Brian Laundrie’s mother calls 911 on Dog the Bounty Hunter as he joins search claiming to have 1,000 leads
‘I wanted to tell the Laundries that our goal is to find Brian and bring him in alive,’ says Duane Chapman
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The mother of missing man Brian Laundrie called 911 after Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman turned up at her Florida home on Saturday, according to reports.
Audio has emerged of a 911 call made by Roberta Laundrie at around the time Mr Chapman knocked on the door of the Laundrie’s family home in North Port.
Mr Chapman announced on Saturday he was joining the search for Brian Laundrie, and says he’s already received 1,000 tips in relation to the case.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Mr Chapman said it was a shame Mr Laundrie’s parents wouldn’t speak to him.
“The police said we were welcome to knock on the door so we did. I wanted to tell the Laundries that our goal is to find Brian and bring him in alive.”
North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor said they treated 911 calls from Mr Laundrie’s parents like they would from anyone else.
“We’ve been called to the house numerous times for all sorts of issues. Media, protesters, celebrity searchers,” Mr Taylor.
“It’s not something normal. If the family calls and is concerned, we will respond like we would for anyone.”
Brian Laundrie has not been seen since leaving his parent’s home nearly two weeks ago. He was named a “person of interest” in the disappearance of his girlfriend Gabby Petito, whose remains were found in Wyoming on Sunday.
He has also been charged with bank fraud and is the subject of a nationwide manhunt by the FBI.
Mr Chapman said he and wife Francie were on his honeymoon in Colorado when they were bombarded with requests from fans to join the search for Mr Laundrie.
Mr Chapman set up a special hotline on Saturday and said he was working through the more than 1,000 leads he had already received.
“I would say within 48 hours we probably will have a location where we start the tracking at.”
Leads suggested he may have headed for the Appalachian Trail.
“He’s very young, he’s not an experienced criminal,” Mr Chapman told Fox.
“He can’t stay in cheap motels and... rob people like a lot of people I chase. This kid is an outdoorsman, so I think he went to where he is comfortable, to the outdoors.”
Mr Chapman said the case was personal to him as he lost a daughter Barabara Katie in a car accident in 2006 who was the same age as Gabby Petito.
On Monday afternoon Mr Chapman’s daughter Lyssa tweeted: “I can CONFIRM @DogBountyHunter has a HOT lead on Brian's location. Dad has alerted the proper authorities. Say a prayer guys. This could be it.”