Gabby Petito case: Laundrie’s sister was at the campground with family, attorney says
Testing on staging11
NORTH PORT, Fla. (NewsNation Now) — Brian Laundrie’s sister, Cassie Laundrie, saw her brother in the days following his return to Florida without Gabby Petito, despite her previous comments.
“I haven’t been able to talk to him,” Laundrie told ABC News last month. “I wish I could talk to him.”
However, NewsNationNow.com reporter Brian Entin exclusively confirmed that Cassie Laundrie was at the Fort De Soto campground at the same time as the rest of the family in early September.
“To my knowledge, Cassie went for a day,” Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino confirmed to Entin.
When Bertolino was asked whether Cassie Laundrie was at the campground at the same time as her brother, he responded, “idk” meaning “I don’t know.”
Bertolino later sent a follow-up text to Entin saying:
“Cassie saw her brother Brian on September 01 when he stopped by her home and again on September 6 at Fort De Soto Park. Law enforcement agencies are well aware of these dates. Any prior communication by Cassie that does not reflect these dates is simply a difference of relating an answer to a question misinterpreted by Cassie or poorly posed by the inquirer.”
A public records request from Pinellas County in Florida revealed that Brian Laundrie’s mother Roberta Laundrie checked into a campground at Fort De Soto Park in the days between Laundrie arriving home and Petito being reported missing. The campground is about 75 miles away from the Laundrie family home in North Port, Florida.
The record of registered campers shows Roberta Laundrie checked into “Site 001-Waterfront” between Sept. 6 and Sept. 8.
NewsNation also confirmed that the FBI has surveillance video from the campground.
The Fort De Soto campground has come into focus after Duane Chapman, known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, first followed up on a lead that the Laundries went camping there after Brian Laundrie returned home without Petito.
Laundrie’s parents say they last saw him Sept. 14 as he headed for a hike at the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Florida, though they did not report him missing until a few days later. Investigators have focused an intensive search on the area. Searches are ongoing at the reserve.
Workers at the campsite told NewsNation Wednesday they were not allowed to comment on the Laundrie family.
The FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie. He is wanted for “use of unauthorized access device” related to his activities following Petito’s death. The FBI says he used a debit card and a PIN to access two bank accounts Aug. 30 and Sept. 1.
Petito vanished while on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie in a converted camper van. The trip was well-documented on social media until it abruptly ceased, allegedly somewhere in Wyoming. Petito, 22, was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days. Her body was discovered days later at Grand Teton National Park.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.