Watauga County Sheriff looking into claims of Brian Laundrie sightings, says ‘nothing has been verified’

WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – Brian Laundrie may be the most wanted man in the U.S. right now, and tips say he might be hiding right in our backyard.

Laundrie is wanted in connection to the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito. For more than a week now, law enforcement has been searching for him in the wetlands of Florida.

The ongoing, developing search has gained so much attention across the county, Reality TV star ‘Dog the Bounty Hunter’ is now front and center on the search. He’s even gotten tips that Laundrie is hiding somewhere else, and not where crews have been searching in Florida.

Connections in the search for the missing 23-year-old man are being made here in North Carolina.

A handful of tweets from Dog the Bounty Hunter’s daughter are connecting the search to the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. Lyssa Chapman sent out a tweet recently saying they were looking for experienced hiking/survivalists near the Appalachian Hiking Trail in North Carolina.

Chapman went on to say people in the area should share Laundrie’s photo and reach out to anyone in these communities. Chapman also told hunters in the area to check their game cameras.

Gabby Petito’s body was found more than a week ago in rural Wyoming. On Monday night, her family said their goodbyes at her funeral. Within the last three hours, Gabby’s parents spoke publicly for the first time since her body was found, showing off new tattoos.

They said these tattoos will allow them to carry their daughter with them everywhere they go.

Regarding the tweets connecting the search to North Carolina, FOX 46 reached out to the FBI in Charlotte, who directed us to the field office in Denver. Agents there said this is an ongoing investigation and they do not have any comment beyond the official statements posted to their social media accounts.

Multiple sightings of Laundrie have also been reported in Watuaga County, North Carolina. The Sheriff’s Office tells FOX 46, “We were looking into these claims, but nothing has been verified.”