant was executed Monday on his parents' home in North Port Florida.
- Laundrie's parents saw his car, a silver Ford Mustang convertible, in the reserve parking lot on Wednesday, September 15. They subsequently drove the car home. The FBI removed the car from the home during its search.
- According to authorities, Laundrie has not yet been charged with a crime. Nor is he presently a suspect.
- Laundrie is a native of Long Island, and attended Bayport Blue Point High School, where the couple met.
Originally published Tuesday, September 21 at 5:59 p.m. ET.