Brian Laundrie Shocking Search Costs Revealed In New Police Report After Confessing To 'Costly Mistake'
The police's pockets were ripped open by the search for Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito.
The long and costly hunt for the YouTuber and her boyfriend had a significant financial impact on the North Port Police Department.
Police records obtained by WINK News reveal they were paid nearly three times more in overtime during the investigation period than they were the prior year combined, according to data obtained by WINK News.
Gabby Petito went missing on September 11th, and her corpse was discovered in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park on September 19th. It was determined two days later that it was her body.
Meanwhile, investigators were looking for Brian Laundrie, but his remains were discovered on Oct. 21.
During that time, the North Port Police Department handled its regular duties while working on the case that captivated the whole globe.
According to police records, the department budget spent $195,000 on overtime from September to October, over three times what they paid from September 2020 to September 2021, when they paid $67,000.
Though the police agency has not confirmed the accusations or the story, the Petito-Laundrie case has previously been described as being difficult.
According to public information officer Josh Taylor previously, "This has been a very trying case. A lot of eyeballs on it. What I know in my heart is that in this room here, there was a lot of individuals pouring their heart and soul into finding answers here."
Despite cooperating with the FBI, law enforcement officials informed the publication that extra hours were not reimbursed.
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The 'Costly Mistake' of the North Port Police Department
One of the reasons their budgeting is out of control is that they may have made an expensive error.
Officers who had been leading the hunt for Brian Laundrie for almost a month and a half made a mistake when they mistook him for his mother, Roberta Laundrie, one day before his parents reported him missing.
Officer Taylor explained, "No case is perfect."
After Gabby's family reported her missing on Sept. 11, ten days after Brian returned to Florida from their cross-country journey, the department began to keep an eye on Brian and her family.
Gabby did not accompany him back to the house.