Dog the Bounty Hunter is looking into claim Brian Laundrie has contacted him and tipped him off FOUR times
DOG the Bounty Hunter is looking into a claim that Brian Laundrie has tried to contact him four times since his disappearance.
The TV star's daughter confirmed her dad would investigate after a tweet was posted suggesting Gabby Petito's fiancé had attempted to reach out.
One Twitter user shared a screenshot taken from Facebook that appears to show Laundrie's friend suggesting Brian had "called Dog's tipline 4 times now."
The post continues he "has asked how to contact him directly on the voice messages."
'CRAZIER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED'
The Twitter user who shared the post wrote: "I just say [sic] that this guy claims to be Brian Laundrie’s friend and claims to have been in contact with Brian Laundrie today."
Dog's daughter Lyssa Chapman replied: "We are following this up. Crazier things have happened."
Bounty hunter Dog, real name Doug Chapman, arrived at Fort De Soto Park on Wednesday afternoon with his fiance Francie Frane after claiming he was "closing in" on 23-year-old Laundrie.
Dog is reportedly working with a team that includes skilled ground and boat crews.
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Images captured from the scene show a large green canoe strapped in the back of Dog's truck.
Law enforcement was also believed to be conducting searches at the park on Wednesday, with helicopters and police cars spotted in the area, WFLA's Josh Benson reported.
Read our Brian Laundrie live blog for the very latest news and updates...
When asked by The Sun about police "activity" at Fort De Soto Park, the North Port Police Department said they "can't give any of that information out over the phone."
Dog's arrival at the park comes a day after he revealed he'd received a tip that Laundrie and his parents had gone camping at Fort De Soto on September 6, days before Gabby was reported missing.
Dog also claimed that Brian was not with Chris and Roberta Laundrie when they checked out of the park two days later, on Sept. 8.
CHASING LEADS
The reality TV star told Fox News: "They were registered, went through the gate. They’re on camera. They were here.
"We think at least if he’s not here right now, we are sure he was caught on camera as he went in the gate — that he was here for sure. Not over in the swamp.
"Allegedly, what we’re hearing, is two people left on the 8th. Three people came in on the 6th, and two people left on the 8th. I think he’s been here for sure."
The Laundrie family has confirmed that they went camping with Brian on September 6 but denied Dog's claim that Brian didn't return home with them.
In a statement to WPBF, the Laundrie family's lawyer Steven Bertolino wrote: "That dog doesn't know what he's talking about.
"They did go to that campground September 6 and 7 as a family and they all left together."
Bertolino added that Brian and his parents went to "other places on two different dates" which the FBI is allegedly aware of.
"So Brian obviously returned home after camping and what that dog is spewing is nothing but baloney," he wrote.
DOG SAYS LAUNDRIE 'ALIVE'
Still, sources close to Dog have told TMZ that he's confident that Laundrie is alive and that he believes he's close to capturing him.
He reportedly obtained a tip at 10pm on Tuesday night regarding Laundrie's whereabouts.
The nature of that apparent lead in the case is not clear, however, Dog previously suggested that Brian may be on a canoe and paddling from island to island inside the park to avoid detection.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the very latest news and updates...
“There’s a lot of little islands around the area where we’re at, that he could get to on a canoe," the bounty hunter told Fox News. "We talked to the caretakers today of the islands, they said he could be out here."
No further information is currently available.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Sunshine state, law enforcement continued their search for Laundrie in Carlton Reserve, Sarasota, with search teams seen taking to the water.
Investigators have been searching the park for several days, but their extensive efforts have so far proved fruitless.
Brian Laundrie has now been missing for more than two weeks.
He is not currently considered a suspect in Gabby's murder but has been cited as a person of interest. He is also wanted on a warrant for alleged bank fraud after running up $1,000 in charges on a debit card that’s believed to have belonged to Gabby.
The couple was around two months into their planned four-month cross-country road trip touring the US’ national parks before Gabby vanished sometime around August 27.
Brian quietly returned home to Florida alone on September 1, failing to alert police or Gabby’s family that she was missing.
He reportedly acted “without a care in the world” upon his return, neighbors said, mowing the front yard and enjoying idyllic bike rides with his mom.
As reported by The Sun on Tuesday, Brian even went camping with his parents on September 6 at Fort De Soto Park.
Gabby was eventually reported missing by her mother in New York on September 11. That came after 10 days of allegedly being stonewalled by Brian and his parents about where her daughter was, she said.
Then, on September 14, Brian allegedly vanished after telling his parents he was going hiking at Carlton Reserve.
But they didn’t report Brian missing until three days later when police showed up at their home.
PARENTS CALL 911 ON DOG
Dog attempted to speak with the Laundries on Monday, but they called 911 on him after he knocked on their door.
Speaking to Fox, Dog said it was a “shame they 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 Public Information Officer Josh Taylor confirmed: “We’ve been called to the house numerous times for all sorts of issues: media, protesters, celebrity searchers.
“It’s not something normal. If the family calls and is concerned, we will respond like we would for anyone.”
In a later interview with Dr. Oz, Dog explained that he wanted to specifically speak with Brian’s father, and said “50 percent of the time parents know where their kids are.”
Another “35 percent of the parents help,” Dog said, adding he hopes the Laundrie family will fall into that number.
“Well, you know, I wanna talk to his dad and explain the difference between involuntary manslaughter and murder one out of Wyoming,” Dog said.
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“In murder one, you’re facing the death penalty. Manslaughter is a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
“I wanted to explain to him, ‘I know exactly what you’re going through right now. As a matter of fact, I personally went through it.’ So, I just wanted to talk to the dad.”
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