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Attorney says Brian Laundrie flew home to Florida before Aug. 23 return to Utah

Steven Bertolino, the attorney for Brian Laundrie, said Tuesday that Laundrie flew home during his cross-country trip with Gabby Petito in August.

News 12 Staff

Oct 5, 2021, 10:01 AM

Updated 1,172 days ago

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Steven Bertolino, the attorney for Brian Laundrie, said Tuesday that Laundrie flew home during his cross-country trip with Gabby Petito in August.
Bertolino issued a statement saying, "Brian flew home to Tampa from SLC on Aug. 17 and returned to SLC on Aug. 23 to rejoin Gabby. To my knowledge Brian and Gabby paid for the flights as they were sharing expenses. Brian flew home to obtain some items and empty and close the storage unit to save money as they contemplated extending the road trip"
The statement comes after Laundrie's sister Cassie Laundrie gave a 17-minute interview with Fox News Nation Now in which she said the media "misconstrued" what she said when she told "Good Morning America" that she hadn't been in contact with her brother. Cassie Laundrie said that what she meant was that she hadn't been in contact with him since Petito was reported missing Sept. 11.
Cassie Laundrie and the Laundrie family say that Brian Laundrie did fly home on Aug. 17, five days after the fight that was shown on police body-cam video. Cassie Laundrie said he never mentioned the fight and that his behavior was normal.
There have also been multiple tips and alleged sightings of Laundrie reported over the last few days in North Carolina, but the Haywood County Sheriff's Office said they were unfounded.
The tweet read "The Haywood County Sheriff's Office has received a number of calls regarding the sighting of Brian Laundrie over the past several days, each one being investigated thoroughly, and areas of concern searched, but all to no avail."
Cassie Laundrie also confronted a group of protesters outside her Florida home on Monday. She claims that she has been kept in the dark in terms of contacting her family and has not heard from her parents.
She says she has no clue where Brian Laundrie is or if he's alive.
Originally Brian Laundrie's attorney had said the parents last saw him on Sept. 14 when he left to go on a hike, but now the attorney tells News 12, "Upon further communication with the FBI, we know believe the day Brian left to hike was Sept. 13."