FLORIDA, Sept. 30, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Television personality Duane ‘The Dog’ Chapman, also known as ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter,’ says he has found a campsite deep in the woods as well as a fresh Monster energy drink can during his search for Brian Laundrie.
Chapman said Wednesday he feels Brian Laundrie is alive and that he believes he is close to capturing him, according to TMZ.
The bounty hunter assigned himself the task of finding Laundrie, a person of interest in the disappearance of Laundrie’s fiancee, Gabby Petito.
The discovery of the campsite and the Monster Energy Ultra Gold can were made while Chapman’s team were searching Shell Island off the coast of Florida for Laundrie Wednesday; the can apparently showed no rust or faded colors.
But Chapman and his team found no conclusive evidence that Laundrie was still on Egmont Key.
Also on Thursday, Chapman posted a photo of a small plane flying a banner that reads: “Aloha Brian Laundrie — Dog,” but Chapman says he was not responsible for the sign. “Frankly, I wish I had thought of that, but it wasn’t our team,” joked Dog by way of Instagram. “I’d love to shake the hand of whoever is behind the banner, I’ll tell you that.”
Chapman is likely not searching on Thursday, but will be following up with leads from his temporary headquarters in the Sarasota area, according to a statement from his spokesperson. His daughter Lyssa Chapman is running the tips command center from Hawaii and they will decide next steps with the team.
Lyssa Chapman tweeted at 2:30 p.m. Thursday: “Update: Yesterday was a good day. Today we will process evidence, and intelligence. (Sharing all of such with LE) The hunt continues.”
“This has been a very different search,” the elder Chapman tweeted Thursday. “Social media has enabled us to do this alongside everyone out there. America is along for the journey with us and I’m ready to do more!”
TMZ posted Wednesday morning says that sources with direct knowledge say Chapman was heading to a “remote site” where he believes Laundrie is hiding.
“We’re told Dog had obtained information that leads him to believe Laundrie was alive and moving around as of 10 p.m. on Tuesday,” TMZ reports.
Chapman is working with a team that includes skilled ground and boat crews.
It also emerged Wednesday that a search is underway on portions of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina after possible sightings of Laundrie.
Petito’s body was found on Sept. 19 in Grand Teton National Park, where the couple had been camping before Laundrie returned home to Florida alone, on Sept. 1. An autopsy determined Petito’s manner of death was homicide.
The Laundries have declined to talk to police regarding the Petito case, speaking through Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino.
On Monday, Bertolino said Laundrie’s parents “do not know where Brian is.”
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
UPDATE: Video is from this morning — earlier today we launched an active and specific search in a key area based on the intelligence we are receiving and researching. Boat crews and ground teams have been called in and we have search and rescue dogs deployed. More to follow… pic.twitter.com/g2tq85JTZX
— Duane Dog Chapman (@DogBountyHunter) September 29, 2021
Praying for you dog good luck.
Hope you and your crew found him soon he to learn that he will not get way with murder someone child that why he on run play found and put where he belongs included his mother and his dad also because they are hiding a fugitive they his were about but I will pray that you found him soon.
I will pray ?that you found brain because right now he on run so found so you need to found him now you need put behind bars with his parents because they know his where about so please him he not have any rights to kill anybody daughter at they putting her parents through a lot of pain and suffering because they lost her she was a loving person her mother and her father.
I will pray for the family that they get closer.