Missing 22-year-old woman Gabby Petito. Photo / Instagram
Dramatic scenes erupted outside the house of Brian Laundrie's family as the hunt to locate the missing Florida man continued just hours after the body of his fiancee, Gabby Petito, was located near a national park campsite in Wyoming.
Images taken from what police described an "active crime scene" showed authorities surrounding the home as crime scene tape was wrapped around the residence.
FBI agents also removed and questioned Laundrie's parents before being allowed back inside, while others could be seen searching a shed behind the home.
FBI agents are questioning the father of #BrianLaundrie outside his North Port, FL home. #gabby #petito #gabbypetito @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/gxbJZrAvXV
— Griffin Frank (@GriffinFrank) September 20, 2021
"The FBI is executing a court-authorised search warrant today at the Laundrie residence in North Port, FL relevant to the Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito investigation," the FBI said in a statement.
"No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation."
It came at the same time police called off search efforts in a 25000-acre wildlife refuge where it is believed Laundrie, 23, first vanished on Tuesday, shifting the search from a swampy reserve to more familiar territory.
BREAKING: Major police activity at Brian Laundrie home
— Cristian Benavides (@cbenavidesTV) September 20, 2021
FBI just arrived@nbc6 #GABBYPETITO pic.twitter.com/WEgydHolHs
BREAKING: Brian Laundrie’s parents are brought out of a FBI vehicle in their driveway and back into their home. pic.twitter.com/MLdIZh7ALW
— Kristin Thorne (@KristinThorne) September 20, 2021
North Port police Police Information Officer Josh Taylor told ABC News search dogs had failed to pick up a scent while searching the vast "alligator infected" area.
"At this time, we currently believe we have exhausted all avenues in searching of the grounds there," Taylor said in a statement.
"Law enforcement agencies continue to search for Brian Laundrie."
Laundrie's lawyer, Steven Bertolino, told 10 Tampa Bay he had "no response" to the wild scenes.
#UPDATE: The #FBI is executing a court-authorized search warrant today at the Laundrie residence in North Port, FL relevant to the Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito investigation. No further details can be provided since this is an active and ongoing investigation. @FBIDenver pic.twitter.com/uxrtVNIZ4u
— FBI Tampa (@FBITampa) September 20, 2021
Saddened and heartbroken to learn that Gabby has been found deceased. Our focus from the start, along with the FBI, and national partners, has been to bring her home. We will continue to work with the FBI in the search for more answers.
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 19, 2021
The search for Laundrie commenced over the weekend after family reported him missing on Friday.
At the same time police were searching for Petito in Wyoming, authorities were also forced to scour over a 25,000 acre reserve north of his home in North Port, Florida.
According to local media, a team of officers picked up the search for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve on Saturday morning, but efforts were suspended when nightfall hit.
Resuming again on Sunday, the daylong search concluded with "nothing to report" from North Port Police. Authorities wrapped up the search for Laundrie just minutes before FBI officials announced the body "consistent" with Petito had been found in Wyoming.
After being named as a person of interest on September 15, Laundrie and his family have declined to speak with police over the matter.
Laundrie, 23, returned home to North Port, about 135km south of Tampa on Florida's west coast, more than two weeks ago without Petito.
He had refused to speak to police, with his lawyer declaring he'd like to remain "in the background" of the investigation into her whereabouts.
On Friday, days after an active search commenced in Grand Teton National Park for Petito, Laundrie's family called police to their home in North Port after their son failed to return home from a hike.
Laundrie's family told police that they last saw him on Tuesday with a backpack and he told them he was going to the massive reserve, which he would frequent for hikes, according to North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor.
"A team of more than 50 looking for anything of note after his Mr (Laundrie's) parents say this is where he went," North Port police said in a post on Twitter Sunday morning.
The family lawyer confirmed that as of Friday, they were unaware of his location.
"Be advised that the whereabouts of Brian Laundrie are currently unknown," a lawyer for the Laundrie family said.
"The FBI is currently at the Laundrie residence removing property to assist in locating Brian. As of now the FBI is now looking for both Gabby and Brian."
Speaking to local media, Taylor said the search for Laundrie was conducted by North Port police officers accompanied by FBI agents, drones, K-9 and bloodhounds. he said authorities took clothing from the family home on Friday to help canine units with the search.
"Our goal is to get answers," he said.
"We would love to be able to find Gabby. And right now we need to find Brian, too. Not only is he missing, but he potentially holds some key information in helping us find Gabby.
"We have to locate him. We're hopeful to bring him in because I think he does have some information that will really lead us to Gabby. And that is the primary objective, to find this little girl."
Following the discovering of the body believed to be Petito, the Laundrie family lawyer, Steven Bertolino, said the situation was "heartbreaking".
"The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking," Bertolino, speaking on behalf of the Laundrie family, told The New York Post in a text message.
"The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family."