Gabby Petito's stepfather: Fiancé's silence is 'absolutely mind-boggling'
Gabby Petito's stepfather Jim Schmidt pleads for his missing stepdaughter's fiancé to 'come clean' on her disappearance as he assists search efforts in Wyoming.
Protesters gathered on Thursday at the Florida home of Brian Laundrie, who has retained a lawyer and refused to cooperate with authorities after Gabby Petito disappeared on the couple's cross-country road trip late last month, according to police.
Golf carts drove by on the street as protesters carried signs, such as, "TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT! #Justiceforgabby," "North Port Loves Gabby," and "WOULD SHE BRING YOU HOME?"
Some protesters carried signs in golf carts urging Brian Laundrie to speak up about his fianceé's disappearance.
"We’re standing up for somebody who’s lost that's in our city, and we’re a big family in our city, in North Port. And we are definitely going to do whatever we can to help the family find this missing daughter," one protester said Thursday.
"We all have children. If it were our child, we would want everyone to gather up and help us find our child too. So we’re going to do whatever it takes."
Other protesters chanted outside the home, "Where's Gabby?"
Another protest is being planned at the home, which belongs to Laundrie's parents, on Friday evening.
PETITO STEPFATHER PLEADS FOR SILENT FIANCE TO HELP POLICE AMID UNSPEAKABLE SITUATION
Laundrie returned to the home in North Port, Florida on Sept. 1 with the white van that the couple was traveling in, but without Petito.
He was named a person of interest in Petito's late-August disappearance on Wednesday, four days after Petito was reported missing and the van was taken by authorities from the family's home.
Petito's family and investigators have pleaded with Laundrie to provide information about the 22-year-old's disappearance.
"We believe you know the location where Brian left Gabby. We beg you to tell us," a letter from the Petito family to the Laundries released on Thursday said.
"Gabby lived with you for over a year. She was going to be your daughter in law. How can you keep her location hidden? Please, if you or your family have any decency left, please tell us where Gabby is located. Tell us if we are even looking in the right place."
The Laundries have remained almost completely silent, except for Brian's sister, Cassie Laundrie, who told ABC News on Thursday that she hopes the whole thing is a "big misunderstanding" and Petito comes home safe.
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