The reality TV star claims to 'have received an avalanche of tips on the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie' after he's spotted showing up at Brian's family home in Florida.
- Sep 27, 2021
AceShowbiz - The disappearance and death of Gabrielle Petito a.k.a. Gabby Petito has prompted Dog the Bounty Hunter to take matters into his own hands. The reality TV star has joined search for the late YouTube star's fiance, who is currently wanted for arrest by FBI.
On late Saturday afternoon, September 25, the "Dog's Most Wanted" star was spotted showing up at Brian's family home in North Port, Florida. He was seen knocking on the screen door, but no one answered. He left the property after a few minutes, as seen in a video shared by journalist Brian Entin.
In a statement to E! News on Sunday, Dog confirmed his presence at Brian's family was in attempt to find him. "We have received an avalanche of tips on the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie," he said. "We appreciate the public's assistance and have received a number of leads that are consistent. There is a remarkable amount of information being shared from neighbors, friends and people who may have very recently seen Brian."
Dog, whose real name is Duane Chapman, went on declaring, "For those close to Brian, I'd like to restate our goal is to capture him alive. His best chance is if we bring him in. If family and friends want to help Brian, they will help us locate him so we can help end this peacefully."
The 68-year-old bounty hunter repeated his statement when speaking to The Post. He claimed he's received hundreds of tips on his 833-TELLDOG hotline, many of which point to Brian being somewhere along the Appalachian trial, where he was known to camp for months at a time. "That is the most leads coming in right now that say that," he weighed in.
"[Gabby's] friend Rose [Davis] said she was 100 percent sure and more that because of his past, being there for two months at a time that she said 'I'm telling you right now that's where he headed,' " Dog, who married his new wife Francis Frane just weeks ago, explained. "That's what he does. He's a wilderness guy."
Dog isn't convinced that the 37-year-old man is in the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve near his home that is being extensively searched by authorities. He also believes that Brian's parents have helped him escape, noting that Brian could face death penalty if he is slapped with a murder charge and found guilty. "That's their baby … This is not going to jail for 20 years," he said. "This is execution."
Dog added that his goal is to find Brian before Gabby's 24th birthday on November 18. "I want anyone with information on Brian Laundrie's whereabouts to call me at 833-TELLDOG," he went on imploring. He said he will cooperate with authorities but keep the names of any informants confidential.
Gabby was missing during a cross-country road trip with Brian. The latter returned to his parents' home on September 1 without the YouTube star. Her body was found September 19, weeks after her parents lost contact with her. The manner of death has been determined as homicide.
Brian has not been named a suspect in her killing. However, an arrest warrant was recently issued by the FBI for unauthorized use of a debit card after Gabby died.
