Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of missing 22-year-oldGabrielle Petito, has now also reportedly disappeared.
North Port Police said in a statement Friday evening that they are currently searching for Laundrie along with the FBI.
“The attorney for the Laundrie family called FBI investigators Friday night indicating that the family would like to talk about the disappearance of their son,” police said. “The family now claims that they have not seen Brian since Tuesday of this week.”
“We understand the community’s frustration, we are frustrated too,” police said, adding that though they have been trying to speak with Laundrie’s family for six days, “Friday is the first time they have spoken with investigators in detail.”
North Port Policetweeted on Fridayafternoon that officers were “currently speaking with the Laundrie family at their request,” though they did not release the context of the conversation.
“We’ve been trying all week to talk to his family, to talk to Brian, and now they’ve called us here on Friday, we’ve gone to the home, and they’re saying now they have not seen their son,” North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylortold CNN. “So we are working through those details as we speak. It is another twist in this story.”
PEOPLE has not been able to reach the attorney for Laundrie’s family. The North Port Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Laundrie, 23, has beennamed a person of interest in his fiancée’s disappearance. Police said Wednesday that he has refused to cooperate with their investigation.
On Saturday, detectives attempted to interview Laundrie and his parents at their home, but were told to contact the family’s attorney, who has instructed his clients not to talk.
The announcement of his disappearance comes one day after Petito’s parents begged Laundrie and his family for help in finding their daughter.
Lawyer Richard Stafford read the letter for reporters on behalf of his clients, Petito’s parents,Joe Petitoand Nichole Schmidt, and her stepparents, Tara Petito and Jim Schmidt.
“We understand you are going through a difficult time and your instinct to protect your son is strong,” the letter reads. “We ask you to put yourselves in our shoes. We haven’t been able to sleep or eat and our lives are falling apart.”
Petito and Laundrie had been traveling across America in a white Ford Transit van since early July.
Petito was reported missing on Sept. 11 — 10 days after Laundrie returned to his parents' North Port, Fla., home in their van. Petito was last heard from on Aug. 25, when she was near Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyo.
Later, in paperwork, police would categorize the incident as a “mental health crisis.”
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Petito is a white female, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 lbs. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads “let it be.”
Laundrie is a white male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 lbs. He has brown eyes and short brown hair, trimmed facial hair and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap.
Anyone with information on Petito’s or Laundrie’s whereabouts is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
source: people.com
