Gov. Ron DeSantis says he hopes Brian Laundrie is ‘brought to justice’ if charged and found guilty in Gabby Petito’s death

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he hoped Brian Laundrie is "brought to justice" if charged and found guilty in Gabby Petito's death.
• At a press conference on Friday, DeSantis called the situation "heartbreaking," Fox News reported.
• Authorities have been searching for Laundrie since he was reported missing on September 17.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he hoped Brian Laundrie was "brought to justice" if he is charged and found guilty in the death of his fiancée Gabby Petito, calling the situation "heartbreaking," Fox News reported.

Authorities issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie on September 23, alleging he spent at least $1,000 using an "unauthorized" debit card in the days following Petito's death. Laundrie has not been charged with a crime related to Petito's death, though authorities say he is a person of interest in the case.

According to the report, DeSantis made the comments in response to a reporter at a press conference in North Port, Florida – just miles away from the vast 25,000 acre Carlton Reserve where authorities have been searching for Laundrie for about a month.

"My view would be it's a little disappointing that we still don't have this guy's whereabouts," DeSantis said. "This is obviously somebody that would be a suspect when something like this happens."

Laundrie returned to his family's North Port home without Petito following their cross-country road trip on September 1, more than a week before her mother reported missing in New York. Police said Laundrie refused to cooperate with police about his fiance's disappearance, despite calls for help from the Petito family.

Laundrie's parents reported him missing on September 17, first telling authorities they last saw him on September 14. They later said he went missing on September 13.

-Kim Kuizon FOX 13 (@kkuizon) October 15, 2021

"I hope that he's apprehended and brought to justice if, in fact, he was the one that is guilty of this because it's a really sad thing," DeSantis said. "This is a very beautiful young girl with a lot of potential, and a lot of people really loved her a lot, and to see this happen really is heartbreaking."

Petito's body was found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19. Her death was first classified as a homicide and an autopsy later conducted by a Wyoming coroner determined her cause of death was strangulation, as Insider's Natalie Musumeci reported.

Experts previously told Insider that if Laundrie was to be charged and convicted in Petito's killing, he could face the death penalty.