Couple Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie embarked on a cross country trip this summer, but only the latter returned home — in his girlfriend’s white Ford Transit van.
Petito’s remains were found earlier this month, near the Grand Trenton National Park in the state of Wyoming. Laundrie — designated a person of interest in the case — has not been seen since September 14.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warrant for Laundrie’s arrest on charges of credit card fraud. Below is the latest update on the mysterious case.
Appalachian Trail
Dennis Davis, an engineer and avid hiker based in Florida, claims to have encountered Laundrie on a deserted road near the Appalachian Trail in the state of North Carolina.
The encounter allegedly took place on Saturday morning.
"There is no doubt in my mind I spoke to Brian Laundrie — none whatsoever," Davis told The New York Post in an interview.
"Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter sent me an audio file of Brian’s voice and the voice was the same I heard," Davis explained.
Asking For Directions
Davis told The Post that Laundrie waved him down and asked for directions, saying he wanted to drive to California.
"He said ‘man, I’m lost.’ I said ‘what are you trying to find?’ and he said ‘me and my girlfriend got in a fight but she called me, told me she loves me, and I have to get to California to see her.’"
"I said ‘well, I-40 is right there and you could take it west to California’ and he said, ‘I’m just going to take this road into California,’" Davis continued.
"He was worried and not making sense," he added.
Who Did Davis See?
Davis did not immediately recognize the man he encountered as Laundrie, but when he pulled over and looked up photos of the fugitive he was certain.
The man Davis spoke with allegedly had a bandana on his head and drove a pick up truck resembling a Ford F-150.
Laundrie is an outdoorsman so many have speculated that he is hiding out somewhere in nature.
As The Daily Beast reported, Laundrie allegedly once spent months in the Appalachians all by himself, which suggests that he is more than familiar with the terrain and capable of surviving there.
Davis Says Law Enforcement Ignored Him
Davis claims to have contacted the FBI and called 911 in both North Carolina and Tennessee, but to no avail — law enforcement has yet to return his calls.
"Obviously, as a father with a daughter, I want to do whatever I can to help the family find closure and get this guy off the streets," Davis said.
"Law enforcement is probably getting millions of leads on this guy, but I am not some goofball out there doing drugs in the middle of the night, I am a highly educated professional," he added.
