Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Gabby Petito Boyfriend Brian Laundrie on the Run! FBI Swarms home.

Episode Date: September 20, 2021

A day after finding Gabby Petito’s body in a remote Wyoming camping area, the FBI sends agents to Brian Laundrie’s home to execute a search warrant. More than 15 FBI agents entered the home shortly after 10 a.m. as police officers roped off the area around it with crime scene tape. Laundrie's parents were escorted out of the home and into a FBI vehicle during the search. After more than an hour, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie were led back into their house. Still no word on where Brian Laundrie is, as the search for him in the Carlton Reserve has ended.Joining Nancy Grace today Dale Carson - Criminal Defense Attorney (Jacksonville), Former FBI Agent, Former Police Officer, Author: "Arrest-Proof Yourself, DaleCarsonLaw.com Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, Atlanta GA www.angelaarnoldmd.com, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital Sheryl McCollum - Forensic Expert & Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder, ColdCaseCrimes.org 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 John Elwood - Deputy Chief, Manatee County Search and Rescue, www.manateecountysar.org, Twitter: @KarmatheSARdog, Principal Evaluator for the National Search Dog Alliance and Instructor/Evaluator for the National Association of Search and Rescue, 35 Years Sarasota County Fire Department Garna Mejia - Reporter, KSL-TV in Salt Lake City, Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @GarnaMejiaKSL, ksltv.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Yesterday, thousands shaken as we discover the body of 22-year-old Gabby Petito is found. While authorities are not positively identifying it, they're coming out and saying it's her. The autopsy set to go down tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Teton County Coroner's Office. But right now, breaking news. The search for boyfriend Brian Laundrie and the Carleton Reserve swamp and forest, 25,000 acres of it, has been called off. The search for Brian Laundrie has been called off at the Carleton Reserve. And right now, as we go to air, the feds are at the home of Brian Laundrie.

The parents have been taken out and put in a vehicle in the driveway and the feds are searching the home. The police are declaring it a quote crime scene. As the FBI enters Brian Laundrie's Florida home, it's all happening right now. This is what happened in the last 24 hours. Take a listen to our friends at the FBI. As you are aware, FBI personnel, in coordination with our partners at National Park Service, the Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff's Office, and Jackson Police Police Department have been conducting an investigative activity in the vicinity of the Spread Creek dispersed camping area. Earlier today, human remains were discovered, consistent with the description of Gabrielle Gabby Petito. Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100% that we found Gabby,

but her family has been notified of this discovery. The cause of death has not been determined at this time. You were just hearing our friends at the FBI. Let me bring in an all-star panel. Dale Carson, high-profile lawyer, joining us out of Jacksonville, former FBI. Dr. Angela Arnold, renowned psychiatrist, joining us out of the Atlanta jurisdiction, AngelaArnoldMD.com. Founder and director of the Cold Case Research Institute, Cheryl McCollum. Death investigator, forensics professor, Jacksonville State, Joseph Scott Morgan.

Special guest joining us from KSL TV out in Utah, Garner Mejia. Garner, thank you so much for being with us. And John Elwood, search and rescue technician, instructor, survivalist, expert. I'm going to go straight out to Cheryl McCollum. Cheryl McCollum, right now, the FBI loudly announced search warrant twice before moving Chris and Roberta Laundrie from their home in North Port, Florida. It's happening right now. They've taken the two of them out and have them sitting in a vehicle, a tinted window vehicle. What's happening, Cheryl McCollum?

They are in that house looking for any evidence associated with Gabby, what occurred to Gabby in the Mojave Desert, and what they can possibly connect Brian to because obviously it's in that home. I think that it's taken on a whole nother sense of urgency to Garner Mejia joining us, KSL TV, because Garner, as soon as her body was found and depending on the conditions under which it was found this has gone from a potential missing persons case to a potential homicide case i'm telling you garna if she was buried say in a shell a grave he did it bam i said it that's what i would logically conclude. What do you know, Garner? As you're saying, there's a lot coming at us at once. We now know, you know, the FBI is there at the laundry home and they're saying that they're there in connection to Gabby, not in connection to their search for Brian. And so I think there's a lot to be gathered from the

evidence that they gathered yesterday around the area where they found Gabby's body. Our chopper was actually flying over that area as we spotted all of this activity going from a very large search area where they had multiple teams to really just starting to focus in and zero in on one place. We had those images with us at noon yesterday, knew what was happening, and we're waiting for that confirmation. We're waiting to allow authorities to reach out to family members. There's just a lot there that I think they were able to gather to be able to get into that home today and do that search warrant. Garnet, I got a question for you. You said you had choppers overhead. Yes. Was there any time that they spotted remains, you know, clothes, what she would have been wearing? Did the searchers immediately put up a tent? And what do you believe was under the tent? What I'm getting at, Garner Mejia, KSL TV, is was she buried?

Nancy, that's a great question. From what we were able to gather, she was not. Of course, we were not there at the moment that they had discovered the body. We were there what we believe was shortly after. Hold on just one moment. Garner Mejia, I'm getting news in right now that the parents have been arrested. Those are reports. I've got to confirm them. But I'm telling you, that's the current wire right now. Straight out to Dale Carson, high-profile

lawyer joining us out of Jacksonville and former FBI. Dale Carson, that's what you don't want to see. As you look out your door window and there are three big FBI guys and they come in yelling, search warrant, search warrant, and they pour into your home and then put you out in a car. The fact that you're not only a former FBI, you're also a high profile defense lawyer. The fact that they put them in a car, that is considered a detainment under the law. It's like you going into the back of a police car. You're under arrest. You're detained. Arrest under the law starts at the moment of detention when you're not free to go. So when I heard they're in the backseat of a car, that would lead me to believe

they're under arrest. And now we're hearing they have been arrested. What's happening, Dale Carson? Well, we get the technology that's involved in all of this. They've probably been listening to the phones or the text messages of these individuals for a number of days. And they've developed an amount of information that would indicate that they were involved directly or indirectly in the case. So, of course, now they're arrested and they'll search their phones and all of their computers. And I'm sure they're looking for other items that were removed from the actual crime scene in Wyoming, brought back in the truck and secreted in the house. Oh, good thinking. Can I just throw something at you, Joe Scott Morgan?

Yes, ma'am. You've been on a lot of crime scenes. You, me, Cheryl. How do I know he was ever even there after September 1? Think about it. They wouldn't let the sister talk to him. They wouldn't let the cops talk to him. Nobody has seen him. And how in the hay does he leave when the house has a ring of press around it?

There's somebody even scoping out their backyard. How does he get out and drive to the Carleton Reserve to go on a hike? Are you kidding me? I don't understand why the police were not sitting on the house constantly. I mean, the press was out there. How, you know, in Northport itself, and I know it's not a huge jurisdiction, all right? They don't have the resources to do this.

But the reality is this, this is probably one of the biggest things to happen there in some time. How can you not have eyes on that scene? So that leads us to this other point. Where has he been for this protracted period of time? And one of the things that really bothers me about this, Nancy, This other point, where has he been for this protracted period of time? And one of the things that really bothers me about this, Nancy, is how did the parents know to go to that specific location to retrieve his Mustang and bring it back?

And, oh, when they go to talk to him, hey, by the way, we ain't seen him since Tuesday. So how does all of this stuff mesh together? Those are the big questions. And I can guarantee you this. When they drag them into headquarters and they begin to talk to them, those questions shall be asked. We'll just see if they'll answer them. Well, I can tell you right now, I just said it earlier,

they'll have to pull their fingernails off and they still are not going to say where Brian Laundrie is. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Okay, Cheryl McCollum, I just don't see any way that the story is true that Brian Laundrie leaves on Tuesday to go for a hike and the press weren't five inches up his tailpipe of his car. That didn't happen. I agree. I don't believe it. Okay, jump in.

I agree. But let's talk about mama. You're telling me you've already got a daughter-in-law, future daughter-in-law missing. Now your son does not come back home Tuesday night. You don't call nobody. You don't ask for no help. Wednesday morning, nothing. Wednesday night, nothing. Same thing Thursday. You don't call a soul. You don't call a priest. You don't call the police. You don't call a soul you don't call a priest you don't call the police you don't call friends you don't call family you don't want no help you do not tell anybody that your son is now missing until friday night and you suddenly oh here's you know we he's missing y'all need to go help look for him and And you give the police a very- And then they send him to a 25,000 acre swamp land and go have at it.

A very specific area, right? The whole story of him going over there in the car and then the cops leaving a note, like one of those little yellow notes, you got to move your car. The cops leaving a note on it. They go back. They still don't move it. And then they go back and get it and bring it home. How was he supposed to get home, Fly? it. They go back. They still don't move it. And then they go back and get it and bring it home. How is he supposed to get home, Fly? Right. Completely bogus. Not only

do you take his own transportation away, you again do not tell anybody, wait a minute, something's wrong. He should have been home Tuesday night. We hadn't seen him. She doesn't do that at all. There's no alarm. There's no concern for her whatsoever. Guaranteed. He's got a, you know, prepaid cell phone. They've been in contact. The FBI knows it. The only way they could pull this off is with burner phones. Who's jumping in? If they do this, you know, it's almost as if they plan to send all of law enforcement to a specific area on a wild goose chase? He's had a four-day at least head start on this red herring. If not longer, I mean, Dr. Angie Arnold, of course, we know there is no parent-son, mother-son, father-son privilege.

But I think they'll have to burn them at the stake before they ever tell where their son is or what he told them when he got home from Wyoming. I don't think they're ever going to tell. I agree with you, Nancy. I agree. You know, it's a mother's love for a son. I mean, who can calculate that? And what's a mother willing to do in order to protect her son?

Well, you're right. Jump in, Angie. Nancy, I think that this goes way beyond the mother's to protect her son. Well, you're right. Jump in, Angie. Nancy, I think that this goes way beyond the mother's love for a son. Something has been brewing in this house. Why was he her fiancé and then he was just the boyfriend? I'm telling you, Nancy, we are going to find out so much stuff. They are going to dig up so much stuff about what was going on inside of that home.

This is a lot more than a mother's love. This man is a sociopath. And what that means is he has no conscience. It does not mean that he doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. What it does mean is when he is when he does act on his bad behavior, he doesn't have any feelings about it like you and I do. OK, so he is a sociopath all day long. And I think what the whole world needs to start doing is we cannot believe anything that these people say. I want to go to John Elwood, search and rescue technician, instructor and evaluator, National Association of Search and Rescue, and former Sarasota County

search and rescue, which is so important. Sarasota County, I mean, I guess you've been in those mangrove tunnels because when you kayak through those things, it's like you are literally in a tunnel, a small tunnel of dark trees. You've got to be a seasoned nature enthusiast to get through the Sarasota mangroves. I know that much. But, I mean, did it ever strike you odd, John Elwood, that he goes out to the Carleton Reserve, which is there by the Myakouchi, this huge other area? Did that ever strike you odd that he went in and never came out? Yes, Nancy. If Brian was allegedly an avid hiker of the Carlton Reserve,

then he would know this time of the year in Florida is the rainy season, and over 90% of that 25,000 acres is underwater. The conditions and the wildlife, as you know, certain wildlife thrives in water and a fair majority of it doesn't like it. So when you talk about all the predator animals, including rattlesnakes and water moccasins, are going to migrate out of that water to dry area, you would not want to be walking around in that landmass. Absolutely not. And John Elwood, here's the other thing. If the parents sent the cops out to that snake-infested,

and there are gators, area, and the son, Brian Laundrie, was never there. Can you believe that they would send the cops out there to search day after day for their son, knowing full well he's not there in those conditions, taking canine dogs out there? A lot of the cops thought he might have killed him, may have killed himself. And they're out there trying to save his life. Is it true that the parents the whole time were getting a big laugh knowing the cops were out there risking their own lives and their son wasn't there? Well, several, several of your members of your panel that you've convened today have brought up a lot of the reasons for this possibly being misdirection. As, as you all have stated.

The thing that as a rescuer, as a first responder, as you had mentioned, I had done 35 years with the Sarasota County Fire Department, so I've been very well experienced in that parcel of land, especially for wildfire, that you would not, as a first responder, take kindly to being thrust into that environment on a fool's errand. Because any time that you go out to perform a mission, there is always the chance of you becoming injured or even worse, possibly losing your life. I'm just imagining the two of them, Cheryl McCollum, sitting at the kitchen table, like we all do all the time, and talking and talking and talking about how the cops are out there looking for laundry, and he's not really there.

And I'm telling you, I've been there. It is, it's like a jungle out of a movie. When you're in those mangroves, and it's, as you're hearing John Elwood say, it's already swamp. But then 90% of the 25,000 acres are underwater. And you're going to send cops out there? So tell me about this note that was reportedly left on the car. And that's the one thing I believe the parents about.

I think the car was left there. It gave the appearance that laundry was in the Carlton Reserve. The cops saw it and left a note, move your car. What do you make of what's happening, Cheryl McCollum? These two reportedly are under arrest. Nancy, if the car was dropped off there, for him to be able to get in the car and come back home, and he didn't get back to the car and he left it there overnight, law enforcement will sometimes leave a notification on the car that says,

hey, this has to be removed or we're going to tow it. Apparently they ran the tag and they called the family and said, come get the car. When they got there, they see this note. So they allegedly drive the car back home. Number one, I don't know that the note isn't bogus. I don't know that this whole thing was not a red herring because, again, they leave the car there. Law enforcement doesn't do anything. So now the family has to say, hey, there was a note there.

The car was left. We've moved it. They have to contact law enforcement about the car and then report him missing. So they do all of these things prior. And so they have to wait these four days when law enforcement is still not looking for him in that reserve. I mean, Cheryl, do you think he was ever there after September 1? No, ma'am. I do not. That's why the sister couldn't see him. That's why cops didn't see him.

And a furniture press had been camped out on the front yard. It looked like nobody was home at all. What? Who's that? Joe Scott, jump in. One of the things that I was thinking about, kind of dovetailing what Mac was saying, I worked a lot of cases where we've had people that have been alleged to have been involved in a homicide and they become suicidal. Families reach out to us. They, you know, they reach out to the police and of course the coroner as well. And one of the things that they do is family shows up with their hair on fire. My son is depressed. We know this kid's not on medication and he should be.

And you know, one of the things that is not happening here is an urgency on the part of the parents. If they believe that he could do self-harm in any shape, form or fashion. Man, that is a really good point. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Hold on, I'm hearing Garner Mejia in my ear. She is joining us, KSL TV, joining us from there. Garner, this all got kicked off after Gabby's body was found. What was found? I mean, if it had looked like

she fell down a ravine, or it looked like a natural cause of death, I think the jury would have been out. But something about the discovery of her body changed everything, Garner. I mean, yeah, that's really when we saw all of this activity change and kick up in Florida. I mean, yeah, that's really when we saw all of this activity

change and kick up in Florida. I can only speak to what we've really seen here in Wyoming, you know, and that was the moment that they got out the tent and walked across this creek. It's, you know, not very deep. It maybe goes up to your calves and went over into this site that started setting up and then we started seeing them point the camera and start shooting pictures for their investigation about 20 yards away and that is where we saw what we believe to be Gabby Petito's body. It was in a grove of trees and it was not buried. In a grove of trees and not buried. And you can see that from what, the aerial drone footage? Yes, that is what we believe we saw.

Garnet, do you mind telling me that one more time, everything that you just said? Yeah, so we saw, our chopper was flying, it was about 11.35,, between 1135 and noon yesterday. And we started to see, you know, we've seen this search area. It's really big. And you see pockets of search teams in different parts of that area. We know where Gabby's van was last parked in that Spread Creek camping area. And so we started to see all of a sudden all these search and rescue teams just kind of starting to walk back to their staging area to their command post

and then we saw a smaller group of people and they were kind of crossing the waters near the area where the van was last parked but they had a cross to the north side of the stream the van was what we believe it was last parked on the south side of the stream the van was what we believe it was last parked on the south side of the stream and we started to see them make their way we saw some of them on horseback crossing the waters we saw them start to open up this this canopy this tent and we see valver a lot in in these types of scenes when they're wanting to preserve the scene and they're making their way over to start that process of documenting and photographing that discovery and so that is what we saw them do open up this canopy and then all of a sudden we see one of the investigative

the forensic photographers start pointing the camera in a different direction. And so we followed that and we followed the smaller group walking and very, very cautiously approaching this area. And that is where we believe that what we saw, what our images captured was a body, was likely Gabby Petito's body. Not buried? Not buried. Was she clothed? You know, I really can't speak to that part. I think there's the sense of wanting to respect the family's grieving process. But what we can say is that it was, you know, in the direction of a grove of trees.

It was very near those trees, under those trees. And that is the area that became the focus for them. And then we start to see them kind of move that canopy in that direction. And what is my guess, you know, start that process of documenting that scene. Okay, straight back out to Cheryl McCollum. We were talking about what's happening right now at this moment. And that is that the parents, Chris and Roberta Laundrie, have been arrested. And there are now about 15 FBI agents in the home. They're in the home searching this development one day after the body of Debbie Petito has been found. There's a huge contingent of law enforcement at the home.

Hey, you know what, Cheryl? Let me throw this at you, too. Everybody's screaming about the cops. Wow, how'd you let them slip through your fingers? And they're right. I mean, you have to admit, why wasn't he questioned? But wait a minute. Did they ever even see him?

Did he slip through their fingers? Or was he ever there? Remember Remember he got there September 1. The parents, Gabby's parents didn't know she was missing until September 11. Sometime during that 10 days, did he leave? Has anybody even seen him? Why are they in the home right now? What's happening, Cheryl McCollum? What we know is the van was there. We don't know if he was ever there. And here's the deal. The FBI has had time to see the text messages, the calls, the emails, whatever contact between Brian and his parents,

which has clearly resulted in the parents being arrested. So it appears they have been helping him and obstructing this case to some degree. Again, his cell phone, her cell phone, the social media post, when things stopped and the bogus text messages that he sent that I believe is bogus, all of that is going to come into play. But I am telling you, they know how he has been assisted by his parents. But if they got burner phones, Cheryl McCollum, if they had to, because you do know that one of the first things that would be under a warrant or subpoena would be the iCloud, the iPhones themselves, text messages, email accounts.

But Nancy, in order for that to happen, there was communication before that. Hey, go here, buy this phone, call me here, use this debit card. There's going to be some type of roadmap. Unless Dale Carson, they were super smart and said, don't text me, come home. Come home. Right. Right now. And home. Come home. Right. Right now. And only talk in person.

There's no communication then, and that's not likely. No, it's not. And we use them all the time without even thinking. And we text messages which don't even require that they be listened to and transcribed. So the police have direct access to what's been going on there for some period of time. And in the Wayne Williams case in Atlanta back in the 80s, we followed Wayne Williams 24-7 when he was a suspect, and we never let him out of our sight until we got the warrant for his arrest. Okay, I hear Joe Scott trying to get in. Joe Scott,

Morgan Death Investigator, jump in. Hey, one of the things I wanted to point out relative to, I've had a lot of people trying to contact me relative to, they're asking the question, why aren't they doing the autopsy today? Why aren't they doing the autopsy today? You have to understand something. In this isolated location where they are, this is not something that they do on a daily basis. Let me tell you what's going on. Right now, they're marshalling every resource that they have. a daily basis. Let me tell you what's going on. Right now, they're marshalling every resource that they have. They're going to bring in, and these people will probably be present at the autopsy. There's going to be a forensic dentist, an odontologist, more than likely, given how long she's been down. Whoa, whoa, whoa. A forensic dentist,

you said an odontologist? Odontologist, yeah. And there's also going to be a physical anthropologist, a forensic anthropologist, a forensic anthropologist present there because I suspect that her remains are at least partially skeletonized. In addition to that, there's going to be any number of evidence-gathering individuals, specifically relative to trace. They're going to be looking for anything, anything that's on that clothing. Also, they're going to be doing nail scrapings, nail clippings. They're going to go over her with a fine tooth comb. Don't and don't underestimate the fact that they will probably use things like alternative lighting, infrared lighting, that sort of thing to look for any kind of stray marks that they can have on her.

They might even super glue the body to try to lift any kind of prints that are on her. Well, one of the things that you want to think about, think about if she has been asphyxiated by strangulation. If there are any prints intact still on her skin, those can actually be lifted as a result of fuming with super glue. You can find that. Also, they're going to be- Wait, wait.

Yep. Explain how you do it. Well, the glue itself is placed into a little dish. It is moderately heated. And as the glue vaporizes, it actually comes back down and falls on the body. It adheres to the fatty lipids that are left behind by fingerprints. And you can't get rid of the fingerprint at that time. You're not going to lose it like you would even through dusting.

So that's one of the things that they're going to be doing. And I would suspect that they're going to have the best forensic pathologist in the state of Wyoming. They might even bring another consulting forensic pathologist in. Trust me, Nancy, they're not going to want to miss anything relative to this case. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Guys, the body, what we believe to be, what we know to be Gabby Petito has been found. Take a listen to our cut 103, our friends at the FBI. The vicinity around Spread Creek Campsite will remain closed to the public until further notice. This is an active and ongoing investigation, so we ask everyone to maintain distance from law enforcement personnel and equipment, vehicles, and related activity for their own safety, as well as to protect the integrity of our work and respect privacy for Gabby's family.

We appreciate the tremendous support from the public. The support from the public's response to requests of tips has been remarkable. We continue to seek information from anyone who utilized the Spread Creek dispersed camping area between the dates of August 27th and August 30th, anyone that may have had contact with Gabby or her boyfriend or who may have seen their vehicle in that area. Guys, at this hour, the parents of Brian Laundrie have just been taken out of their home in Florida, North Port, Florida, and arrested. There are about 15 feds inside the home searching it right now.

Straight out to Dale Carson, high-profile lawyer out of Jacksonville, former FBI agent, arrested for what? Obstruction of justice? Sure, obstruction of justice. Okay, name what you can think of. Misprison of felony, UFAP, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. They could be charged as principals and co-conspirators if it turns out that they've been assisting and lying to law enforcement, assisting their son by lying to law enforcement.

Well, what about this? What about this, Cheryl McCollum, when you lie about the location of a body? Sure. Anything that you've done to obstruct this investigation, and again, by him leaving her there, driving several states back home to Florida, refusing to speak to her family, refusing to help in any way. The parents, if they have determined, which it looks like they have, that they have directly assisted him in any way with getting away with a crime, they're going to be on the hook for that. And clearly they've got enough probable cause to get in that house now. The FBI confirms the body of Gabby Petito was found on Sunday, and now the parents of Brian Laundrie have been arrested,

put into a vehicle, and taken away. We also know the search at Corralta Reserve has been called off. Okay, to John Elwood, a survivalist, if he were to go on the run, you're familiar with this area of Carleton Reserve. I would be looking at every waterway. Did a family friend have a boat? If he was too afraid to take a plane,

although there are reports he took a plane home and back in the middle of the road trip. How would he escape? Not with a family car. So how would he get out of town? Well, that's probably one of the great mysteries of the world, Nancy. But one of the things that you would start with is you would have to have what some people refer to as a go bag, in which you would have some type of essentials to you, whether you have medication, so on and so forth, passport, credit cards, and so on. You have that. Some people use a backpack, some type of duffel bag that you would grab that and have everything essential that you would need to is what you

also refer to in the military as escape and evade. If you want to go back to the actual search being performed at the Carlton Reserve, probably one of the reasons why they call that off is if you noticed earlier the other day where they removed articles of Brian's clothing from the home, that in the search industry we refer to as a scent article in which you introduce that to the dogs that you had talked about earlier to have Brian's scent for the search dog. So as they were probably searching the Carlton Reserve, the dogs display to the handler what's called a quote unquote negative, meaning the dog looks back at the handler and says, hey, I'm not smelling this person. What do you want me to do? And probably because they searched several areas on the Carlton property and the canines displayed the negative,

that probably got funneled in through their incident management system to the incident commander, and then they decided to confer along with all the other physical or electronic evidence that they collected and then came to the deduction that he is not at that location. I'm just wondering if they had the dogs search around where the car was parked because they should have been able to pick up a scent going from the car into the reserve. If they picked up nothing there, I think what you're saying is exactly correct, John Elwood. So Cheryl McCollum, the search warrant has been affected by the FBI and the parents bundled away into a car, according to sources, quote, hauled in. You were jumping in about what? I was jumping in just to

remind people that when he was on the side of the road on August 12th talking to law enforcement, the first thing he asked is, can I get my backpack? When his mama said he went for a hike, she said he took his backpack. So I was just jumping in to say that was pretty clear that he's got to go back. This also reminds me a lot of Eric Robert Rudolph, Nancy, where you've got somebody that has absconded that not only knows this area better than most of the searches, they're more than capable of staying out there without bottled water, suntan lotion, bug spray, or even shoes. We are now hearing the update that they were, quote, hauled in. But Dale Carson, once you take somebody in involuntarily, that is under the law an arrest. Absolutely. They're under arrest now and they will be advised of their rights. And clearly,

there's some electronic information going about which indicates their involvement. And that's why when law enforcement showed up, there are battering rams in their hands because they were looking for an adverse reaction from that family, which means that they're harboring information that the government needs in order to prove this case to a court beyond a reasonable doubt. So now the story is changing. They're saying the parents, there's nothing now saying they were arrested. They're now saying they were, quote, hauled away for questioning. Yes, yes, you're right, Nancy. We're receiving information that the family has now been allowed to reenter their home.

They exited the police vehicle just a few moments ago. Now, it's very important that we point out that no member of the family has been arrested. They were simply detained in the police vehicle. They are now back in their home there in Northport. Again, no arrest of any member of Brian Laundrie's family. The feds simply wanted to be able to search the home freely, and they did remove a number of bags of evidence. Guys, how is he on the run? How is he doing it? If he is on the run, he's got to have a burner phone. I guarantee you he's not going to write the parents on their regular emails or text them

on their regular phones. How is he doing it? How is he being funded? Which way did he go? Who has an idea? Jump. Cuba. It's not very far and it's all by water.

That was my first thought was Cuba because it's not far at all. What about it, Joe Scott? Yeah, I'd have to agree with Dale. It seems as though that that's the most viable solution since Americans can come and go out of Cuba. I think that the question is, is how did he get there? Do they have the ability? Do they have contact with somebody that has a vessel that size that could he get there? Do they have the ability? Do they have contact with somebody that has a vessel that size that could get him there? Or did he just hop a plane and fly down there?

Does somebody have a private plane? And of course, all of this is going to have, well, the planes will at least, will have some kind of registry information. If he went down by boat, all bets are off at that point. Yeah, because when you get on even a private plane,

they ask for your ID unless he had a fake ID or used a brother's ID. Remember Scott Peterson was trying to use a brother's ID. If he used somebody else's idea that he could fudge, then maybe a private plane, but there would be a record, a manifest to that. I say by water, I mean, Cheryl McCollum, when we were on a Disney cruise for Pete's sake, we looked off and somebody said, that's Cuba. It's really close. Absolutely. Nancy, they have had 23 days to get stories straight, to get supplies, to get money, to get a plan together.

I'm telling you, Eric Robert Rudolph, he's not in another country. I don't think he's in another state. I think he's well hidden in a place that he knows better than anybody else. We wait as justice unfolds. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Goodbye, friend. This is an iHeart Podcast.