# Van lifer goes missing on cross country trip with fiancee **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604 "2021-09-13T13:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 40
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/784 "2021-10-03T20:26:22Z")
I just checked the parking lot. Either he is not here, or, if here, he is really good at hiding. So, I’ve done my part… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/785 "2021-10-04T16:30:57Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Selected quotes: > -Snitches get stitches. > -I would not turn in my wife or son for any crime > -Family ties are more important to me than the social contract. I would never, ever turn in a loved one > -I will literary [sic (I assume)] let them get away with murder. > -But I don’t believe I would ever turn in immediate family or lifelong friends. Since that thread is so old (and there’s at least one older one), I created a [new one](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-you-do-to-protect-your-kid/951874) where people can speculate about what they would do in similar situations. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/786 "2021-10-05T02:26:44Z")
New interview with Cassie Laundrie (Brian Laundrie’s sister): > > ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/787 "2021-10-05T11:54:14Z")
I think the sister is telling the truth. She lives separately and has her own family. I can accept that the parents are acting independently and making their own decisions. Apparently Brian and his parents had quite a loud discussion before Gabby was reported missing. _This was after the DeSoto camping trip._ [Police went to Laundrie home day before Gabby Petito reported missing](https://nypost.com/2021/09/30/police-went-to-laundrie-home-day-before-gabby-petito-reported-missing/) > [@](#): > > Five calls made on Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 suggest turbulence at the house even before Petito’s disappearance [made National Headlines] and made the Laundries a target. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/788 "2021-10-05T12:52:13Z")
Right – the initial misconception was that once there was an arrest warrant somehow everyone becomes _compelled_ under penalty of law to assist in the pursuit. The system is based on that people with information will come forth for the sake of conscience, or failing that because there’s something in it for them. Not because we threaten it out of them. And a lot of people here thinking the normal thing for the parents to do would be grill him right away. Well, you may have noticed not all parents are like you, alas. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/789 "2021-10-05T13:18:06Z")
It wouldn’t surprise me if he decided to try and hide out in the Appalachian mountains. If he’s familiar with the terrain there are definitely places one can hide for a while. He could even make the occasional trip into little towns where people might not be keeping up with the news. But it’s much closer to civilization than some of the mountains out West, so assuming he’s still alive, his days on the lam are finite. Once the FBI gets out the word to people in the area, his life will become much more difficult [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OPS6RzKcZsA/maxresdefault.jpg "Hiker claims to spot Brian Laundrie on Appalachian Trail near North Carolina-Tennessee border") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPS6RzKcZsA) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/790 "2021-10-05T13:22:10Z")
Brian probably made up a story when he first came back. The calls from Gabby’s parents put more pressure on him to explain what happened. The 911 calls on Sept 10 seem to indicate when Brian’s parents demanded more answers. I wonder how united Brian’s parents are? One might be more insistent on helping him escape. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/791 "2021-10-05T14:51:29Z")
Did he also have plastic surgery on his nose, mouth, cheekbones, jawline and ears? That channel’s news judgment is about as good as its spelling. I hope that guy in the glasses sues them. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/792 "2021-10-05T15:05:29Z")
I assumed the man in glasses was the one talking. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/793 "2021-10-05T15:46:03Z")
Hiker-Dude squandered a perfect opportunity to bust a Righteous Horace Greely impersonation. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/794 "2021-10-05T15:49:45Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Hiker-Dude squandered a perfect opportunity to bust a Righteous Horace Greely impersonation One of the best things about this website is the frequency with which I read things that – I’m absolutely certain – have never before been typed in the history of the English language. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/795 "2021-10-05T15:52:37Z")
Especially if he could do it as a show-stopping musical number: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HOifwfxZjEE/hqdefault.jpg "Groucho Marx sings Go West from Copacabana") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOifwfxZjEE) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/796 "2021-10-05T19:50:21Z")
Laundrie lawyer confirms Brian flew back to Florida Aug 17. He emptied a storage locker and got supplies. The lawyer didn’t say when he flew back. (he obviously had to return to Colorado, kill Gabby, and drive the van back to Florida) I had seen reports about this trip for awhile. This is the first confirmation. It’s so upsetting to realize these two had separated after the Utah fight. But foolishly reunited for a few days until Gabby was killed. > **[Brian Laundrie flew home to Florida on Aug. 17 in latest Gabby Petito case twist](https://nypost.com/2021/10/05/brian-laundrie-flew-home-to-florida-on-aug-17-in-new-gabby-petito-case-twist/)** > > The lawyer for Brian Laundrie’s family told The Post that the fugitive flew home to Florida on Aug. 17 — a bombshell claim that throws a wrench in the timeline of the Gabby Petito case. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/797 "2021-10-05T21:27:51Z")
That seems odd. Cost of flight plus checked baggage fees to get “supplies”? It would seem to me to be far cheaper to buy new “supplies.” It must have been something really expensive. ETA: And recall that he told the police in Utah that they had no money for a hotel room for a single night, even if that meant Gabby getting arrested. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/798 "2021-10-05T21:56:23Z")
What you can afford when you’re planning to be on the road for more weeks and months and expect to remain in civilization might be very different than what you can afford when you just killed someone and have to disappear. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/799 "2021-10-05T22:00:10Z")
But if eye witness accounts are to be believed, Gabby would still be alive during the whole flight home because she was seen leaving a hotel on Aug 24. ETA: I just looked again. She also talked to her Mom on Aug 25. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/800 "2021-10-05T22:01:35Z")
Hmm… could be they argued/disagreed enough to part, attempted to reconcile, then the murder happened after August 24? Maybe getting back together wasn’t such a good idea… Honestly, we don’t know. Brian Laundrie knows, but he’s not talking. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/801 "2021-10-05T22:04:40Z")
I know there has been a lot of talk about missing white woman syndrome, but so much of the story is bizarre, mysterious and practically designed to capture interest. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/802 "2021-10-05T22:38:56Z")
Here’s the timeline around time of death: - _August 27, between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM_ Laundrie and Petito seen together at a Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. > [@](#): > > Per the witness, Laundrie had an argument with the manager, waitress, and hostess, apparently about money, and was “aggressive”. The witness said she later saw Petito return to the restaurant, crying and apologizing for Laundrie’s behavior. Restaurant staff confirmed via Instagram that Laundrie and Petito were indeed at the restaurant. > > _[Wikipedia]_ - _August 27, between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM_ Petito’s white van captured on GoPro dashcam at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area of Bridger–Teton National Forest in Wyoming near Grand Teton National Park. The van’s rear door may have closed as the vehicle recording the video approached. - _August 27, time unspecified_ A text was sent from Petito’s phone to her mother that said “Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls”. > [@](#): > > The text raised concerns for Petito’s mother, who said Stan was her grandfather and that Petito never referred to him by his first name. > > _[Wikipedia]_ - _August 26, 27 and possibly 28_ Witness reported seeing young white man “acting weird” near Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area. - _August 29, around 6:20 or 6:30 PM_ Witness reported picking up Laundrie, who was hitchhiking alone, and dropping him off at the entrance to the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area. > [@](#): > > He offered gas money for the 20 minute ride, but did not want to be taken further than the entrance of the campground, which was several miles from the van. According to the witness, Laundrie acted “antsy” about getting out of the vehicle before it got closer to the campsite. > > _[Wikipedia]_ - _August 30, time unspecified_ Petito’s mother receives a text from her daughter’s phone that said: “No service in Yosemite”. - _August 30 and September 1_ Laundrie used Petito’s debit card to obtain US$1,000 or more. - _September 1_ Laundrie returned to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, in the white van in which he and Petito had been travelling, without Petito. [EDIT: Added debit card info.] ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/803 "2021-10-05T22:42:42Z")
Looking like someone got _really_ mad that someone else didn’t take their side at the restaurant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604.md?page=41)