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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA/WBBH) — A Fort Myers couple claims they camped next to Brian Laundrie and his family days before his fiancée Gabby Petito was reported missing.
The couple, which chose to keep their identities secret, told NBC 2 they saw Laundrie and his family at their campground in Fort DeSoto Park on Sept. 6.
“They kept to themselves,” the woman said. “They were there, and then they weren’t.”
After learning news of Petito’s disappearance, the couple looked back on the photos from their camping trip and saw a red truck with a camper attached to it. The truck matches the description of the truck and camper that’s been parked outside the Laundrie’s family home for the past two weeks. A man appears in the background of a selfie the couple took with some friends, but it’s unclear if it was Laundrie.
The family’s attorney, Steven Bertolino confirmed the Laundrie’s spent Sept. 6 through Sept. 8 camping at the park and that they all left together.
“Very strange. If somebody I knew was missing, I wouldn’t be going camping,” the man said.
Laundrie remains the person of interest in Petito’s disappearance and death. He was last seen by his family on Sept. 14, according to police. The family told police he went to the Carlton Reserve, a nearly 25,000-acre preserve in Sarasota County. Last week, the FBI issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie.
The FBI has set up a national hotline to receive tips about Petito’s disappearance. Those with information are being asked to call 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).
