Can law enforcement convince Gabby Petito’s fiancé to take a lie detector test?

TAMPA – A former FBI profiler in Tampa has said the trail of clues to Gabby Petito’s disappearance on social media can only lead investigators so far, they need the cooperation of her fiance Brian Laundrie.

Of course, law enforcement now has to find Laundrie’s whereabouts since he went missing on Friday night.

Fox said a polygraph test could be a way for law enforcement to try to get Laundrie to speak up and potentially clear his name.

“If I were a police officer, then I would probably try to put him under a polygraph,” Fox said. “The way they ask questions and the way they’ve asked them so many times, it’s really hard not to disclose even some information that could be potentially incriminating, if there is incriminating information available.

Laundrie’s attorney said he advised his client not to speak, saying: “In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement agencies focus their attention on in matters of conflict. case like this … it doesn’t matter if my client has anything to do with Mrs. Petito’s case. disappearance. “

Fox said the longer the laundry waits to help with the investigation, the more difficult the situation and the search for Petito becomes.

“There are so many things that don’t fit? What if you put yourself in your shoes and these shoes and think what would I have done? unwind, ”Fox said. “In this case, it seems an extreme amount of information is lost since Brian Laundry is not cooperating. 5:49 On the one hand, he was the last person to see her alive for two. He drove the van. in Florida without her. to be with him.

So there are so many questions that need to be answered and I’m sure that’s exactly what the police are looking at. “

The FBI is assisting with the case and there are thousands of comments from people searching all Instagram posts and YouTube videos for clues as to what happened to Petito. Fox said citizen “sleuths” can help or hinder a case.

“The role of social media and missing person investigations is incredibly important. Now myself and some colleagues at USF have researched missing persons and media, especially social media as well,” he said. Fox said. “And, we’ve found that not only does social media help find people safer, earlier. The downside is that sometimes with the media and social coverage, police can be overwhelmed with all the facts about them. relevant, what’s not, what’s that needle in a haystack. And, in some cases, they can actually waste time or ground when it’s so important, especially in cases of missing persons. ”