The manhunt for Brian Laundrie in a Florida nature reserve will be scaled back this week following the death of his fiancee Gabby Petito.
The FBI is now leading the search that will be “targeted based on intelligence,” said North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor.
More than 75 law enforcement personnel from 16 agencies joined the search last week in the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County after the FBI issued a federal arrest warrant over events that occurred following Petito’s death. Authorities used a specialized diver unit, dogs, drones and ATV vehicles to search the wetlands.
“I don’t think you’re going to see those large scale types of efforts this week,” Taylor told USA TODAY. “Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access.”
The park includes thousands of acres of swampy, subtropical terrain and wildlife including alligators, snakes, bobcats and coyotes. There’s more than 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, camping areas and rivers.
Laundrie was last seen nearly two weeks ago when he told his parents he was going hiking in Carlton Reserve after returning home from a cross-country trip to national parks without Petito on Sept. 1.
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The couple’s trip, which was documented on social media as a romantic adventure, began in July and was set to end in Oregon next month. After Laundrie returned home alone, investigators say he refused to share critical information about the case with them.
Petito’s body was then found at a campground near Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. Laundrie is considered a person of interest in Petito’s homicide but has not been charged.
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Laundrie has been indicted on charges of unauthorized use of a Capital One debit card and several accounts involving more than $1,000, according to documents released Thursday by the U.S. District of Wyoming. The indictment also charges Laundrie with unauthorized access of a device and says he used the bank accounts without permission from about Aug. 30 through Sept. 1.
Meanwhile, TV personality Duane Lee Chapman, also known as “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” joined the search and promised to find Laundrie before his 24th birthday on Nov. 18. A law firm offered a $20,000 reward for information that leads directly to Laundrie.
As investigators continued the search for Laundrie, mourners gathered in New York on Sunday to celebrate Petito’s life. The funeral services were held in Holbrook, New York, near the Bayport-Blue Point community where Petito grew up.
Petito’s father, Joseph, told the crowd at the funeral home that the day was about remembering his daughter, not relishing in the sadness of her death, NBC New York reported.
“When you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought to the table because the entire planet knows this woman’s name now. And she’s inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do what’s best for them first,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud as a father.”
Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY
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