Severin Beckwith: US Marshals ambush Brian Laundrie lookalike on Appalachian Trail

Severin Beckwith was released after he produced an ID, and his telltale tattoos did not match those of Brian Laundrie's

UPDATED OCT 19, 2021

Severin Beckwith believes that a Fontana Lake marina employee must have alerted authorities of Brian Laundrie's presence (Severin Beckwith/Facebook, gabspetito/Instagram)

US Marshals on the lookout for Florida fugitive Brian Laundrie ambushed an upstate New Yorker at gunpoint on the Appalachian Trail, assuming he was Laundrie because of their uncanny resemblance. Ithaca couple Severin Beckwith and Anna Brettmann were at the Lodge at Fontana Village Resort when US Marshals stormed in. “Next thing I see is a bunch of guys with riot shields with ‘US Marshals’ written on them, handguns pointed at my face,” Beckwith said. The Marshals quickly handcuffed the hiker.

Laundrie's lookalike, Beckwith, said one of the marshals touched the side of his head and said that he had a “notch in the upper part of my inner ear just like his”, The New Yorker reported. What made matters even worse for Beckwith was that he and Brettmann had booked their room using a credit card connected to an Empire State ID. Gabby Petito was originally a Long Island native. Beckwith and Brettmann had been hiking from Georgia to Virginia since late September.

Gabby Petito's parents claim they were fooled by 'quiet and polite' Brian Laundrie

Beckwith believes that a Fontana Lake marina employee must have alerted authorities of his presence, and probably even took his photo (Severin Beckwith/Facebook)

However, Beckwith was released after he produced an ID. He also did not have Laundrie’s telltale tattoos. Advised by the marshals, Beckwith shaved his beard, regretting it later, saying, "I have much less of a chin than Laundrie does.” Beckwith believes that a Fontana Lake marina employee must have alerted authorities of his presence, and probably even took his photo. The lodge later provided the couple with a free night’s stay and a complimentary breakfast, to make up for the trouble. “It was a buffet. We took as much as we could,” Beckwith said.

Recently, another lookalike of Brian Laundrie created a TikTok account, asking users to help him with "any tips on how to best express" that he is not the man the FBI is looking for. @notbrianlaundrie has taken to the social media platform to share a number of clips after a viral video claimed that Laundrie has been found. The user shared a video of an alleged 'Brian sighting' in a club, saying, "I would just like to put all of these rumors to bed." He then asks, "Quick request from everyone...any advice on what I should say to people who think that I am Brian Laundrie? Really appreciate it."

The man shares similar physical features with Brian Laundrie, including hair, beard and frame (@notbrianlaundrie/Twitter and gabspetito/Instagram)

The man shares similar physical features with Brian Laundrie -- hair, beard and frame. Laundrie's parents reported him missing on September 17, days after Gabby Petito disappeared. The user said in a follow-up post, "I’m not Brian Laundrie," urging followers to help him fly "across the county", and give him tips on how to "not get attacked or accused." Since Laundrie disappeared, the Internet has come up with a number of 'Brian sightings', with tips coming even from Mexico, Canada and Bahamas.