This archive report was first published on 19 September 2021.
On Saturday, the authorities in Florida announced that they were searching a vast wildlife reserve for Brian Laundrie, a 23-year-old man who had been declared a person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancée, Gabrielle Petito.
Laundrie's parents had previously disclosed that they hadn't seen him since Tuesday, and the police were searching the Carlton Reserve, a 24,565-acre park, for him.
The F.B.I. and officers from other agencies were helping in the search, as a search for Petito continued in Wyoming, where her last known whereabouts were.
On Saturday, the F.B.I. said they were conducting ground surveys in Grand Teton National Park in search of Petito.
Laundrie returned to his parents' home in North Port alone on September 1 from a cross-country van trip that he had taken with Petito, 22. Her parents reported her missing 10 days later.
Laundrie's parents had summoned the police to the home, according to Josh Taylor, a spokesman for the North Port police.
“They are now claiming they have not seen their son since Tuesday,” Taylor said on CNN on Friday night.
Laundrie's family have said they believe that he entered the Carlton Reserve this week, the police said on Twitter.
The reserve, which is about 13 miles north of North Port, is a public park owned by Sarasota County that is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including feral hogs, alligators, and panthers.
On Saturday, the reserve's website warned that most of the park's 80 miles of hiking trails were flooded, and there had been some unusual fire caused by lightning, said Russell Johnson, a longtime volunteer with the park.
“All in all, this is the worst time of the year for visiting the Carlton,” he said.
More than 50 police officers were searching for Laundrie on foot, on all-terrain vehicles, and with the help of dogs, said Taylor.
He described the conditions as wet and muddy and said the park had been closed to the public while the police searched.
Laundrie's life could be in danger, but Taylor did not specify how.
“I think that's fair to say,” he said. “There is an enormous amount of pressure on him to provide answers on what's going on here.”
