The search for Brian Laundrie REALLY isn’t going well!
As we’ve been reporting, the manhunt for Gabby Petito’s fiancé has been going on for weeks now, with nothing to show for it. There haven’t been any leads (at least publicly) in a while, and it’s completely unclear whether Brian is still in Florida or if he managed to leave the state… or even the country.
Related: Gabby’s Parents Believed Brian Would ‘Take Care Of Her’ During Road Trip
Meanwhile, civilians have been reporting sightings of the 23-year-old all over the place, and while none of them have actually led to Brian yet, they have made life difficult for some other guys who look vaguely like the fugitive. Just ask Severin Beckwith, who was actually apprehended by federal agents while hiking Appalachian Trail, all because of his resemblance to Laundrie.
Beckwith told the New Yorker that he and his girlfriend had been taking a break from the trail at the Lodge at Fontana Village Resort in North Carolina when they heard a commotion outside their door — which burst open before he could unlock it. He said:
“Next thing I see is a bunch of guys with riot shields with ‘U.S. Marshals’ written on them. Handguns pointed at my face.”
The marshals then handcuffed him while he was still in his underwear (!!!) and led him out to the hallway.
At this point, Beckwith actually suspected — and even “really hoped” — that Laundrie was the cause of confusion. He remembered that an employee at the Fontana Lake marina “had responded strangely” earlier in the day when he had asked to use their phone. Apparently, that person had taken his picture and sent it to law enforcement. He explained:
“They had a little side-by-side. It was Brian and then me on the phone calling to get the shuttle.”
The Ithaca, NY native explained that the Feds noticed “a notch in the upper part of my inner ear just like his,” and that he’d checked into the resort with a New York ID “which, I guess, was good enough motive to come in.”
But of course, Beckwith was NOT Brian (his lack of tattoos and ID with Laundrie’s name on it helped prove that). The Marshals fingerprinted him, advised him to shave his beard, and left assuring the couple “they now had a good story to tell.”
WTF?! As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough that the giant manhunt for Brian has been completely unsuccessful, now federal agents are going out handcuffing any white guy with a beard on a hiking trail and passing it off as a “good story”?!
Related: Laundrie Family Lawyer Slams ‘Dusty Relics’ Dog The Bounty Hunter & John Walsh!
And all Beckwith and his GF got to show for it was a free night at the resort and free breakfast the next day:
“It was a buffet. We took as much as we could.”
Jeez Louise. We didn’t need any more reason to hope Brian would be found, but his disappearance is causing even MORE issues. If you’re a hiker who looks anything at all like Brian, take this as a cautionary tale and postpone your trip until he’s been found!
[Image via Gabby Petito/Instagram & Severin Beckwith/Facebook]
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