A second woman has emerged to claim she picked up Brian Laundrie while he was hitchhiking in Wyoming last month — and left him at the campground where his girlfriend Gabby Petito’s body was eventually found.
Norma Jean Jalovec told Fox News that she came across Laundrie, 23, on Aug. 29 near Pacific Creek Landing — the same day TikToker Miranda Baker said she also picked him up in Grand Teton National Park.
Jalovec said the now-wanted man got into the front seat of her Toyota 4Runner at about 6:15 p.m. — roughly 5 minutes after Baker said he abruptly got out of her Jeep after becoming agitated in the nearby area of Jackson Dam.
In Baker’s SUV, Laundrie’s mood changed when she mentioned she and her boyfriend were heading to Jackson Hole. According to Jalovec, Laundrie asked her if she was heading to the same destination.
When Jalovec said no, Laundrie requested to be driven to the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground — the area where Petito’s body was found Sunday.
Similar to what Baker reported, Laundrie and Jalovec allegedly spoke about his fiancée and his time hiking near Snake River.
Then Laundrie, according to Jalovec, requested to be let out at the campground gates.
The woman said she offered to enter the grounds and drop him off closer to his campsite, but he tried to “get out of the moving car” and then requested again to be let out.
Jalovec said she didn’t make the connection of whom she had picked up until she saw Baker’s viral videos.
Laundrie’s alleged hitchhiking took place four days after Petito called her family to say she was in the park — and four days after her last Instagram photo before the disappearance.
Petito’s death has been ruled a homicide and the FBI announced Thursday it is seeking Laundrie on an arrest warrant in connection to her death.
Laundrie is charged with one count of use of unauthorized access devices — a Capital One debit card, which he allegedly used about three days after Petito was last seen alive.
Authorities have been searching for Laundrie in Sarasota County, Florida’s Carlton Reserve. He reportedly left his home last Tuesday to go hiking there and never returned.
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