Mystery over Brian Laundrie’s REAL cell as sleuths convinced he left new phone behind ‘to throw FBI off and buy time’

FUGITIVE Brian Laundrie "purposefully left his new cellphone at his parents' home" as he hid from the law, online sleuths have speculated.

 reportedly purchased a phone at the AT&T store on September 14 with an "older woman" - the last day his parents, , say they saw their son when he left their  home to hike.

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The  is reportedly investigating Laundrie's  after seizing the brand new device he left at the house in North Port and looking into CCTV footage from a cell phone store nearby in North Port.

Although agents would not confirm to The Sun they were looking into the surveillance footage, sleuths have weighed into the mystery of Brian's new phone.

A screenshot of a Facebook status from a person called Allysun Paulson was shared in the sub-reddit that read: "I believe he purchased the new phone, with the intent to purposefully leave it behind.

"His old phone is now his 'burner phone,''' she added, claiming Brian would simply do a factory reset and use different SIM cards and could not be traced.

"He knows everything that is going on right now. Everything. Leaving the new phone behind was done to throw them off in the beginning to buy time."

But the speculation was met with mixed reviews in the comments section.

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Other users noted that smartphones are easily tracked, ping at various cell towers, and have "Find My Device" and geolocation features that can be turned on without the users' permission (e.g. 911 calls.)

One noted that if Laundrie was using an iPhone or Android, the feds could track him or "get a court order to or , and they’ll serve him up on a silver platter."

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The Sun spoke , an expert sleuth based in Florida, who said Laundrie is a "mastermind" for leaving behind his wallet, ID, driver's license, and credit cards behind.

"This is usually what people on the run do," he told The Sun about Laundrie's disappearance.

"They just go dark, hide everything. They don't take a car, they don't take a phone. They don't take any ID, but they can't be identified."

Warner believes the expert hiker headed to the Appalachian Trail but noted there is the possibility that "he's dead in the Carlton Reserve, that he went in there to kill himself."

Meanwhile, Laundrie family's attorney, Steven Bertolio, confirmed on Thursday that "a phone was purchased on September 4, 2021 and Brian opened an account with AT&T for that phone."

'LEFT IT AT HOME'

"Brian left that phone at home the day he went for a hike in the preserve on September 14, 2021 and the FBI now has that phone," he told News Nation Now's .

He was not aware of where Laundrie's old phone was.

Earlier today, Bertolino confirmed: "The FBI is at the Laundrie home today to collect some personal items belonging to Brian that will assist the canines in their search for Brian. There is nothing more to this."

In a statement to The Sun, the AT&T store in question said: "We're not confirming or denying anything, and we're not making any statements, thank you and have a great day."

Bertolino said: "To my knowledge, they did purchase a new phone, and it's the same phone that Brian left home and which the FBI is in possession of."

CELL MYSTERY

Mystery surrounds  cellphone phone while Brian has evaded federal authorities since he was  - two days before the body of his fiancée was found in Wyoming.

Laundrie's parents previously said they fear their son may hurt himself after .

 were slammed for their silence while  was missing and for not reporting that  had disappeared until September 17, three days after they claim they last saw him go for a hike in Carlton Reserve.

Online critics have now suggested that they could also disappear before Brian is found as the family faces mounting scrutiny.

'BURNER PHONE'

It has not been suggested by any official source that Laundrie's mom, Roberta, is using  to communicate with her son.

"We do not confirm or deny contact with any individual or entity in order to preserve their privacy, as such, we do not confirm or deny the receipt of any tip," the FBI said, 

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"We have no additional comment,'' they added.

Since Laundrie's disappearance, sleuths have closely monitored his social media pages, claiming the 23-year-old is active online, having unfollowed several people on .

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Gabby Petito timeline

Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:

• June 2021 - set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
• July 4 - posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
• July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
• July 18 - Gabby and post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
• August 12 - in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
• August 19 - on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
• August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "" between her and Brian.
• August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
• August 27 - Gabby is . Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
• August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
• September 1 - Brian returns home to without Gabby.
• September 11 - report her missing to Suffolk County police.
• September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
• September 14 - Brian is by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
• September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
• September 16 - Utah police release of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
• September 17 - say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
• September 18 - Police announc. Police announce they have not found anything.
• September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say . The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
• September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
• September 21 - Officials announce they will be on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
• September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
• September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
• September 22 - Police continue to scour for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
• September 23 - Officials announced a for Brian was issued.
• September 26 - Gabby'swas held on Long Island, New York.