HARTFORD, Tenn. — Information on a 911 call is consistent with a story a hiker told media about encountering Brian Laundrie near the Appalachian Trail.
Dennis Davis told reporters that he saw Laundrie, who hasn’t been seen since Sept. 14, driving a white, late model pickup truck at around 12:35 a.m. Saturday near the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
Davis, a Florida resident, said he’s “99.99% sure” it was Laundrie—wanted for questioning in connection with the death of Gabby Petito. Davis said Laundrie asked him how to get to California and seemed to be “talking wild.”
Petito, 22, was found dead in Wyoming last month. The coroner said she was the victim of homicide. A cause of death has not been released.
Although Laundrie has not been charged with murder, he’s the main person of interest in Petito’s death. He is wanted on a federal warrant for allegedly using someone else’s debit card. It is not known who the card belongs to but it has been reported that the illegal transactions occurred after Petito went missing.
Petito and Laundrie had been engaged and were on a cross-country trip when she was killed.
The search for Laundrie has been focused on the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, a Sarasota County park about 13 miles from the North Port, Florida, home he shares with his parents.
Police in North Carolina are investigating Davis’ claim. The FBI is also following up on tips that were provided to Duane “Dog” Chapman, who has joined the search for Laundrie and was the first to announce that the 23-year-old may have made his way to the Appalachian Trail. Chapman said he suspected Laundrie may have headed that way because he told friends he camped on the trial in the past.