Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Brian Laundrie Hiding Out at Fort De Soto After Trip With Gabby?

Episode Date: September 28, 2021

As the search for the person of interest in the death of Gabby Petito continues, new speculation surfaces about where Brian Laundrie could be. A photo taken of Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito was posted on Petito's Instagram page in February. The pair later posted a review of the area. They described the spot as a “really nice campground, beautiful area with many hikes and easy walks, the beach, historic sites, really nice camp store and well-maintained sites.” Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman announced that he received a tip that Laundrie and his parents went camping at Fort De Soto from September 1-3, then again on September 6-8, and documents have been found supporting that claim.Joining Nancy Grace Today: Dale Carson - Criminal Defense Attorney (Jacksonville), Former FBI Agent, Former Police Officer, Author: "Arrest-Proof Yourself, DaleCarsonLaw.com Caryn Stark - NYC Psychologist, www.carynstark.com, Twitter: @carynpsych, Facebook: "Caryn Stark"  Sheryl McCollum - Forensic Expert & Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, ColdCaseCrimes.org, Twitter: @ColdCaseTips Joe Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics: Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Featured on "The Piketon Massacre: Return to Pike County" on iHeartRadio  Mahsa Saeidi - Investigative Reporter, WFLA-TV (Tampa), Twitter/Instagram: @MahsaWho, Facebook: "WFLAMahsa" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. The search goes on for the missing boyfriend of now dead van life girl, Gabby Petito. Why is he on the run? Experts have largely debunked the theory that he has committed suicide or is hiding out in the 25,000 acres of swamp known as Carlton Reserve. But in the last hours, a new lead shifts the focus and the search for so-called boyfriend Brian Laundrie. Bombshell evidence now. Has a photo emerged showing Brian Laundrie at Fort DeSoto with Gabby Petito? Photos taken in February before Gabby's murder.

Did the two of them go to Fort DeSoto to check out the campgrounds? The same campgrounds where Dwayne Chapman, dog the bounty hunter, says Brian Laundrie's hiding out. First of all, take a listen to this. The registered went through the gate. They're on camera. They were here. And they did enter take a listen to this. I think he's been here for sure. So there's a lot of little islands around the area where we're at that he could get to on a canoe. We talked to the caretakers today of the islands. They said he could be out here, that he was here for sure, not over in the swamp. You are hearing the voice of Dwayne Chapman speaking to Fox News. I want to hear that one more time because there's a lot of information there, Jackie. One more time, please.

The registered went through the gate. They're on camera. They were here. And they did enter. They did come here. Allegedly, what we're hearing is two people left on the 8th. Three people came in on the 6th. And two people left on the 8th. I came in on the 6th and two people left on the 8th I think he's been

here for sure so there's a lot of little islands around the area where we're at that he could get to on a canoe we talked to the caretakers today of the islands they said he could be out here, that he was here for sure, not over in the swamp. Was he there for sure, not in Carleton Reserve? It is entirely possible. Again, you're hearing the voice of Dwayne Chapman speaking to Fox News, and he is there at Fort DeSoto, about 70, 75 miles away from the laundry home. Again, I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories,

and I want to thank you for being with us. With me, an all-star panel to make sense of it all. First of all, Dale Carson, high-profile lawyer, joining us out of Jacksonville, Florida. Also, former Fed and FBI agent, which is significant today, Karen Stark, renowned psychologist joining us out of Manhattan. You can find her at

karenstark.com. That's Karen with a C. Cheryl McCollum, director, founder of the Cold Case Research Institute at coldcasecrimes.org. Joseph Scott Morgan, death investigator, professor of forensics, Jacksonville State University, and author of Blood Beneath My Feet. But first, straight out to Masa Saidi, investigative reporter with WFLA-TV. Masa, thank you so much for being with us. She is joining us there in Florida. Masa, tell me, where is Fort DeSoto? And does that timeline that we're hearing from Chapman jive with reports of the neighbors that Brian Laundrie was at his home with his parents on September 11,

the day that Gabby Petito was reported missing by her parents, neighbors that say they saw Laundrie at his Northport home with his parents getting into the family truck with an attached camper on the back and taking off. Because I think I'm hearing Chapman say three laundries went in on the 6th to Fort DeSoto and two left on the 8th. First, what's Fort DeSoto? Let's start with that, Masa. Okay, so first we, what's Fort DeSoto? Let's start with that, Masa. Okay, so first we'll start with Fort DeSoto. It's about 75 miles away from the Laundrie family home,

as you said, Nancy. It's about a thousand acres. This is in Pinellas County. It's five keys. There's lots of secluded beaches. People go out there to go fishing. People go out there to take their dog. And late last night, Dog the Bounty Hunter said that he had this huge leap, this huge tip. As you know, he got involved in this case on Saturday. And he told reporters last night that he got this new lead. We heard sound from that off the top. And he said that the Laundrie family on two separate occasions had been to the campground at Fort DeSoto. There's 236 campsites at this park. So according to Dog the Bounty Hunter, September 1st to September 3rd,

the laundries went to Fort DeSoto, and he says they returned again and made reservations from September 6th to September 8th. And this is really the stunning piece of information, the allegation that came out last night that three of them went in on September 8th. And this is really the stunning piece of information, the allegation that came out last night that three of them went in on September 6th, but only two of them left on September 8th. So we're assuming that he's had access to the reservation paperwork there. You do have to reserve. I spent some time looking into that this morning. You make reservations. So there would be a record of the Laundrie family at this location. So he is talking about some surveillance video. It's unclear right now if the surveillance

video exists, exactly what it shows. But as you said, he is telling reporters that, quote, for sure, he's absolutely positive that Brian was there at least from September 6th to September 8th. We do have our chopper monitoring several scenes here this morning. I want to let you know the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office says that they are not conducting a search of Fort DeSoto and they are not aware of any sightings of Brian Laundrie at Fort DeSoto. The FBI is leading this investigation, but our chopper over the scene this morning, we have not seen any law enforcement out there searching. We are seeing news crews start to show up

and we're going to have a news crew there as well. Straight out to you, Cheryl McCollum, Director of the Cold Case Research Institute. As you know, our family, big campers and RVers. And when we're talking about, as uh masa has just told us and masa again thank you for being with us there are 236 camp campsites there at fort de soto here's the thing in order to go through the gate appropriately or legally you you have to, or stay there, you have to sign in like every campsite across the country, unless you're in what they call dispersed camping. Because those 236 sites,

they're reserved. It's like a hotel room. You have to reserve it ahead of time and then show up and they assign you a spot. If you're familiar with the campsite, you can ask, oh, I want plot 71 down by the lake. Or you can ask for a particular spot and you may or may not get it. If you show up and there's availability, you still have to sign in. So those are pre-registered spots. And what I'm wondering is, did they sign up ahead of time or did they give their information to camp there? So it's not dispersed camping like where Gabby and Laundrie were out in Wyoming, literally out in the wild. This is a controlled state camping spot, I believe.

Go ahead, Cheryl. It is, Nancy, and here's what jumps out at me. It means that Brian either had a 9 to 11 day head start. Hold on, hold on. You're on a first name basis with laundry now? What, are you going to invite him over to dinner when all this is done? Well, he don't deserve to be formal. Yeah. Okay, go ahead, Cheryl. To me, you're talking about a

9 to 11 day head start. Gabby's not even reported missing, and he's already got the ability to have his parents go to this campsite and possibly drop supplies, maybe drop a burner phone, maybe drop some clothes, a flashlight, then they're going to go back and then leave him. So even though they arrived on the 6th, they don't leave until the 8th, if he went ahead and absconded on the 6th, that means 11 days.

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Masa Saidi is joining us there in Florida. Masa, what about all the neighbors that claim they saw him leaving with an attached camper with his parents on September 11? Yeah, so he got back to the Northport family home on September 1st. Some neighbors across the street did say that they saw him leave with the camper out back. As you said, I was unaware of exactly what date the neighbors reported seeing that my understanding was they weren't exactly sure but dog the bounty hunter is saying september 1st to 3rd is when they left almost immediately um upon coming home dog is saying that there's i guess paperwork that confirms they immediately went camping and then again going back camping

september 6th to 8th i also wanted to clarify this is a county-controlled site. You can make reservations in person or online or by the phone. And campsite 1 to 85 is if you have a van or a tent or something like that. And according to Dog, he said that they stayed in campground space number 1 during the first stop, and they stayed in space number 15 from September 6th to 8th, which, again, those details lead me to believe that he's seen some sort of paperwork. Okay. Do you mind, everybody with me on the scene is Masa Saidi with WFLA-TV joining us out of Florida.

Can I please get you, first of all, Jackie, you look up what we have stated in the past and where we got it, that neighbors saw him leaving the family home in Northport with the red Dodge Ram with an attached, like a mini camper stuck on the back on September 11. And what was so significant about that was that that is the day that Gabby Petito was formally reported missing by her own parents up in Long Island. All right. Masa Saidi, just if you would repeat that for everybody, because these dates are critical. I think Duane must have gotten the information off the sign-in sheet. And I'm curious, and I'll throw this to you, Delacrosse, in a minute, how the hate of Dog the Bounty Hunter find it and the FBI didn't find it.

Or did they? Anyway, back to those dates because they're critical. Would you tell me the dates again? Yes, I will tell you the dates again. So it is possible that the FBI knows this information and they're not releasing it, Nancy, as you said. But yes, so September 1st is when Brian Laundrie came back to his home in Northport, the home he shared with his fiancee, Gabby Pet about 75 miles away in a different county near St. Pete Beach, Fort DeSoto Campground. Not sure what happened between September 3rd or September, they left, went home.

Neighbors said they saw him, you know, mowing the lawn, going bike riding with family somewhere in between that time frame. September 6th to September 8th, according to Dog the Bouncy Hunter. The family returned, three people signing in at Fort DeSoto Park again, and then leaving. And this is the part that's unclear to me, leaving. And he says only two people left. And he kind of, I've seen just different reports about what video supports this. Like, how are you looking into the car? Hold on, hold on. You're cutting out on me.

You're cutting out on me, Masa. Let's get her sat up again. Okay, let's analyze what Masa Saidi is telling us. And this is based on the word of Dwayne Chapman, Dog the Bounty Hunter. Okay, Dale Carson, how does Dog have it and the FBI doesn't have it you're the former FBI agent yeah when an old dog starts sniffing around it's going to kick up some things that we've already discovered right so this isn't isn't news really it is to me I've never heard you say anything about camp Fort DeSoto he's been running ever since he left Wyoming. Well, okay, so, Dale, listen.

Tell me something I don't know, all right, please? You're the high-profile lawyer and the former FBI agent. I know he's on the run. That's why we are together right now, because Brian Laundrie is on the run. My question to you, Dale Carson, is how come Dog the Bounty Hunter knows about it

and the feds don't know about it? He's not afraid of a mic, as you said, and the result is he's out kicking around in the dirt, trying to find information. What's wrong with that? People are willing to talk to him

before they're willing to talk to law enforcement because they're concerned if they talk to law enforcement, they're going to be a witness. And nobody wants to be a federal witness for anything. Okay. You know what?

That sounds like excuses to me, Dale Carson. And I appreciate that you're taking up for your old compadres over at the FBI. I have all the respect for them. But Cheryl McCall, that's a complete load of BS. Now, that's a technical legal term, and I don't want to give you the Latin interpretation of that, but Cheryl, what? They didn't tell the feds because they were afraid?

That's not right. Apparently, Dog the Bounty Hunter has found something the feds either found and discounted or didn't find. Cheryl. Well, let's just be honest. I mean, Dog is excellent at his job. He finds fugitives for a living, and he's good at it. But I'm going to state something that's probably pretty obvious,

but I ain't heard nobody say it, so I want to say it. The number of mistakes that Brian Laundrie made from when the police were called, when he's slapping her, to the van is spotted and it's on video. He sends a bogus text message that nobody believes that Gabby sent. He left her body in the wide open, we believe. Then he drove his van straight to his mama's house. Then he's outside where everybody can see him, not looking for her, not concerned. Since September 11th, he's made no mistakes. That leads me to know somebody helped him plan, execute, and get ghost. That is very insightful.

There were a lot of mistakes up until September 11, and I guarantee you, Karen Stark joining me, a renowned psychologist joining me out of Manhattan, that every day that passes, the parents are like, he made it another day. He's 10 miles further. I mean, you know that they are looking at that calendar every day because the further away he gets, the less likely he is ever going to be caught. Karen.

I don't care what the parents, the lawyer is saying. These parents have clearly helped him to get away. They were not forthcoming. There was a lawyer immediately. Now we hear about these trips. A neighbor spotted them. And I am sure that they do not want their son caught and they are helping him. And please, just like you said, believe that he can't be found right now. I want to go to Joseph Scott

Morgan, Professor of Forensics, Jacksonville State University. And remember, everybody on the panel, if you've got a thought, don't hold back. Jump in. All right. Nancy. That was quick. Okay. I think. Sorry, Joe Scott.

Is that Masa Saidi? Yeah. Can I just say. I'm so happy to find out that you're a tiny bit rude like the rest of us. Jump in. What? Because you're right there on the scene. Tell me.

Yeah. So just really quick. The Laundrie parents left this morning on Tuesday around 830 in the morning and their red truck. And they've just now returned home. And the protesters are back. The protesters that have been showing up on the hour all day yesterday, screaming with the bullhorn. They're back on scene. Just wanted to give you that. Go ahead. You know, they've got to go out for errands. But the last time, one of the last times they went out, many people, they had Brian Laundrie stuffed in the trunk. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. crime stories with nancy grace okay joe scott i want to analyze do we think he's at fort de soto could duane chapman aka dog be correct and if so how does he know this and the fbi doesn't they're not out there searching which tells me they're not buying into his theory that three people went in, two people went out.

But I am wondering, because of all of those little islands that you can very easily get to, did they do a drop? Did they go there and leave a tent, provisions, money, a burner phone for him to come back to and get? Hang on, hang on. You didn't mention the one that I'm thinking about. Did they send him there with a single person kayak? I started looking at the map around this area. I started looking at this and I was thinking, you know, you can run down to Walmart or Target or any number of the big box stores and you can actually buy these single person kayaks. And of course, they've got them for the beach, you know, down in Florida by paddle. And, you know, you're talking about two trips. Well, you assess what you need.

And I'm looking at these various islands that you could access out there. We got summer resort key. You've got Sawyer Key. You got Shell Key. Whoa, slow down. Okay. Did you say Summer Resort Key? Summer Resort Key.

Yep. Sawyer Key. Mm-hmm. Just like Tom. Sister Key. Mm-hmm. Let's see. We've got Shell Key.

There's any number of these, Nancy, that are out there. And, you know, for folks that don't understand, because I didn't, you don't really understand what the difference between a key and an island is. I don't know that I still do. It looks like an island to me. But it's the area. There's kind of like these sand flats that are all around it. And it's kind of low growth vegetation on there. I would think that it'd be kind of easy because these things are always windswept.

It'd be kind of easy to appreciate anybody that's out there, Nancy. And I was thinking something that Dale had mentioned and we talked about a couple of days ago. You begin to think about the Fed, their assets that are flying over these areas in helos and they've got infrared on there. I think that these areas would be kind of easy to cover and assess if this is a human or if this is some other kind of animal that's out there. So I would imagine that he's got a head start, doesn't he? And when you look just to the east, you've got the 275 corridor. That's an interstate highway connectivity. You hop on 75, you can be anywhere in the country. I don't see him in a car unless he's changed his

appearance. And I'm wondering if that's already happened. I mean, Cheryl McCollum, I guess the first thing he should do if he hasn't already done it, is shave his beard, get rid of any obvious signs of tattoos and any piercings that would identify him.

That's all I can think of right off the bat. He's going to grow his hair out so he doesn't look like a real Dale. He could blend in with a homeless very easily. And Lord knows there will be a homeless down there. I don't see him in any major metropolitan area where homeless are congregating. I don't see that. I think he's out there in the wind.

And here's another, let me just throw you another curveball. Take a listen to our cut 177. This is Dwayne Chapman speaking to Fox News. Now, I understand a number of the leads have suggested check out the Appalachian Trail. Why is that? Well, the leads, yes, have said that. And the reason is because he spent a couple months there in the past, and he is an outdoorsman.

So he's got T-shirts on his social media with the mountains. He's got pictures. He's been social media with the mountains. He's got pictures. He's been there before. So he's very young. He's not an experienced criminal. He'll do what he should do. He can't stay and shoplift and stay in cheap motels or rob people like a lot of people that I chase. This kid is an outdoorsman.

So I think he went to, again, where he's comfortable to the outdoors. To you, Karen Stark, a New York psychologist joining us from Manhattan. You and I have noted that in many, many cases, people go where they're comfortable. Here's an example. Scott Peterson didn't know what to do with Lacey Peterson's body. He's a fisher person. He gets in that brand new boat that he kept a secret from everybody. He goes fishing out in San Francisco Bay. He leaves the marina that he's familiar with and dumps her body. A jury believed it and so do I. He knew what he was doing. He was comfortable there. That's an example. And very often, in fact, frequently, you see criminals go back to the scene of the crime or they go somewhere they're comfortable. If this guy is

high at the Appalachian Trail, that would be a surefire place that needs to be investigated, just like Eric Rudolph, Karen Stark. I agree, Nancy. He's going to go to someplace where he can survive because he doesn't have a phone. He doesn't have his wallet. And he certainly knows how to exist in the wilderness. We know that. And so how could he go to a metropolitan area and be able to camp out and do what he's used to doing? But he could be out in the wilderness and be there for a very long time and do well. That's his forte. That's what he knows how to do best. Cheryl McCollum, I think that was you jumping in.

Yes. I was going to say, Nancy, they always go where they know and where they're comfortable. And just like Eric Robert Rudolph, he's going to be caught only when he makes a mistake. Most people, when they go to the Appalachian Trail, they stay on the trail. I've done part of it myself. I didn't veer off the trail hardly at all. If he's 20 yards off that trail, 75 yards off that trail, 90% of the people will never see him. They won't. And he's going to be

able to hide literally very close to other campsites and primitive campsites and other people. He will gather things that people leave behind. He'll steal some food here and there while people are sleeping and he's going to keep it moving. He's going to be very difficult to find. Jump in Joe Scott. Yeah, Nancy, I lived along the Appalachian Trail up in Dahlonega, Georgia, for almost a decade. And this is the one piece to this why I think that if he was there, he could potentially be spotted. People that walk the Appalachian Trail, the ATC, that's how they refer to it as, are a very close-knit community. These people are aware of one another.

They know where all the stops are. And Cheryl's right. He would have to forage essentially to live up there. He's got to stick his head out. This guy is on the radar. People that are walking up and down that trail, they're going to have an awareness of this. And he is very distinctive, Nancy, in his appearance. OK, he will show he will stand out from everybody else.

And also if he is underprepared in any way, maybe he doesn't have the right clothing, this sort of thing. Keep in mind, he's coming up from Florida, Nancy. Guess what? It's September now. Okay. Temperatures have already started to dip. He's going to survive out there.

How's he going to do that? Well, he's going to need, it's a lot different at that elevation. He's going to need cool weather clothing and on into cold weather clothing. You don't think mommy thought of that? Are you kidding? Of course she thought of that. And Dale Carson, a former FBI agent, Joe Scott says he wants that he will stand out. I don't think he will stand out.

He'll have on muted clothes, so not to draw attention to himself. He'll be wearing a hat. Listen, what Roger was saying is so true. And look, we need to evaluate what he left at home and what he took. If he took insulated long wear, then he's headed north. If he took masks and a fin, he's headed south. And that's the kind of investigation. If there's a bookshelf with everything on it except the San Juan directions, then it's a clue. And that amalgamation of clues is what's going to lead to where he went. And the parents have to know this.

Did he take staples with him when he left? Is there a 25-pound bag of rice now been replaced in the family home? Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. crime stories with nancy grace i can tell you right now what i packed in the twins backpack today um it involved fresh grapes that i washed and pulled off for them and um hold on those little those little ricepie treats individually packed? So if I know that and they're only going to be gone for a few hours to school, you want to tell me mommy and daddy didn't buy him the right kind of clothing, provisions, money, the works? What about it, Joe Scott?

Well, yeah, you say they got him the right clothes and everything. Where are you going to buy winter clothes in Florida this time of year? I think that's my question. Are they going to pull them off the shelf? Have you been to Dick's? Because they have winter wear year round all the time for people that go adventuring. And what about Amazon? Hello. Actually, that's a great idea for them to get the Amazon information and see if anything

was ordered. That would be a really good idea. Hey, Masa Saidi joining me there in Florida. I don't know if you remember. It's still ongoing. The cult mom, Lori Vallow case. She really tripped up by ordering her wedding dress and ring on her dead husband's Amazon account before the wedding, before her new groom's current wife, Tammy Daybell

had even died. See, that's a bad look. Wouldn't you agree? In fact, to the point of being probative at trial, you order your wedding dress and wedding ring and your groom's wedding outfit for a beach wedding. Then two weeks later, your boyfriend's wife dies in her sleep and you two take off and you wear those clothes at your beach wedding in Hawaii. Sounds like premeditation. I think they need to be all up in the parents Amazon account. Yes. So they did conduct. First, they conducted a search warrant on electronic devices that were in the van. They went ahead and did that. I believe it was about a week ago. Then they went in and they got a search warrant for the Laundrie family home. They spent

a long time there going in and out with evidence boxes. So I imagine, first of all, we do have winter clothes here, as Nancy said, in Florida. So you can buy some warm weather clothes here right now. But yeah, obviously, I believe that the FBI would certainly be, and you have experts that can speak to this better than I can. But they certainly would be monitoring any sort of financial activity of the family if they were, I guess, uncareful enough to go out to the local Wal-Mart and buy a canoe and to buy a bunch of clothes. That is information that I would suspect the FBI would be aware of and something that they would look into. Let's just say his family knew on the 28th or 29th when he was driving home,

there's an issue. You mean Gabby's dead body? You're calling that an issue, but okay. You say tomato. I say tomato. Go ahead. That their son is involved in something hideous. potentially heartbreaking. Yes, but I'm sure he lied to them in the beginning and slowly the truth came out. So that's why I'm saying they immediately, when he supposedly allegedly went hiking, he left behind his wallet and phone. Again, he's being told, leave these things behind so that you're not distracted. He's got help where he's not making mistakes anymore. They would have used back roads.

No LPRs are going to hit on those roads. They're going to use cash if they were to have gone to Walmart and bought the kayak and a lantern and flashlights and hand warmers and that sort of thing. And they would have used self-checkout. They wouldn't even have another person see them. This person that's helping him, which I personally believe is his mother, has not made one mistake. She's been ahead of everybody for weeks and has played this thing almost perfectly. Okay. Dale Carson?

Look, he's an outdoorsman. He has all that gear in his house. You buy stuff in preparation for those kinds of journeys if you're an outdoorsman. So all that stuff's already in his house. He doesn't have to go out and buy anything. He just has to select what he's going to take. And that's the evidence that will tell us which way he went. Because you look at inventory of stuff and he if he took insulated underwear he's had ignored well here's the thing Dale Carson that's great in a perfect world but sadly I don't think we have a before and after shot of what's in the home before September 11 and what's in not in the home today so that that's not that's not going to happen so don't say that anymore I wish it would happen and you're right but I don't say that anymore. I wish it would happen. And you're right. But I don't think that's possible that we can find out what they had before September 11 when Gabby was reported missing.

Normally, I would think that's a great idea. But we don't. I don't think that's going to be possible. What about money withdrawals? What about money withdrawals? Masa Saidi joining me there in Florida. And I don't mean just ATM. I mean like going to the bank and getting out of the bank in person. I don't know what kind of a trail that would leave, but definitely a trail to, if they paid in cash, show that they're taking out quantities of cash. I mean, I doubt this is anything that the FBI haven't already thought of.

But, hey, now with Dog, the bounty hunter, coming up with something significant information conceivably out of Fort DeSoto. I don't know what the feds are doing. Masa? Yeah, I mean, I think regardless of how much of a head start they had, you know, the whole country, nobody was looking at this. Certainly before September 11th, no one. she wasn't even declared a missing person. And they had so much time to work on this. It's true that they, in fact, did assist him in any way. I do want to just point out they did release a statement yesterday that they don't know where he is.

They're concerned to hope the FBI can find him. That was a statement the parents released to their attorney. But it would be hard to imagine, Nancy, that they could, you know, cover up everything. They're not criminal masterminds here if they do have any wrongdoing in the end here. I will tell you, if you even go by the parents own timeline here, even according to the parents, if you believe what they say, September 14th is the last time that they saw Brian Laundrie. So he's been gone even by the parents' account for exactly two weeks today. And if you want to believe what Dog the Bounty Hunter is saying, it's been much longer than that. That would be one, two, three weeks tomorrow that he's been gone. So a significant

head start, but definitely they would leave a trail regardless, I believe. Okay. Final thought. What about it, Dale Carson? Look, I think that it's going to be the FBI that searched the house twice now, which is unusual to look for things that were either left behind or taken. And that's the way we ultimately determine where he went and of course the parents know the answer to that question because as i mentioned before those people are there watching what their son does they would have supplied him with not only money but food supplies and those sorts of things and that's why they're not worried in the least that the FBI and everybody else in the world is out looking for their son. Karen Stark. I agree, Nancy. I feel like the clues, what everybody needs to concentrate on

are the parents. Parents are connected to this. And unfortunately, he really could survive out there. We know that. So let's just hope he trips up somehow or the parents give something away. Cheryl McCollum. He will trip himself up. He will make a mistake because he will not have his mama guiding him. And eventually his parents are going to be arrested as accessories after the fact. They deny all wrongdoing. Joe Scott Morgan.

Hey, I got to say, Nancy, dad is a business owner. He's probably got multiple LLCs. I think that the FBI needs to start shaking the trees when it comes to finances. And relative to how they're getting him money, it's not going to come from their personal accounts. It's going to come from some kind of business account, in my opinion. Good thinking. Masa Saidi joining me there in Florida.

I know the search is scaling back at Carleton Reserve and the FBI saying they are now focusing more on, quote, intelligence. I wonder what that means. Any idea? You know, we did see when the search started at Carleton Reserve, 25,000 acres. The North Port entrance is near where the family's house was. That's where they were initially searching. Then they moved over to the Venice side. That's where we saw the huge search effort happening.

All quiet this morning. We did have our chopper go over the scene. Nobody is searching there right now. Water is a significant issue. The rain has gotten worse. The flooding has gotten worse in the past few days. So we don't know if that's what has stopped them from searching. But as far as we can see, no searches are being conducted there this morning.

I will tell you, Nancy, that I really think the public is going to be key here moving forward. As you know, the YouTubers were the ones who helped locate Gabby's body. And I think now that Dog the Bounty Hunter has told the world about this lead at Fort DeSoto park. I think you're going to see in the coming days, people that have been at that park start to come forward. And I think we could get answers there that way. 1-800-CALL-FBI 1-800-225-5324. The search for Brian Laundrie.

Nancy Grace signing off. Goodbye, friend. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.