Why Are People Scrutinizing Brian Laundrie's Sister Cassie?

Those who have been following the ongoing Gabby Petito case are now wondering: Is Brian Laundrie's sister simply an unknowing bystander, or does she know Brian's whereabouts? Brian Laundrie has been the focus of an intense manhunt ever since his parents reported him missing on Sept. 17, 2021. Although this suspicion has yet to be proven in a court of law, many followers of Petito's case suspect that Brian went on the run because of his connection to Petito's murder.

While it's Brian who is considered the only person of interest in Petito's murder, his parents and sister have come under harsh scrutiny during the course of the ongoing investigation. Dubbed a member of "The Dirty Laundries" by victim advocate and television host John Walsh, Cassie has been the first Laundrie to come forward and speak out to defend herself.

Followers of the Petito case noticed a major discrepancy in a statement Cassie made in an interview with Good Morning America on Sept. 17, 2021. During that initial interview, Cassie said, "I haven't been able to talk to him" in regards to her brother. "I wish I could talk to him," she also said.

However, NewsNation Now confirmed on Oct. 1 via the Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino that Cassie went to the Fort De Soto campground on Sept. 6 to visit Brian and her parents. "We are just as upset, frustrated, and heartbroken as everyone else," Cassie told protestors outside her house on Oct. 4. She defended her prior statement in the Good Morning America interview and said that she has been cooperating with authorities. Watch the full interview below:

The NewsNation Now report also confirmed that Cassie saw Brian on Sept. 1, the very day Brian returned to Florida in Petito's van without Petito. Cassie said that her parents arrived at her house with Brian in their Mustang. Cassie was asked if she thought Brian killed Petito, and Cassie said she didn't know.

Cassie returned to Good Morning America for another interview on Oct. 5, where she stated that she did not know where Brian's whereabouts. "I really wish he had come to me first that day with the van because I don't think we'd be here," she said. Cassie also said she did worry about him but she would, "tell him to come forward" in order to "get them out of this horrible mess."

Cassie said she immediately told authorities about the Fort De Soto camping trip the day she learned Brian was missing. At the time of the Sept. 6 camping trip, she didn't suspect anything was amiss, but she hasn't shared whether her family talked about Petito during their get-together. "I'm frustrated that in hindsight I didn't pick up on anything," Cassie reiterated. During the Oct. 5 Good Morning America interview, Cassie said that she had tried to call Brian but her attempts went "straight to voicemail."

Some followers of the case consider it a bit strange that Cassie initially said she hadn't been able to talk to Brian after he returned to Florida with Petito's van. Perhaps Cassie meant that she hadn't spoken to Brian specifically about Petito's disappearance, but it's easy to infer from that first Good Morning America interview on Sept. 17 that she meant that she hadn't spoken to him at all.

What's really strange is the fact that Brian Laundrie reportedly was acting like nothing was amiss, to the point where Cassie — according to her — didn't suspect anything was wrong when she saw him on Sept. 6. It's easy to speculate about the Laundrie family's actions up to this point but it's important that at least Cassie has stepped forward and encouraged her family to do the right thing.