Brian Laundrie Possibly Spotted on Deer Camera in Florida, Officials ‘Actively’ Investigating

Law enforcement officials conduct a search for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota, Fla., on Sept. 18, 2021. North Port Police Department via AP

Brian Laundrie, a person of interest sought by police in the disappearance of missing woman Gabby Petito, was possibly spotted on a deer camera in an area in Flordia and police are investigating.

Sam Bass said he spotted the man with a backpack at 6:17 a.m. in Baker, located on the western end of the Florida Panhandle, and about 500 miles away from Laundrie’s home in North Port, Florida.

“I’m not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning in Baker, Fl strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie,” Bass wrote on Facebook. “Authorities have been contacted but people in the North West Florida area be on the look out.”

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed told the New York Post on Tuesday they were looking into the possible sighting of the person of interest.

“We are aware and are actively checking it out,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Michele Nicholson said to the newspaper and added that “at this point, there is no confirmation.”

Earlier in the week, Laundrie’s parents, who live in North Port, told officials that he may have left to go on a hike in the nearby Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, where he allegedly abandoned his vehicle.

On Sunday, authorities may have discovered the body of Petito, who was engaged to Laundrie, thousands of miles away in a remote wilderness area in Wyoming. An autopsy for the body is pending.

The cause of death for the woman who was found has not yet been determined.

“Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100 percent that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified,” FBI agent Charles Jones told news outlets over the weekend after the discovery.

The FBI on Monday said that it executed a search warrant of Laundrie’s parents’ home, where both Laundrie and Petito had stayed before their trip across the country.

Later Monday, officials released a 911 call recorded last month when a witness told a dispatcher that he saw Petito and Laundrie allegedly involved in a domestic disturbance in Moab, Utah.

“We’re driving by and I’d like to report a domestic dispute,” the male caller told the 911 dispatcher, adding that “we drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl.”

In an interview broadcast Monday on TV’s “Dr. Phil” show, Joseph Petito said Laundrie and his daughter had dated for 2 1/2 years, and Laundrie was “always respectful.” During the interview, which was recorded before his daughter’s body was found, Petito said the couple had taken a previous road trip to California in her car and there were no problems.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.