The circumstances surrounding the suspected murder of Gabby Petito have gripped the nation. She was a 22-year-old Florida resident and travel influencer who was found dead on September 19. Her fiancé, Brain Laundrie, was questioned by the police and then, upon release, he disappeared after allegedly telling his parents he was going on a hike. A warrant has since been issued for Laundrie's arrest, and even notorious TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter is joining the manhunt.
With over four decades of experience as a bounty hunter, Duane “Dog” Chapman knows a thing or two about knocking on doors (and sometimes booting them in) to find wanted criminals. He's apparently putting those skills to use for the benefit of the Gabby Petito case. Chapman left his honeymoon with his new wife to travel to North Point, Florida to help the search for Brian Laundrie. As can be seen below, per Fox News, the A&E star went right up and knocked on the door of Laundrie’s parent’s home:
The search for Brian Laundrie has taken place during the past week following his disappearance. Technically, he is wanted in connection to Gabby Petito's death due to an unauthorized purchase with a debit card days afterward. CNN reports that occurrences in the days prior to her death were unusual, with the two reportedly even getting into a physical altercation. Dog the Bounty Hunter told Fox News why he thought he could make a difference in the case by joining the hunt:
The reason I went to Mr. [Christopher] Laundrie is I carry a reputation with me. The reputation is, ‘He gives you a second chance. He’s gonna get you, but he gives you a second chance.’ So I thought the dad's going to see me and crack. I know the kid knows me, probably one of my fans... but I was very persistent without disturbing the peace and knocked a few times, so they saw it was me. And I didn't play nasty, put a copy of the warrant on their front door, none of that. I was very respectful, and the dad can still reach out to me through social media. Let's get the kid captured, alive. Alive.
The reality TV star, who tragically lost his wife, Beth Chapman, to cancer in 2019, notoriously went all the way to Mexico with Tim Chapman and his son, Leland, to track down fugitive Andrew Luster in 2003. His success in bringing him back to the states kickstarted the longtime A&E series that brought him notoriety and several other spinoffs.
As for the Gabby Petito case, Dog the Bounty Hunter shared to Fox News that Brian Laundrie having allegedly spent time previously in the Appalachian Mountains and being regarded as a serious outdoorsman is “the strongest lead.” He continued that he isn't buying other assertions that he could be hiding in the Florida swamps, New York, or even Mexico. The latter of which he said Laundrie would have stuck out in the crowd by now due to being white and not speaking the language. Evidently, the continued hunt for Laundrie his close to home for the TV personality. He said:
Because I lost a daughter about the same age, I know what the parents feel like OK? And you want justification. You want the guy behind bars. All of its alleged that he even committed the murder but, circumstantially, it looks like he did.
Dog the Bounty Hunter conveyed that the investigation will “work off leads” and go to “extreme measures” if necessary to find Brian Laundrie. Ultimately, he said, “If we get a scent, he’s done.”
