Fiancé Named Person of Interest in Disappearance of Gabrielle Petito

Police spokesman Josh Taylor told reporters Brian Laundrie was home 10 days before his fiancée was reported missing

By

Published on September 15, 2021 02:51PM EDT

Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie. Photo: Find Gabby/Facebook

The boyfriend of missing Long Island, N.Y., woman Gabrielle Petito has been identified as a person of interest in her disappearance, authorities in Florida announced during a press conference Wednesday.

North Port Police want to talk to Brian Laundrie, 23, but have not been able to meet with him about what happened to Petito.

Josh Taylor, a police spokesman, told reporters that officers knocked on the front door at Laundrie's parents home on Saturday.

The department asked if they could meet with Laundrie and his parents, but were told to contact their lawyer.

Taylor said that Laundrie had been home for 10 days before Petito's parents reported her missing.

Taylor said no search warrant has been issued for the Laundrie home, where Brian and Petito were living prior to their cross-country trek.

For more on Gabby Petito's disappearance and other top stories, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

Petito was reported missing on Sept. 11.

Gabrielle Petito — Gabby Petito. Suffolk County Police Department

"We are interested in talking with him," Taylor told the media cluster.

Petito last had contact with her relatives on Aug. 25, when she was near Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyo.

Petito and Laundrie were crossing the United States in a white 2012 Ford Transit van bearing Florida license plates. Friends and relatives told Newsday that Petito had been documenting her travels on YouTube.

Petito and Laundrie started off their trip traveling from Florida to New York.

Last month, they arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, staying only a short time as wildfire smoke blanketed the region.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The couple apparently stopped in Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 25 before heading for Yellowstone.

Petito is a white female, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 lbs.

She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads "let it be."

Taylor also asked that anyone with information on Petito's whereabouts call (800) CALL-FBI.