A hiker has said he has 'no doubt' that a man he met while out walking was Brian Laundrie, the 23-year-old who has gone missing following the disappearance and death of Gabby Petito.
Dennis Davis, 53, is adamant that he spoke with Laundrie while recently on a deserted road near the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.
Davis, an engineer from Florida, claims a man waved him down on Waterville Road, where the trail runs close to the border of North Caroline and Tennessee.
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He told the New York Post: "There is no doubt in my mind I spoke to Brian Laundrie - none whatsoever.
"Dog the Bounty Hunter's daughter sent me an audio file of Brian's voice and the voice was the same I heard."
He said the Laundrie asked for directions to California using only back roads, and refused his suggestion to take the nearby Interstate 40.
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"He said 'Man, I'm lost'," Davis recalled.
"I said 'What are you trying to find?' and he said 'Me and my girlfriend got in a fight but she called me, told me she loves me, and I have to get to California to see her'.
"I said 'Well, I-40 is right there and you could take it west to California' and he said 'I'm just going to take this road into California'.
"He was worried and not making sense."
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Davis, a father of four, said he has contacted authorities about the interaction, but has not heard back from the FBI or police.
He added: "Obviously, as a father with a daughter, I want to do whatever I can to help the family find closure and get this guy off the streets," he said.
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"Law enforcement is probably getting millions of leads on this guy, but I am not some goofball out there doing drugs in the middle of the night, I am a highly educated professional.
"And I know that was the guy. There is no doubt about it."
Petito and Laundrie had been posting online about their travels in a white Ford Transit van, which had been converted into a camper.
Petito was officially reported missing on 11 September after she did not respond to calls and texts, with her body later discovered in Wyoming.
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Her death has been classified as a homicide, although medical examiners have not disclosed how she died pending further post mortem examination results.
Laundrie, who is a 'person of interest' in the case, has been missing since 14 September, having told his parents that he was off for a solo hike around the Carlton Reserve, near to the property in Florida.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@gabspetito