Brian Laundrie’s sister Cassie Laundrie called the missing man a “mediocre survivalist” as authorities search for him in several nature parks and reserves.
Brian went missing over three weeks ago after returning home to North Port, Florida, without his girlfriend, Gabby Petito. Petito’s family reported her missing on Sept. 11, and on Sept. 19, authorities found her body in Wyoming. They’ve classified Laundrie as a person of interest in the case but haven’t charged him with anything relating to her death. He’s only been charged with fraud for using someone else’s debit card after Petito disappeared.
The 23-year-old told his family he was going hiking in Carlton Reserve, near the family’s home, on Sept. 14. And he hasn’t been seen since.
According to Fox News, Brian Laundrie’s sister, Cassie, doesn’t believe he can survive too long in the wild on his own. She spoke to ABC News earlier this week and urged her brother to turn himself in.
“I’d say Brian’s a mediocre survivalist,” she told the outlet. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he could last out there a very long time. But also, I don’t think anything would surprise me at this point.”
Cassie’s words come as somewhat of a surprise, considering Petito and Laundrie’s friends have said he’d have no problem living off the land.
Earlier in the investigation, Rose Davis told The Daily Mail, “I know he lived in the Appalachians for what I believe was three months. And he did it by himself, so I know he’s skilled at it.”
But living and surviving outdoors becomes significantly harder when you’re also a wanted man.
Where Could Brian Laundrie Be Now?
Police have searched high and low through Carlton Reserve, where Brian Laundrie told his parents he was going to hike. But the swamp could easily be a cover for Laundrie to slip away somewhere else.
Dan Riemer, a private investigator from West Palm, Florida, thinks the police search in Carlton Reserve isn’t helping people be on the lookout for Brian Laundrie.
“That search in the swamp is leading everyone to believe Brian is in the swamp, and no civilians are paying attention to who is around them,” Riemer told Fox News. “[The] focus needs to be on people being aware, [and] someone will see something, just like the campers who saw the van.”
People have claimed to spot him in Canada, Montana, Alabama, and most recently in North Carolina. A hiker called 911 from the Appalachian Trail, convinced he spoke to Brian Laundrie.
“He was talking wild, he said that his girlfriend left him and he had to go out to California to see her,” Dennis Davis told the 911 dispatcher in an audio clip. “He was acting funny. And I wasn’t sure what he looked like. And then … I went and parked and pulled up the photographs of him. I’m 99.99 percent sure that was him.”
