NORTH PORT, Fla. (NewsNation Now) — NewsNation’s Brian Entin and former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer answered viewers’ questions about where the Petito case stands.
Do you think that Laundrie’s parents are going to be discovered by the FBI to have helped Brian stay hidden in the Carlton reserve?
Coffindaffer: I don’t think and I wouldn’t imagine that the FBI will go after Laundrie’s parents for harboring their son. After all that’s come out and the fact he is now deceased. I don’t think we could expect that. I think an obstruction charge would be more possible, although that would take also some pretty heavy evidence that I haven’t seen yet, in terms of cleaning that van, or hiding some evidence or addition of that crime.
Have you investigated what the domestic violence training requirement is for the Moab Police Department? Also, have you investigated into the [North Port Police Department] in Florida?
Entin: In terms of Moab, they actually just had a training a very short time ago after the Gabby Petito incident for all of their officers, going over their domestic violence protocols. And you’ll notice in my piece, we weren’t able to get into specifics with the assistant chief about what happened because there is an ongoing investigation right now by an outside agency into whether or not the officers in Moab handled the situation correctly. So, because of that ongoing investigation, we weren’t able to ask the assistant chief specifics about what he thought about what the officers did in the video.
NewsNation’s Marni Hughes: Brian, we have another question for you. This is on Twitter. Is there proof that Brian Laundrie flew back to Florida? Where was Gabby during that time? Where is the airport and flight proof?
Entin: So, you saw when we went to the hotel near the airport that the manager and the staff there would not talk to us at all, but we know that Gabby was there, at least according to Cassie, Brian’s sister. Because you’ll remember, Cassie said that she did a FaceTime with Gabby when Brian was back in Florida, and that she saw and spoke to Gabby. So based on what Cassie said, we know that Gabby was there at the hotel in Salt Lake.
What does the legal road look like for this case? As far as do you think this is something that the Petitos will be proceeding with in court? Or do you believe this is something that they’ll settle outside the court?
Coffindaffer: So, the question is will there be some sort of civil lawsuit that would occur by the Petitos against the Laundries for their involvement? Certainly, if Brian Laundrie were still alive, there would be a subsequent civil suit after the criminal suit terminated. But against the Laundries, I don’t know what kind of evidence they are going to have, particularly that would show that a civil lawsuit would be a winner.
Hughes: Jennifer, another question we’re getting from a lot of people on Twitter right now. People are wondering if the FBI will ever be able to connect Brian to Gabby’s death. What do you think?
Coffindaffer: I absolutely think they will be able to do that. And I think they will because of all the evidence that we can’t even see, but we know is out there, including all the evidence that was gleaned from Gabby Petito’s autopsy, as well as the crime scene area where her body was discovered, and all that cyber information. Remember, there’s a trail of him going back home. There’s going to be phone messages, there’s going to be telephone communications that are going to be able to be tracked, the subpoenaed information. They are going to be able to put together a case.
Hughes: Brian, I have one more question for you, and I haven’t heard this asked very often but do we know (whether) law enforcement indicated … Brian Laundrie (had) a gun, (or) access to a gun? Did Brian and Gabby travel with a gun on their cross-country trip? Do we know?
Entin: We don’t know. And that is a question that has come up over and over again and I have asked North Port police that and they say that they can’t comment and the FBI won’t comment. So, the bottom line at this point is we don’t know. And we’ve also asked specifically, was there a gun found at the Carlton Reserve? And police also will not answer that.