Brian Laundrie’s sister Cassie gets threats about killing family, kidnapping children
Brian Laundrie's family has been condemned, criticized and even pestered to come clean in recent weeks, but now it appears they are also receiving death threats. Some angry protesters are taking things to a dangerous new level, and have issued threats against Brian's sister Cassie and her family. Reportedly, Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies have been called to Cassie Laundrie's residence several times over the past two weeks, as the family has received numerous threats against them and their children.
The Laundrie family residence in North Port, Florida, has become a major hub of activity, with media camped outside for weeks, along with daily visits from protesters. Some enterprising neighbors have begun renting their yards to media crews, cashing in on the publicity. On October 4, a drone photo of the yard began to trigger wild speculations, including a rumor that Brian was hiding out in an underground bunker.
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However, the family appears to show little signs of cracking. On October 10, they cleared their yard of a tribute poster to Gabby Petito. Brian's sister Cassie meanwhile, has also been making headlines, first for being the first family member to speak publicly about the case. Now, it appears she's also been at the receiving end of a lot of public anger.
Cassie Laundrie, family threatened
WFLA reported on October 12 that Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies have been called "numerous times" to the home of Cassie Laundrie. Exact details are not available, but the site did report two specific instances. On September 19, two days after Brian was reported missing, Cassie's husband James reported he was getting "messages from random people". Some of those messages included threats about "killing his family and kidnapping his kids."
Then on October 1, there was another call to police about "suspicious circumstances". It's unclear what the circumstance was, but the article indicates it was a possible sighting of Brian Laundrie. Since the September 17 call, police have been reportedly checking in regularly with the family. On one occasion, she reportedly told protestors outside her home, "We’re not supposed to talk with anybody and you’re making my children cry."
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office itself hasn't responded publicly to the article or confirmed whether the family was indeed targeted. However, former FBI agent Dr. Bryanna Fox condemned protestors in a statement to WFLA. "It is illegal, it is irresponsible, it is extremely harmful and on top of it, it’s going to just make finding the person who's responsible for Gabby Petito’s murder that much more difficult," she said and noted that "precious resources are pulled away" every time a threat is made.
Cassie and her husband James live with their two kids in Lakewood Ranch, around 40 miles from the Laundrie family residence in North Port. On September 20, the FBI did visit Cassie's residence, but it is unclear if they searched the home. Brian and Cassie's father Chris did break his self-imposed house arrest on October 7, and joining the FBI in their hunt for Brian at Carlton Reserve. Beyond that though, the family has usually stayed well away from the public, barring Cassie who has given several statements to the press. So far, neither the family nor the police has condemned the threats, which have mostly been flowing online.