What happens if brian leaves

Once authorities have no reason to believe Laundrie is still in the reserve and the number of tips coming in dwindles, they may have to pull some of those search resources and focus on other parts of the investigation, Belli said. But that could be weeks or months away. At that point, Boyer said, investigators may go back through all the clues in the case and reassess what led them to the reserve, as well as focus on Laundrie's electronic footprints -- something they're likely already doing.

A source close to the Laundrie family told CNN last month that Laundrie left home without his wallet and without a cell phone he had purchased earlier in September. CNN has also confirmed police do not have the phone Laundrie had with him during the couple's trip, nor Petito's phone. Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told CNN earlier this month that Laundrie's parents now believe he left home to go hiking on Sept.

That could mean investigators may have to go back through all the places they suspect Laundrie could have been spotted and ask for footage from a day earlier, according to Boyer. If he was in a car, driving at 35 or 40 or 60 miles an hour, he could be anywhere in the United States.

Aside from the active physical search, authorities in a case like this would also want to get Laundrie's information on the global network Crime Stoppers or an FBI most wanted list, or put information about the search in billboards in certain areas, Belli said. His information could also be entered into the National Crime Information Center, which could help police officers identify him if Laundrie encounters the police, Belli added. Both experts agreed the media attention the case has received could play a significant role in helping to locate Laundrie if he's in the US and evading authorities.

Added Belli: "They've made it very difficult for him to just be out, walking around. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil that aired earlier this month, Petito's father, Joe Petito, said he wants Laundrie found alive. But even if Laundrie isn't found any time soon, experts told CNN that the case is likely years away from going cold.

While active search efforts may not look the same in the coming months or years if Laundrie isn't found, there will likely be investigators assigned to the case that will continue to work on it, according to Belli. This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Brian Laundrie talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was travelling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug.

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter delving into climate science and life on a changing planet. CNN reached out to North Port police for more details on the search.

Related Stories A coroner has ruled Gabby Petito died by strangulation. But these questions are left unanswered. Gabby Petito's cause of death was strangulation, coroner says. Here's what survival experts think. More Stories from World. On 12 August, police in the southern Utah town of Moab were called to a possible domestic violence incident involving the couple. Bodycam footage showed Ms Petito crying and complaining about her mental health to officers.

She also said the couple had been arguing more frequently. A police report of the incident said Mr Laundrie claimed Ms Petito hit him after an argument. The officers recommended they spend the night apart but did not file any charges.

It is not yet known what happened next. The video showed the couple smiling, kissing and running on beaches. It has been viewed more than 3. Regular social media updates from the couple on Instagram abruptly ended in late August. Ms Petito video called her mother on 24 August to say she was leaving Utah and heading to the Teton mountain range in Wyoming, according to Rick Stafford, the Petito's lawyer.

Her photo gallery did not include any location information. In a search warrant application, authorities wrote that text messages sent by Ms Petito to her mother seemed to show mounting tension between the couple. According to the application, Ms Petito sent an "odd text" about her grandfather that sounded out of character, concerning her mother. The last time Ms Petito's family heard from her was a text message on 30 August that read: "No service in Yosemite", a reference to the national park in California.

Ms Schmidt has cast doubt over who sent this message. There is no indication - from reported sightings of the pair, their social media posts or information shared with family - that the couple had visited California. After a search that drew national public interest, officials discovered human remains now confirmed to be Ms Petito in a remote area of Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest on 19 September.

Investigators have yet to disclose how and where the body was found. Body found in search for missing Gabby Petito. Last week, North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor said there had been "nothing to suggest" whether Laundrie was alive or not. Police also said no one has seen Laundrie in the reserve, adding that the search was prompted by information from Laundrie's parents, who said he went there.

Taylor said search teams have not found any physical evidence of Laundrie there but plan to continue the search until they have better information. How the search unfolds from here largely depends on how many more tips investigators continue to get and how many resources they're able to allocate, experts who are not connected to the investigation told CNN. Read More. What we know about the search. Investigators kicked off the search in the Carlton Reserve after speaking with Laundrie's parents on September 17, recruiting dozens of officers, drones and swamp buggies.

These K-9s have assisted the search for Laundrie in the reserve several times in the past month, according to Amanda Hunter, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. CNN reached out to North Port police for more details on the search. If and when something of substance is found, we will be a part of that conversation at that time," Taylor said.

They could be searching the reserve for weeks. While a month may seem like a long time, an active, physical search for Laundrie could carry on for weeks if more information continues to come in, according to Paul Belli, a retired lieutenant of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and president of the International Homicide Investigators Association. In searches like this, investigators may start by focusing on sections of the reserve they believe that Laundrie could most likely be in, followed by areas they believe are second and third most probable for him to be in, Belli said.

A coroner has ruled Gabby Petito died by strangulation. But these questions are left unanswered. Those initial areas of focus would likely include the dry areas, as parts of the reserve tend to be swamp-like, according to Chris Boyer, executive director for the nonprofit National Association for Search and Rescue. Other areas of focus could include places that are away from hiking paths or trails, in case Laundrie wanted to evade authorities and avoid being found.

And then, perhaps, authorities may conduct "grid searches," Boyer said, although those require a lot of resources, including a large number of personnel walking closely together to thoroughly search though a specific area. Boyer added that he believes if Laundrie was in the reserve authorities would have found him by now or would have found clues from him. A big part of how investigators search and what areas they focus on usually has to do with the kinds of tips they're receiving.