NORTH PORT, Fla. — It's day 25 of the search for Brian Laundrie, and exactly one month since his parents say they last saw him before he left for a hike at the Carlton Reserve.
On Friday, Sept. 17, Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, told the FBI that their son went to the Carlton Reserve that Tuesday, Sept. 14, but never returned home. They would later recant that statement saying based on deeper investigation it was actually Sept. 13 when they last saw their son.
Since then, the North Port Police Department and the FBI have been searching what law enforcement is calling the "vast and unforgiving" Carlton Reserve for the 23-year-old man.
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.
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 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, the Laundrie family attorney also released a statement on Sept. 28 confirming that Chris, Roberta and Brian Laundrie checked in to the Fort De Soto campsite on Sept. 6 and checked out on Sept. 7. The camping dates were only days after 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 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 clearer picture of a describe a fight that happened between 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 Laundrie, however, law enforcement agencies have debunked those rumors after carefully investigating each report.
A hiker in North Carolina said he believes 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, 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."
The search for Laundrie continues and the question remains: Where is Brian Laundrie?
Any tips people have regarding Brian Laundrie should be referred to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.