VENICE, Fla. — As the search for Brian Laundrie continues at the Carlton Reserve, law enforcement is using various methods to locate him.
That now includes a cadaver dog.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office — an agency located north of the North Port and Venice area — confirms it has two K-9 units assisting the North Port Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office and the FBI.
Pasco County says its canines have helped at several points during the search.
One of them is K-9 Diesel, a Labrador retriever certified in human remains detection. One of the only full-time forensics-integrated K-9s in the United States, Diesel has worked with the sheriff's office since July 2019.
Diesel's presence means authorities haven't ruled out any possibilities.
A former law enforcement officer who now teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University and serves as a policing expert explained why he believes the FBI is still searching the Carlton Reserve for Laundrie.
“I think at this point, you have the lead and you run it down until you don’t have that ability anymore, meaning that you’ve done everything you’ve possibly can," David Thomas stated.
There are times people notice law enforcement at the Carlton Reserve and other times people don't see their presence there. Thomas said that doesn't mean law enforcement officers aren't working the case.
“The resources are needed in other places. By that I mean, somedays patrol might be understaffed, so you need to take those resources and make sure you have enough personnel. Also, I suspect their resources are divided. By that I mean, you have people searching this 24,000 acres plot, preserve, then you have to have people out there that are investigating other leads. Your resources are spread out everywhere. They are using them the best they can," Thomas explained.
Laundrie is the only person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancée, Gabby Petito. The two set out on a cross-country road trip in Petito's Ford Sprinter van, visiting national parks at the beginning of July.
However, Laundrie returned home in Petito's van without her on Sept. 1, and when Petito's family hadn't heard from her, it prompted a missing person report. It wouldn't be until Sept. 19 when a body was found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Two days, later authorities positively identified the remains to be Petito.
A Wyoming coroner confirmed this week that Petito died by strangulation. Her death had already been ruled a homicide but has since been confirmed following an autopsy.
It's been just over a month since Laundrie left for a hike in the reserve, according to his parents.
Throughout the search, new details have surfaced surrounding Laundrie's actions leading up to the day he disappeared, but no one has proven to have seen him and law enforcement officials are not letting up on the hunt.
The search began at the Carlton Reserve, however, after weeks of no results, law enforcement scaled back its search for Laundrie using underwater technology. North Port police said they "have exhausted all avenues in searching of the grounds there."
And as authorities continued to look for Laundrie from all angles, law enforcement towed Laundrie's silver Ford Mustang from the driveway during a court-authorized search warrant at the Laundrie home on Sept. 20. The FBI did not specify if they found anything of use as it pertains to the Petito investigation.
Not long after, on Sept. 23, The U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie in connection to Petito.
Court documents revealed a grand jury indicted Laundrie with "knowingly with intent to defraud" using a Capital One debit card in the amount of at least $1,000. The action happened between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, the documents say.
The Laundrie's family attorney Steven Bertolino would later release new information connecting the debit card Laundrie was accused of using as Petito's. In a statement, he would say, "while Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito’s demise."
As investigators continued to search for answers, Bertolino also released a statement on Sept. 28 confirming that Chris, Roberta and Brian Laundrie checked in to the Fort De Soto campsite in Pinellas County on Sept. 6 and checked out on Sept. 7. The camping dates were only days after Brian Laundrie returned home from his cross-country trip without Petito.
On Sept. 30, the FBI entered Laundrie's family home and collected some of his personal items to assist canines in their search, the family's lawyer said. The FBI also confiscated a phone Brian Laundrie purchased as evidence to examine in connection to the Petito investigation.
At the beginning of October, body camera footage from the Moab City Police Department gave a clearer picture of a describe a fight that happened between Brian Laundrie and Petito on Aug. 12. However, the police department ultimately determined the incident was more of an emotional break or anxiety attack than anything else.
Many people across the southeast region report to have seen Brian Laundrie, however, law enforcement agencies have debunked those rumors after carefully investigating each report.
A hiker in North Carolina said he believes Brian Laundrie stopped him and asked for directions to California without using any major roadways, Fox News reports.
In the most recent days, Chris Laundrie has joined law enforcement to search the wilderness within the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve. According to the family's attorney, Brian Laundrie's father was asked to "point out any favorite trails or spots that Brian may have used in the preserve." Bertolino adds that while nothing was uncovered during the search, the efforts were still "helpful to all."
Any tips people have regarding Brian Laundrie should be referred to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.