KEY POINTS

  • North Port City will remove the makeshift memorial and replace it with a permanent one
  • The family took some of the items from the memorial after their first visit
  • The search for Brian Laundrie entered its fourth week

Gabby Petito's family visited a makeshift memorial for the YouTuber at North Port City Hall in Florida on Sunday for the first time. The visit came even as law enforcement agencies continue to look for her fiance Brian Laundrie.

Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt shared a photo on Twitter of a heart-shaped cloud in the sky with the caption: “Goodbye Florida … thanks for showing so much LOVE.” #justiceforgabby #justiceforgabbypetito #americasdaughter.

The family called for justice for their daughter as authorities are yet to find leads in the search for Laundrie, who is the only one named as a person of interest in the homicide case.

The family took some of the items from the memorial, which city officials will be taking down Tuesday, News Nation reported, adding a permanent memorial is in the works.

As the search for the 23-year-old enters its fourth week, several conspiracy theories are making the rounds about Laundrie's whereabouts. Many social media users claimed Laundrie could be hiding under the flower bed in the backyard of his parents' home in North Port, Florida. This theory came after a drone captured a video that seemingly showed a hand poking out of the soil as Roberta, Brian Laundrie's mother, tended to the flower bed.

Meanwhile, the North Port police said there are "a lot of oddness" in his parents' statement and some of them don't even "make sense."

"What the family has told us is that he drove out to the park and walked out into the woods," North Port Police spokesperson Josh Taylor told News Nation. "I don't necessarily know what to believe anymore. I think it's certainly possible that they're expressing what they know, but we'll see. This is an ongoing investigation that will continue to evolve."

Last week, the focus of the search for Laundrie was said to be in Carlton Reserve after his father arrived to help authorities in finding his son. The Laundrie family's attorney, Steven Bertolino, said his father was asked to "point out any favorite trails or spots that Brian may have used in the preserve."

Petito's remains were found at a Wyoming campground on Sept. 19.

gabby petito
A makeshift memorial dedicated to Gabby Petito is located near City Hall on Sept. 20, 2021 in North Port, Florida. Octavio Jones/Getty Images
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