How Is Dog The Bounty Hunter Trolling Brian Laundrie?
Following the discovery of Gabby Petito's body, the hunt for Brian Laundrie became nationwide news. Laundrie and Petito had embarked on a cross-country trip in their van, and Laundrie returned home on September 1 without his girlfriend, per Fox 13. She was reported missing on September 11 and eventually her body was discovered on September 19.
Just a couple days before, Laundrie was reported missing by his parents on September 17 when he did not return home after going on a hike, per the New York Post. Laundrie became a person of interest in the murder of Petito, and he was wanted by authorities for fraudulently using another person's bank card. An attorney for Laundrie's parents, Steven Bertolino, confirmed that the family went camping September 6 and 7 at Fort De Soto Park in Florida and, "They all left the park," per Fox 13. Bertolino insisted that Laundrie's parents did not know his whereabouts. "The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving ... is just wrong," the lawyer said in a statement.
Dog the Bounty Hunter, whose real name is Duane Chapman, was on his honeymoon in Florida with his new wife Francie Frane when he decided to join the pursuit for Laundrie. "For those close to Brian, I'd like to restate our goal is to capture him alive," he told E! News. Keep reading to see the inventive way Dog tried to lure Laundrie out of hiding.
Dog the Bounty Hunter hires K-9 units
Dog the Bounty Hunter took a team down to Egmont Key island in Florida, which is located near Fort De Soto Park where Brian Laundrie went camping with his family in early September, per Fox News. In order to cover more ground, Dog beefed up his squad by hiring a team with three K-9 search units. On September 29, the reality TV star updated fans with a video posted to his Twitter account. "We're out here at the island," Dog said. "This would be and could be a perfect spot for [Laundrie] to hide, not too many people out here," he added.
In addition to bringing K-9s, Dog also hired an airplane to fly a banner over the Florida coastal islands that read, "Aloha Brian Laundrie – Dog," per Outsider. Perhaps this was used to simply taunt Laundrie, or to hopefully bring him out of hiding. During their search, Dog's team discovered an abandoned campsite, but as noted in an Instagram post, they "found no conclusive evidence that Laundrie was still on Egmont Key."
While addressing the press, the Laundrie's lawyer, Steven Bertolino, became frustrated by accusations made by Dog that the family helped hide their son. "I will no longer give that [D]og credibility or dignify his false claims with the time of my reply," Bertolino said, per the Daily Mail. Dog's hunt for Laundrie coincided with him pitching a new reality series that focused on his "day-to-day life and his exploits," per Variety.