Amid the ongoing hunt for Brian Laundrie, boyfriend of Gabby Petito, rumors about him getting arrested from Sarasota, Florida, have emerged on social media. The speculation started after Laundrie's suspected sighting was reported on the Sarasota County Sheriff, Venice, and North Port Police Department Scanner.
On Tuesday, Petito's death was ruled as a homicide after the county coroner confirmed that human remains found in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton national park belonged to the Long Island native.
However, the exact cause of her death was not disclosed pending final autopsy report. In a tweet, FBI field office in Denver wrote, "Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue's initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results."
Laundrie's Spotting Was Reported on Police Scanner
Laundrie was named a person of interest in Petito's disappearance case. After refusing to talk with the authorities, Laundrie too disappeared last week.
The recording of the broadcast which emerged on social media mention Laundrie's sighting with a green hiking backpack. The transcript, shared by a reddit user, read, "Transcript: 19:50 5309 unit that just dispatched to that 13 person road right by the blue...Caller is advising that possibly civilian, Possibly FUG Brian Laundrie. 21:00 Full beard carrying a large green hiking backpack possibly near the apartments on the north side of the preserve," the user posted.
What further fueled the speculation were a series of social media postings. A comment made on one of the FB posts read, "I heard it on the scanner about a half hour after they mentioned his name and something about an apartment, and asked to switch to a private channel. I am so hoping this is it."
A twitter user, Victor, too spoke about Laundrie's arrest. "Brian Laundrie is officially in protective custody. Arrested in Sarasota, 11 minutes from where his sold their condo," read the tweet.
Sarasota Authorities Deny Having Laundrie in Custody
Debunking the wild rumors about the arrest, the Sarasota County Sheriff's office tweeted, "Despite rumors on social media this evening, #BrianLaundrie is NOT IN THE CUSTODY of our agency at this time. We can confirm we have received reports of "suspected sightings" however, none have been accurate."
"The audio transmission that someone captured and is sharing all over Twitter is just that, an audio transmission. Several callers have reported seeing him. This is not a new development. We can promise that if our agency captures him, we will notify the public accordingly," the office wrote in a separate tweet.
Despite the tweet, there was still talk about Laundrie being in protective custody. "No confirmation yet, but on a police scanner they said that there was a possible sighting of brian laundrie, and then a little later white male on protective custody, but no confirmation besides that," read a tweet.
"Brian Laundrie is now in protective custody near Venice FL, per private broadcast. Meaning they know he's the most hated man in the US at this very moment. #BrianLaundrie," read another.
