Brian Laundrie search: Why did Dog the Bounty Hunter leave the hunt abruptly?

As the search for Brian Laundrie continues, Dog the Bounty Hunter aka Duane Chapman, reportedly left the hunt to find Gabby Petito’s missing fiance on October 11, 2021.

The famed bounty hunter joined the infamous search investigation last month and promised to find the fugitive, who was declared a “person of interest” in his fiance's disappearance and murder investigation.

However, local media reported that the reality TV star is heading back to Colorado after suffering an ankle injury while searching for Brian Laundrie in Florida. It was also mentioned that he has decided to raise funds to conduct an “expensive search” to find the 23-year-old.

Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter, Lyssa Chapman, also confirmed her father’s departure from the investigation. She mentioned that the 68-year-old went home to “handle some business” and assured that Chapman’s team is continuing to look for Brian Laundrie in Florida.

WFLA reporter Josh Benson added that Chapman’s ‘Florida Team’ is actively looking for the missing craftsman. Meanwhile, the former is also processing active leads from Colorado.

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A look into Dog the Bounty Hunter’s investigation to find Brian Laundrie

Dog the Bounty Hunter recently dubbed Brian Laundrie as a "serial killer" (Image via Getty Images and Gabby Petito/Instagram)

Dog the Bounty Hunter made headlines after joining the sensational Brian Laundrie search investigation in September. He mentioned that he decided to join the search after receiving several requests from the public.

Brian Laundrie left on a cross-country camping trip with his fiance, YouTuber Gabby Petito, in July. However, the former returned home on September 1 without his partner. A few weeks later, Gabby was found dead in Wyoming, prompting police to declare the case a homicide.

On September 17, Brian was reported missing by his parents after allegedly leaving for a hiking trip. He previously failed to co-operate in Gabby’s missing investigation and was later declared a “person of interest” in the case.

Authorities launched a massive search operation for Brian but remained unsuccessful in finding him. Meanwhile, Dog the Bounty Hunter told The Daily Mail he was confident about finding the missing man:

"I will find him… We've got a lot of leads. I can't tell you more but we are getting leads every 10 minutes.”

He claimed that he discovered the campsite where Brian Laundrie was allegedly present with his parents before being reported missing. He said the family spent time in Fort de Soto Park twice in September, but only two individuals left the venue:

"They were registered, went through the gate. They’re on camera. They were here. We think at least if he’s not here right now, we are sure he was caught on camera as he went in the gate — that he was here for sure. Not over in the swamp.”

Chapman also visited Brian’s house in North Port in an attempt to speak with his father, but the latter refused to communicate:

"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.' "

The bounty hunter then mentioned that Brian Laundrie was young and not an “experience criminal":

“I think he’s young enough, not an experienced criminal, but what is his greatest experience? Outdoorsman. — that’s what he does the best. I don’t think he can shoplift, live on the run, live in cheap hotels."

However, more recently, Duane Chapman dubbed Brian Laundrie as a “serial killer”. During an interview with The Sun, he said:

"I'm thinking more and more about him being maybe a serial killer, not just a killer of Gabby.”

He said that he and his wife Francie Frane studied Brian’s social media posts and uncovered some chilling details:

"What Francie and I found on that Facebook is absolutely, I can say, terrifying. There are pictures of demonic angels standing there with the sword, and the throat bleeding. There is blood squirting from their eyes. The books he read are unbelievable. This kid Brian has taken those books, obviously, to heart."

The reality TV personality also mentioned that he believes Brian Laundrie is alive:

“Is he still alive? Oh yeah. Yeah, he's alive. Do they wish we thought he was dead? Oh yeah. Do they wish that we thought that his body was being eaten by alligators? Oh yeah."

He shared that Brian’s sinister intentions became clear due to the pattern of his hiding:

"In the beginning, I thought [Gabby's death] was not intentional - second degree involuntary [manslaughter]," he said. Now, the way he's running, I think it's more than that."

Despite weeks of detailed search investigations by the FBI and North Port Police Department, no confirmed leads to find Brian Laundrie have been found so far. Authorities are continuing the search operation with ground volunteers, K-9 units and aerial watches.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Dog the Bounty Hunter will return to the case and succeed in the future investigation. He is yet to address the reason behind his sudden departure directly.