New York Post

NOW BEAU MISSING

FBI is on lookout for him & Gabby

- By GABRIELLE FONROUGE Post Correspond­ent gfonrouge@nypost.com

NORTH PORT, Fla. — Brian Laundrie, the tight-lipped boyfriend of missing Long Island native Gabby Petito, is now missing himself, and hasn’t been seen for days, authoritie­s said Friday.

The FBI is now looking for both Petito and Laundrie, Florida police told The Post.

“His family has reported that they have not seen Brian as of Tuesday,” Josh Taylor, a public informatio­n officer for the North Port Police, said.

Police were called to the Laundrie’s home in the Sarasota County city at his family’s request to talk with them Friday evening.

One of the officers entered the home with what appeared to be an evidence bag as protesters surroundin­g the property yelled, “Bring him out!”

Petito has not been seen since Aug. 30, when she vanished while traversing the country with Laundrie in a white van.

Laundrie returned to Florida in the van alone, and has not spoken to cops or the Petito family about Gabby’s whereabout­s.

He has maintained silence, even as Petito’s distraught parents have publicly pleaded with him to cooperate with authoritie­s.

The Petito family has now traveled to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming to help National Park investigat­ors, the FBI and local police search for the 22-year-old.

Urging “calm” from the public, police said the details of the conversati­on they had with the Laundrie family will be released in a statement.

“The conversati­on at the Laundrie home is complete. Once we have the details, a statement will be made,” North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said in a tweet. “We ask for calm! Please let us work through this and informatio­n will be forthcomin­g.”

Police left the home just before 9 p.m. without taking anyone into custody.

Family members remained inside the home out of public view.

Witness Jonathan Riches, 42, told The Post he saw police officers arrive in an unmarked black van around 6:20 p.m., parting the mob of people in the driveway who were protesting and demanding Brian talk to cops.

“That van there pulled up to the road, stopped for about 30 seconds, and then pulled into the driveway,” Riches said. “The driver, who was in a full law enforcemen­t uniform, he came out with a clipboard.”

One officer in full uniform walked into the home after Laundrie’s parents met him at the door, according to Riches. A few other officers followed.

“The family opened the door, he didn’t even knock on the door as if it was prearrange­d,” Riches said.

Police also searched Laundrie’s father’s Mustang.

North Port Police later put out a tweet saying they were not there to talk to Brian.

“North Port Police are currently speaking with the Laundrie Family at their request. At this time, we are not speaking with Brian. More details when available,” they wrote.

Riches, a friend of the Petito family, was one of dozens of protesters, holding signs and shouting, “We want Gabby!” and “Bring him out!” through megaphones.

“We’re standing out here in support of Gabby,” Riches told The Post, while holding a “Justice for Gabby” sign with a photo of the missing woman.

“I’m just here as a concerned citizen hoping that Brian comes out and cooperates and tells authoritie­s what’s going on,” Riches said.

 ??  ?? VANISHED: Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of missing Gabby Petito, hasn’t been seen since Tuesday.
VANISHED: Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of missing Gabby Petito, hasn’t been seen since Tuesday.

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