What's up With the Brian Laundrie Garden Theory Going Around on TikTok?

Is the Brian Laundrie garden theory at all plausible? It's been almost a month since the sole person of interest in the murder of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie, mysteriously went missing himself. Petito's case has drawn nationwide attention, with Laundrie being the subject of an intense manhunt, particularly after a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of bank fraud.

Needless to say, the longer the search for Laundrie comes up cold, the more theories spring up on TikTok from followers of the Petito case. One recent (unverified) theory involves the garden in the Laundrie family backyard. Drone footage captured Brian's parents Christopher and Roberta gardening in their backyard. TikTok users have sworn they saw a hand appear from out of the dirt in the Laundrie garden.

For a bit of extra context, followers of the Petito case have been looking at Brian's parents with an enhanced level of scrutiny, with protestors regularly gathering outside the Laundrie home demanding answers from Christopher and Roberta about their son's whereabouts. The Laundries didn't answer any calls from the Petito family when Gabby was still considered a missing person, and only came forward when they reported Brian missing.

Although Christopher and Roberta have not been charged with a crime, their behavior toward the Petito family and their actions regarding their son Brian (like leaving for a camping trip after Brian returned home without Gabby) have not garnered any public sympathy. Victim advocate and television host John Walsh dubbed them the 'Dirty Laundries," and the nickname appears to have stuck.

Christopher and Roberta also changed their tune about what day they actually first noticed Brian was missing. Initially, they told the FBI they noticed Brian was missing on Sept. 14, but then changed the date to Sept. 13, according to a statement from their attorney Steven Bertolino (per a report from NewsNation Now's Brian Entin).

So naturally, what typically would be an innocent scene of a husband and wife gardening in their backyard drew the ire and suspicion of TikTok. View the garden video below, which has garnered 13.2 million views, courtesy of TikTok user @nerdyaddict.

Now here's where we take a trip to unverified theory-town. Some viewers of the Laundrie drone garden video swore that they saw a hand reach out of the dirt, and that Roberta handed something to the mysterious hand, or vice versa. Here's another TikTok with the video zoomed in on the alleged hand, courtesy of TikTok user @_mamabear_xo_

As days go by and Brian has yet to be found, it's completely understandable why followers of the case are searching for clues wherever they can find them. However, it's important to remember that the FBI has investigated the Laundrie residence after removing Christopher and Roberta from their home. While we obviously don't know how the FBI searched the residence, it's difficult to imagine that they would've missed Brian potentially hiding in a backyard garden bunker.

While Christopher and Roberta Laundrie have acted rather shady during this entire tragic ordeal, it's hard to believe they had the ability to build an underground bunker for their fugitive son in the time span from when he returned home to when he went missing. Not only that, but the neighbors of the Laundries have seemed more than willing to come forward, and nobody in the nearby vicinity seems to have reported noticing them building something in the backyard.

Regardless of whether or not the Brian Laundrie garden theory is plausible or improbable, Brian still hasn't been found by anyone yet. Hopefully that changes sooner rather than later so the Petito family can get answers they deserve for their daughter.

If you have information about Gabby Petito's disappearance, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS, the North Port Police Department at 941-429-7382, or the FBI Tampa Field Office at 1-800-CALL-FBI.