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Brian Laundrie's sister Cassie claims parents and lawyer are 'throwing her under the bus'

Cassie Laundrie said her family ignored her and was thrown under the bus by her family's attorney

Brian Laundrie's sister, Cassie Laundrie, recently said her family has been ignoring her after her brother disappeared and Gabby Petito died. Addressing protesters outside her Lakewood Ranch home Monday, October 4, Cassie said she did not know if her parents helped Brian escape, and that she has not been able to speak with them. "I'm in the boat where I'm getting ignored by my family and thrown under the bus by my family's attorney," Cassie Laundrie told a group of protesters.

Cassie seemed to be referring to their family attorney Steve Bertolino, who told Fox News Digital in a text message on the night of October 4, "I do not represent Cassie Laundrie. Cassie’s comments can only be attributed to the press twisting my words and hers, which were only given to clarify prior mischaracterizations by the press, with the hopes of further sensationalizing this tragic story."

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This was Cassie Laundrie's first public appearance after her interview with ABC News last month, as a massive manhunt for her brother in underway. Cassie is so far the only member of the family to speak publicly about the case. However, it appears that she may have lied in her interview with 'Good Morning America' (GMA), where she said she never saw her brother after September 1. On October 1, Bertolino told The New York Post, "Cassie saw her brother Brian on Sept. 1 when he stopped by her home and again on Sept. 6 at Fort De Soto Park. Law enforcement agencies are well aware of these dates."

The confirmation came after Dog the Bounty Hunter noted that Cassie went with Brian and their parents on a camping trip between September 6 and 7. It was previously believed only Brian and his parents went, but Dog found that Cassie had also joined them. Bertolino later said that "miscommunication" or the "reporter’s line of questioning" is responsible for the conflicting statements. "Any prior communication by Cassie that does not reflect these dates is simply a difference of relating an answer to a question misinterpreted by Cassie or poorly posed by the inquirer," he added. 

Talking about this exchange, Cassie told protesters on Monday, "The media ended up misconstruing what I said when they asked me if I had seen my brother. Like I said in the beginning, they didn't say have you seen Brian. It was, 'What's the weirdest thing about this all?'"

Recently, Brian Laundrie's mother, Roberta, was accused of buying a burner phone to keep in touch with her son, who has been missing for several days now. Meanwhile, the family attorney of Brian Laundrie's parents has said that Chris and Roberta Laundrie are not aware of their son's whereabouts. “Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is,” attorney Steven Bertolino said in a statement. “They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him.” “The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong,” he added.