By Tim Fitzsimons -
NBC News
A federal court in Wyoming has ordered the arrest of Brian Laundrie in connection with a grand jury indictment for "activities after the death of Gabrielle Petito," the FBI announced Thursday.
"We ask people who are aware of Laundrie's role in this matter or who know of his whereabouts to contact the FBI," Special Agent Michael Schneider said in a press release.
Petito, 22, disappeared in August while traveling with Laundrie, her fiancé, by truck across the country.
The man returned home to Florida alone in the vehicle;
the remains of the young woman were found near a camping site in Wyoming this Sunday.
Laundrie's family attorney, Steve Bertolino, released a statement Thursday noting that the arrest warrant against his client "is related to activities that occurred after Gaby Petito's death and not in connection with her death."
[Police search the home of Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito's fiancé, after the apparent discovery of the young woman's body]
"The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that happens, the details of the charges against him will be specified in the appropriate forum,
" Bertolino explained.
Gabrielle Petito and Brian Laundrie Instagram
Last week, the police called Laundrie a person of interest in Petito's disappearance;
the young man has been missing for a few days after this.
Police searched for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve, a swampy wildlife refuge with dangerous trails, where he hiked before disappearing, according to his family.
Forensic doctors revealed on Tuesday that Petito's cause of death had been a homicide.
The disappearance and death of Petito, 22, drew public attention to the couple, who had documented their trip through the country's natural reserves on social media.
They reveal the call to 911 that a witness made of an altercation between Gabby Petito and her fiancé
Sept.
22, 202103: 44
On Monday, the Grand County Sheriff's Office in Utah released the audios of an emergency call to 911 from
a witness who said he saw a man slap a woman
and then saw them leave in a white Ford Transit van with license plates. from Florida.
The call prompted authorities to detain Laundrie, who was driving the truck on August 12.
Police recorded the incident as a mental and emotional lapse, writing that Petito had slapped Laundrie.
And they forced the couple to spend the night in different places to avoid possible assault.
Laundrie returned home to North Port, south of Tampa, on September 1 in the truck they had both been traveling in.
Ten days later, Petito's family declared her missing.
