A mysterious man caught on a deer cam in Florida is not Gabby Petito’s boyfriend, who is wanted for questioning in the Long Island native’s disappearance and death, officials confirmed Wednesday.
The reported sighting of a man resembling Brian Laundrie was actually a local man unrelated to the case, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The OCSO has confirmed the man is an Okaloosa County resident who acknowledged he was the one walking on the deer trail carrying his backpack,” the office said in a Facebook post.
“The private citizen was located and a positive identification has been made,” the post said. “During its search and investigation, the OCSO found no indications that Brian Laundrie is or was in Okaloosa County.”
The sheriff’s office said Tuesday it launched a search after a wildlife camera captured the man toting a backpack at 6:17 a.m. Monday in the town of Baker.
Laundrie returned from the cross-country trip he had taken with Gabby Petito on September 1, 2021, alone. Instagram
Florida police and the FBI have been searching the Carlton Reserve in an effort to locate Laundrie, who was last seen in the area. North Port Police“The OCSO did its due diligence in response to this report and is wrapping up an extensive search that took place in this area to also include nearby farmlands and a search by drone,” the agency said Tuesday. “No one — and nothing — of note was located.”
The agency said it doesn’t believe Laundrie has a relationship to anyone in the northwest Florida town, which is about 500 miles away from his home in North Port.
“There are no known possible past or current connections between Laundrie and anyone in this area at this time to follow up on,” the agency said.
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office vehicles sit at the entrance of the Carlton Reserve during a search for Brian Laundrie on September 21, 2021. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
A man who appears to look like Brian Laundrie walks past a deer camera on September 20, 2021. Facebook“In the meantime, we will remain vigilant and if anything new of significance develops we will share.”
The search came after a resident shared the possible sighting to Facebook on Monday.
“I’m not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning in Baker, Fl strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie,” Sam Bass wrote on Facebook. “Authorities have been contacted but people in the North West Florida area be on the lookout.”
Laundrie, who is a person of interest in Petito’s homicide, was reported missing by his parents on Friday.
His parents told authorities he had left home with a backpack to go on a hike in the area Sept. 14 and never returned.
Search crews have directed their efforts to Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, where he allegedly left his Ford Mustang.
The hunt for Laundrie comes after authorities found Petito’s body in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on Sunday.
