# 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:** 44
**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 8, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/864 "2021-10-08T14:23:15Z")
I think _The Naked Gun_ characterized this dynamic rather well (eight seconds. You _know_ you have eight seconds): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VBGibtwwLo4/hqdefault.jpg "The Naked Gun - Not One Man on this Force Will Rest...") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBGibtwwLo4) ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/865 "2021-10-08T23:41:52Z")
How could they have possibly been watching him if his parents’ story is true? He would have walked out the front door, got in his car, and drove away. They couldn’t have followed him? If they really were watching him, I can’t believe that any officer would be _that_ incompetent. Leads me to believe that Laundrie didn’t leave as described. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/866 "2021-10-08T23:52:33Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I can’t believe that any officer would be _that_ incompetent. I can’t believe you can’t believe it! ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/867 "2021-10-09T00:43:59Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Leads me to believe that Laundrie didn’t leave as described. Do you mean you think he’s still in the house? Or that you’re thinking the parents or someone else somehow smuggled him out? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/868 "2021-10-09T01:46:20Z")
I’m curious about the statement that the police were surveilling “as best as they could legally”. What does Florida law allow the police to do without a warrant? Could they park in front of the house 24/7, or would they only be able to watch the house part of the day? Could they follow any car that left the house? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/869 "2021-10-09T01:52:15Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Do you mean you think he’s still in the house? Or that you’re thinking the parents or someone else somehow smuggled him out? No, I don’t think he is still in the house, but I think he left prior to the surveillance and by some other means. > [@markn\_1](#): > > I’m curious about the statement that the police were surveilling “as best as they could legally”. What does Florida law allow the police to do without a warrant? Could they park in front of the house 24/7, or would they only be able to watch the house part of the day? Could they follow any car that left the house? Without a warrant, they are only permitted to do what anyone else can do which would include all of those things. You could park 24/7 on the street in front of my house and watch what is visible to the public. You could follow my car when I left. Nothing illegal about that. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/870 "2021-10-09T02:34:35Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > No, I don’t think he is still in the house, but I think he left prior to the surveillance and by some other means. I wonder when the surveillance started. Petito’s parents reported her missing on 9/10. The Laundries, including Brian, went camping 9/6-9/8. That would leave 9/8-9/9, which means the Laundrie parents knew what had happened _before_ Petito’s parents called or that BL left the house by some super-secret means on or after 9/10, right? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/871 "2021-10-09T03:19:13Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > That would leave 9/8-9/9, which means the Laundrie parents knew what had happened _before_ Petito’s parents called … I don’t yet see a cause to assume that Laundrie’s parents knew what happened with Gabby before they got a phone call from Gabby’s parents. For one, I don’t think Brian Laundrie confessed in full to his parents before Gabby was reported missing – and I think it’s quite possible that he didn’t confess to his parents _at all_ before disappearing. > [@nelliebly](#): > > … or that BL left the house by some super-secret means on or after 9/10, right? The public is still unsure of exactly when Brian Laundrie left his parents’ house for good, but your proposed timeline is certainly in play. We can’t yet rule out that he left as early as 9/10 (a neighbor apparently spotted him on that day, but after that spotting?). One or more phone calls from Gabby’s parents to the Laundrie household could have set his flight in motion. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/872 "2021-10-09T03:22:32Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I’m curious about the statement that the police were surveilling “as best as they could legally”. The wording made me think that it was the local police making a public CYA statement more than anything. A lot of people are looking to cast blame for why Brian Laundrie hasn’t been caught. The North Port PD might simply be saying “_Hey – we did what we were supposed to do_”. Again, I think the general public (and especially the social media sphere) are working off the assumption that Brian Laundrie was an obvious murder suspect much earlier than he actually was. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/873 "2021-10-09T04:12:33Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I don’t yet see a cause to assume that Laundrie’s parents knew what happened with Gabby before they got a phone call from Gabby’s parents. I suppose it’s possible that Brian made an escape on his own. That is, that he planned to leave the Mustang at the park and have someone else pick him up and take him elsewhere. The odds that he hitchhiked and that whoever picked him up hasn’t come forward are very small, IMO. If that’s the scenario, I think it’s much more likely that his parents were involved. BL did not have a lot of friends. > [@bordelond](#): > > One or more phone calls from Gabby’s parents to the Laundrie household could have set his flight in motion. Right, but we’re talking about when police started surveilling him and when he left. We know they were there at 4:00 PM on the 10th. Were they surveilling him then? If so, and if he returned home with his parents on 9/8, that narrows the window for when he could have sneaked off. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2021, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/874 "2021-10-10T00:37:30Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I’m curious about the statement that the police were surveilling “as best as they could legally”. What does Florida law allow the police to do without a warrant? it’s possible to survey an entire city with airborne cameras that allow the police to track a car or person from point to point with great precision. It’s been done in the past but the ACLU has made it difficult with lawsuits so how this will play out in the future is in question. Nova did a good story on it years ago and the camera resolution has gone up since their episode aired. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/875 "2021-10-11T14:49:54Z")
Its also possible to attach a GPS tracker to his car that gives real time locations. However, I don’t know what Florida law is regarding their use. If they needed probable cause to use one but didn’t have enough to convince a judge that they had it, actually following him would be the most they could legally do. Physically following someone who doesn’t want to be tracked is no easy task and can be very costly in terms of manpower. This may sound cold but despite all the media coverage, this is just one more murder and I haven’t seen any indications that he is threat to the general public like, say, a serial killer. The cops have limited resources and must use them wisely. ---
**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 11, 2021, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/876 "2021-10-11T15:35:44Z")
Would you agree Brian is acting from panic and fear? He gets angry and fights with Gabby and takes a flight home to Florida. Cools off and flies back to Gabby. A few days later he’s angry again and acts like a loud jerk in a Tex-Mex restaurant. Gabby dies shortly after. He panics and impulsively drives back to Florida in his dead gf van. Flees parents home after Gabby is reported missing. Does this sound like someone that could evade the FBI for two weeks? This dumb ass should have been caught within three days. I can only see him hiding in someone’s house. He’s eating home cooking and watching TV. He never pokes his head outside. But, who would risk prosecution by helping someone with a Felony warrant? I’d assume the FBI is watching close relatives. Brian will get bored and screw up. Maybe log into his email or social media. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/877 "2021-10-11T17:33:44Z")
I agree. If it were my daughter I’d hire someone to watch him and put a GPS on his car. If I were an officer there’d be an off the record conversation to that effect. ---
**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 11, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/878 "2021-10-11T19:25:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Does this sound like someone that could evade the FBI for two weeks? This dumb ass should have been caught within three days. Well… another alternative is that he didn’t last three days and is lying dead somewhere. Check the alligator poop in that nature reserve he went to… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/879 "2021-10-11T19:31:39Z")
Does that area of Florida have Burmese pythons? They may not be big enough to eat a human, but they’re capable of constricting someone to death. ---
**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 11, 2021, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/880 "2021-10-11T19:35:08Z")
Don’t know about the pythons specifically (although Florida does have a problem with large constrictors that either escaped captivity or whose parents did) but that nature reserve definitely has things like water moccasins, which are potentially fatal, water teeming with microbes, which are potentially fatal, and I have no idea what the wild plant food situation is like but there are good odds there are some varieties of plants/fungi that are also potentially fatal. Being able to truly live off the land requires highly specialized, local knowledge. Does this kid have any? Or did he rely on manufactured/packaged food for all his prior camping trips? ---
**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 11, 2021, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/881 "2021-10-11T19:57:17Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > The North Port PD might simply be saying “ _Hey – we did what we were supposed to do_ ”. > > Again, I think the general public (and especially the social media sphere) are working off the assumption that Brian Laundrie was an obvious murder suspect much earlier than he actually was. Seems to be some sort of idea that as soon as they did not come back together and her folks wondered what was up, that should have been in and of itself enough for the authorities to target him as a suspect …or for some officer of their own initiative to have “an off the record conversation to that effect” of recommending that the family arrange close targeted surveillance. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2021, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/882 "2021-10-11T20:20:24Z")
I definitely am skeptical that if Laundrie is in that nature preserve, he can go much longer than he has gone without getting caught. Chief concern is: food and how to prepare it. Considering he spent a lot of time camping; he is probably familiar with products like lifestraws which would give him several hundred days of drinking water. They aren’t the most fun thing in the world to use for 100% of your drinking water needs just because they’re slow, but they get the job done. But food presents some challenges when you’re on the lam. Any kind of fire is very, very likely to get you caught. They likely are scanning with infrared regularly and would also see smoke fairly easily. So fire is right out for food. Okay, well there’s a lot of dry food ready to eat you can pack in with you, he’s supposedly be in there for about four weeks now. Assuming he’s working on reduced rations, a stuffed backpack full of survival oriented dry ready to eat food…could last this long. But how much longer? Maybe a couple weeks at most. Food can only be condensed so much, and after a certain point he either needs to get more food that doesn’t require cooking, or he needs to find a food source in the reserve. Once he’s at a point where he is 100% dependent on his survival skills to feed himself, he will be in a lot of trouble. He can’t use a gun, that will attract attention. Did he bring fishing equipment? How much? How good is he with it? Anyway, assuming he starts catching fish, good…but he’s now going to be eating nothing but raw fish indefinitely. Better than starving to death, but this isn’t high end sushi. This is going to be swamp fish that he will probably only be able to partially clean. It’s likely not going to taste very good. Depending on how talented he is at fishing and his daily calorie needs, he could easily end up in a situation of “rabbit starvation”, where he’s using a lot more energy than he wants, but not bringing in nearly enough. I’m honestly highly skeptical he was ever hiding in the reserve. Lots of local experts have said it’s very hard to get reliably dry ground to even set up a make shift camp, and that basically the entire reserve is filled with gators, snakes, mosquitos, wild boar etc. It’s not a chill place for the type of camping that would be involved in being on the lam. If he went out there intending to die, he did it in a way that his body likely isn’t easy to find, or it was eaten quickly by a large animal. I say this because if he hanged himself from a try or killed himself on a patch of dry ground, carrion birds would have been seen very active in the sky for some time, and obviously that hasn’t happened. I think chances are good he was never in that reserve. ---
**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 11, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/883 "2021-10-11T20:39:03Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > Assuming he’s working on reduced rations, a stuffed backpack full of survival oriented dry ready to eat food…could last this long. That only works if you have access to clean water. Or the ability to boil water which, requiring heat/fire, is out as you noted due to infrared tracking/cameras. > [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > Anyway, assuming he starts catching fish, good…but he’s now going to be eating nothing but raw fish indefinitely. Better than starving to death, but this isn’t high end sushi. This is going to be swamp fish that he will probably only be able to partially clean. It’s likely not going to taste very good. It will almost certainly be loaded with parasites as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604.md?page=43) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604.md?page=45)