Officers from the North Port Police Department. This is not the K-9 handler pictured in the article. Mark Taylor/Getty Images
An ex-police K-9 handler stated that cadaver dogs should have found Brian Laundrie's remains sooner.
Kyle Heyen said that dogs can smell remains underwater, even though they aren't submerged.
Officials confirmed that the remains discovered in a Florida wildlife preserve this week belonged primarily to Laundrie.
An ex-police officer and K-9 handler said that he was "very suspicious" that cadaver dog detections of Brian Laundrie's remains at a Florida wildlife preserve were not made earlier by cadaver dogs, NewsNation's Dan Abrams Live reported.
Kyle Heyen, now a trainer for police dogs, said to Abrams, in a live interview: "If the body existed at that time X week ago, and if the dog is the same dog, the same quality or training, they should've found him."
Heyen said, "They would have detected Laundrie’s body."
The remains of Gabby Petito's fianc, Laundrie, were found by police on Wednesday at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida. This was confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday.
According to Steven Bertolino of NBC, the discovery was made after Laundrie’s parents directed officials in an area where "some articles belonging Brian were found." A statement from Steven Bertolino, the attorney for Laundrie's family, stated that this happened on Wednesday.
Bertolino said that Laundrie's father also found a backpack in an area where they initially suggested to law enforcement that Brian might be. Later, police also discovered a notebook.
According to The Independent, FBI Special Agent Michael McPherson stated Wednesday at a news conference that the items were found submerged in water about a foot deep during the search.
Heyen stated that cadaver dogs can still smell odors underwater.
Heyen explained to Abrams that if the body was present when the cadaver dogs passed, and the body remained there for longer than two or three minutes the odor would have penetrated the water."
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You can watch the entire interview below. It begins at approximately 14 minutes and 45 seconds in the video.
Law-enforcement officers have been searching Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park for weeks. It connects to the sprawling 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, Sarasota County. Laundrie's parents claimed that this is where he said he was going after he left their house on September 13.
This swampy area is home for alligators and bears as well as venomous snakes and other dangerous wildlife.
Josh Taylor, North Port Police spokesperson, posted videos online showing search teams using every tool at their disposal, even drones and swamp buggies.
Fox 13 reported that the Pasco County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit was dispatching dogs to help in Laundrie search.
Laundrie was an individual of interest in Petito's disappearance at the age of 22, according to a coroner. Petito died from strangulation.
Insider asked North Port Police for comments on Heyen's claims but they did not respond immediately.
Insider has the original article.
