Police have admitted that they mistook Brian Laundrie's mum for him before he disappeared.
The 23-year-old's family was under 24-hour surveillance following the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito, who was reported missing on 11 September.
North Port Police have now revealed, however, that Laundrie, whose remains were discovered last week, was able to slip through their net because they mixed him and his mother up a few days later.
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Officers thought they had seen him behind the wheel of the family's silver Mustang , when it was actually his mum wearing a baseball cap.
According to reports, Laundrie drove to Myakkahatachee Creek Environmental Park on 13 September, where his remains were later recovered.
After going to look for him, Laundrie's family found the abandoned Mustang and Roberta drove the car back to their home on 15 September.
On 16 September, North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said: "All I'm going to say is we know where Brian Laundrie is at."
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However, it has now transpired that they did not, and his family reported him missing the following day.
North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor has now admitted the mistake.
He told WINK News: "We thought that we had seen Brian initially come back into that home on that Wednesday. But we now know that that wasn't true."
Taylor later told Telemundo 49: "The family brought the car back from the park and still did not report him missing. The area was difficult to keep an eye on with the growing activity. He was still not wanted for a crime at the time."
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This comes after the FBI confirmed the remains uncovered at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on 21 October were Brian's.
The remains were examined by the authorities and cross-referenced with dental records.
Laundrie's parents had taken police and FBI agents to the location where 'some articles belonging to Laundrie were found'.
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Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino told Fox News at the time: "Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the remains found yesterday in the reserve are indeed Brian's.
"We have no further comment at this time and we ask you to respect the Laundrie family's privacy at this time."
Laundrie had been a 'person of interest' in relation to the murder investigation of his partner, Gabby Petito.
His disappearance sparked one of the most well-publicised manhunts in recent US history.
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He had told his parents that he was off for a solo hike around the Carlton Reserve, before disappearing completely.
Previously, he and Petito had been travelling the national parks of the USA together but she was reported missing and her body was later discovered in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
The coroner revealed her death was a homicide, and that she was killed by strangulation.
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