Brian Laundrie’s Update: Did He Buy a Burner Phone Before Running Away From Parents’ House?

Brian Laundrie allegedly bought a burner phone when he disappeared from his parent’s house in Florida. Sources told TMZ they saw Laundrie purchasing the phone with an older lady at an AT&T shop in North Port, Florida. According to the celebrity news site, FBI investigators visited the shop and collected CCTV video in recent days.

Steve Bertolino, a lawyer for the Laundrie family, confirmed the phone purchase on Wednesday. But said he believes Laundrie abandoned the burner phone at home. “To my knowledge they did purchase a new phone and it’s the same phone that Brian left home and which the FBI is in possession of.”

NORTH PORT, FL – SEPTEMBER 20: FBI agents collect evidence from the home of Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest after his fiancé Gabby Petito went missing on September 20, 2021 in North Port, Florida. A body has been found by authorities in Wyoming that fits the description of Petito, who went missing while on a cross country trip with Laundrie. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

ALSO READ: Gabby Petito Case Update: Neighbors Tell Brian Laundrie To Turn Himself In As Search Enters Its Second Week

AT&T Staff Did Not Comment On Laundrie Transaction

An AT&T staffer in North Port informed TMZ that they couldn’t comment on the search connection and directed reporters to police authorities.

The FBI Denver Division’s public relations staff informed The Independent they couldn’t comment on the allegations.

The Laundries’ parents, Christopher and Roberta, have denied any role in their son’s abduction.

Authorities began a search for Laundrie on September 17. That was three days after he allegedly left his parents’ house. He said he is going hiking in the adjacent Carlton Reserve.

Torrential rain has hindered an exhaustive search of the alligator-infested Carlton Reserve, leaving many hiking paths waist-deep in water.

Meanwhile, a Florida couple who tented next to the Laundrie family days after Gabby Petito’s death claims they may have taken a picture with Brian Laundrie.

On September 6, Mr. Laundrie and his folks landed at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County. Marci and Kenny Newsom of Fort Myers told NBC2 that they arrived at the campground on the same day and slept only meters away from the Laundries at the next site.

After going through their pictures, they discovered a man in the backdrop strolling across a field with a close-cropped hairstyle which seems to fit Brian Laundrie’s description.

Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman updated his social media accounts on Wednesday afternoon. He conducted “an aggressive and targeted search in a crucial region based on the information we are getting and investigating.”

RELATED ARTICLE: Gabby Petito’s Case: Parents Setup Charity To Help Other Parents Find Missing Children