Photo: Getty Images/@gabspetito/Instagram
Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman may have a possible ulterior motive for his involvement in the search for Brian Laundrie -- the fiancé of Gabby Petito and a person of interest in her death -- who the bounty hunter claims is still alive and he's closing in on.
Variety.com reports Thinkfactory Media is shopping a new series starring Champan amid his recent insertion into the nationally publicized search for Laundrie.
Chapman famously starred in A&E's Dog the Bounty Hunter series for eight seasons, as well as the CMT series Dog and Beth: On the Hunt alongside his late wife, Beth Chapman, for two seasons.
The couple was also featured in the A&E special Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives, which chronicled Beth's cancer diagnosis in 2017.
Dog's most recently starred in the WGN America series Dog's Most Wanted, which aired in Fall 2019, while another series, Dog's Unleashed, was scheduled to air on the streaming service UnleashedTV before being scrapped, Variety reports.
Thinkfactory's latest pitch involving the bounty hunter is reported to chronicle Chapman's day-to-day life and exploits, which would likely include his recent involvement in the search for Laundrie.
On Wednesday (September 29), sources with knowledge of the situation told TMZ Champan was moving toward a remote site where Laundrie is believed to be hiding.
TMZ reported Chapman claimed he'd "be at the site in less than an hour" at the time of publication at 12:29 ET and the famed bounty hunter obtained information that would lead him to Laundrie, who was believed to be alive and moving around as of 10:00 p.m. Tuesday (September 28).
Chapman later shared a video update on his verified Twitter account from a Florida dock Wednesday afternoon, which he specified was from earlier in the morning, claiming "the search now is really on, the search has just begun."
"UPDATE: Video is from this morning — earlier today we launched an active and specific search in a key area based on the intelligence we are receiving and researching," Chapman tweeted. "Boat crews and ground teams have been called in and we have search and rescue dogs deployed. More to follow..."
On Monday (September 27), Champan told FOX News he received a tip that Laundrie's parents spent the night with their son in Fort De Soto Park on multiple occasions from September 1-3 and September 6-8.
"They were registered, went through the gate. They’re on camera. They were here," he told Fox News exclusively on Monday evening. "We think at least if he’s not here right now, we are sure he was caught on camera as he went in the gate — that he was here for sure. Not over in the swamp."
However, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office told FOX 35 Orlando that it has received no confirmed tips or signings of Laundrie in response to Chapman's claim.
Additionally, FOX News obtained police dispatch audio of Laundrie's mother, Roberta, calling the police on Chapman, who was spotted banging on the door of the North Port, Florida home where Laundrie and Petito lived last Saturday (September 25).
“It’s a shame they wouldn’t speak with us. The police said we were welcome to knock on the door so we did. I wanted to tell the Laundries that our goal is to find Brian and bring him in alive,” Chapman told FOX News.
On Monday (September 27), authorities in Florida announced they were scaling back efforts as the FBI took over the lead in the investigation into Laundrie's whereabouts.
Last week, an arrest warrant was issued for Laundrie after a grand jury indicited him for his "use of unauthorized devices" during the events following the death of Petito, whose remains were found on September 19 in Wyoming and confirmed to be the missing 22-year-old days later.
The indictment obtained by CNN accuses Laundrie, 23, of using a debit card and PIN number for accounts that didn't belong to him between August 30 to September 1 in order to make purchases totaling more than $1,000.
A source close to Laundrie's family told CNN the 23-year-old left his own wallet and cell phone behind when he was last seen leaving his parents' Florida home 10 days ago after he initially returned to the area from a cross-country road trip without Petito, who was reported missing on September 11.
The source added that Laundrie's parents were concerned he might harm himself at the time he left their home.
An attorney for Laundrie's family emphasized that the arrest warrant isn't related specifically to Petito's death, rather incidents committed by Laundrie afterward.
"It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise," Steve Bertolino said in a statement. "The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum."
"While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide," added FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. "We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie's role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI."
On September 24, local and federal authorities continued to search for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve, a nature preserve estimated to be around 25,000 acres, in North Port near his family home after pausing September 23 due to darkness.