The Moab Police Department via AP
- Police say Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of Gabby Petito, has himself been missing since last Tuesday.
- It would've been easy for Laundrie to get on a plane to flee the US because it's now common for people to wear face masks, a private investigator told Insider.
- The PI said police are likely considering two scenarios: that Laundrie is in hiding or will attempt suicide.
A private investigator told Insider it is possible that Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of missing road tripper Gabby Petito who himself has been missing since Tuesday, could have fled the country.
Laundrie was named a person of interest in Petito's missing person's case after he returned from a cross-country road trip on September 1 without her. Remains consistent with the description of Petito were found over the weekend in Grand Teton National Park, according to the FBI.
Police have not charged Laundrie with any crime, but say they have "exhausted all avenues" searching for him in Florida's Carlton Reserve.
Harvey Morse, a private investigator with Florida-based Locators International Inc., told Insider that it would be easy for Laundrie to evade detection by wearing a face mask.
Morse, who has more than 50 years of experience as a detective and private investigator, said it's harder than ever for police to identify missing persons because the coronavirus pandemic has made it common for people to wear face coverings in public.
"It would be easy for him to get on a plane," Morse said.
According to Morse, police are likely considering two scenarios while searching for Laundrie: that he is in hiding or that he will attempt suicide. Morse said that the chances of Laundrie attempting suicide are "above average," because if he ends up facing charges in the state of Florida in connection with Petito's disappearance, there could be severe legal consequences.
Morse said that the large amount of media coverage Petito's disappearance generated also might indicate to law enforcement that Laundrie could attempt suicide rather than go into hiding.
Petito's disappearance motivated internet sleuths to post theories on social media about what may have happened to her, sparking nationwide interest in the case. That widespread interest led to a flood of tips to police that may not have been useful, according to The Washington Post.
Despite large amounts of people searching for him, police warned that Laundrie could be dangerous to himself or those around him.
Morse said that if someone comes into contact with Laundrie, they should not interact with him, and instead should take a photo or video of him discreetly before calling police.
Morse says his hope for Laundrie's and Petito's families is that Laundrie will voluntarily turn himself in to authorities if he's commited a crime.
"I hope that this person is found and, if he is the perpetrator, he pleads guilty and doesn't draw this case out which would cause so much pain for so many people," Morse said.