Dog the Bounty Hunter joins search for Brian Laundrie

A reality TV star, known as the Dog, is the newest secret weapon in finding Brian Laundrie – who hasn’t been seen in almost two weeks.

Reality star Duane Chapman – dubbed Dog the Bounty Hunter – arrived at Brian Laundrie’s parents’ home over the weekend, knocked on the door and met silence, but he’s already picked up a scent.

“The reason I went to Mr. [Christopher] Laundrie is I carry a reputation with me,” he told Fox News Digital moments later.

“The reputation is, ‘He gives you a second chance. He’s gonna get you, but he gives you a second chance.’”

The reality TV star and legendary bounty hunter is a father of 13 who lost a daughter around the same age as Gabby Petito in a car accident in 2006. He was already in Florida on a honeymoon with his wife Francie Chapman, he said, when people began reaching out to him to look into Laundrie’s disappearance.

“I know what the victims feel like,” he said.

Dog The Bounty Hunter is on the trail to find Brian Laundrie. Picture: Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images.

Ms Petito’s parents and step-parents spent Saturday preparing for Gabby’s funeral, which took place on Sunday local time. The memorial occurred a week after her remains were discovered at a campsite she shared with Mr Laundrie in late August.

Mr Laundrie’s parents reported their son missing on Friday, September 17, telling police they hadn’t seen him in three days.

“And the dad can still reach out to me, through social media,” Chapman said. “Let’s get the kid captured alive. Alive.”

Duane Lee Chapman, better known as Dog The Bounty Hunter, pictured at the Laundrie house. Picture: momandpaparazzi.com/SplashNews/Media Mode

On September 19, an FBI-led search discovered the remains of Mr Laundrie’s fiancée, Ms Petito, at the Spread Creek dispersed camping area north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Mr Laundrie was named a person of interest in her disappearance and is the subject of a federal arrest warrant for alleged debit card fraud. Chapman carried the with him Saturday during his visit to the Laundrie home.

“We had a lot of requests that I get in on this,” Chapman said. “This is what I do for a living, for 45 years.”

Brian Laundrie has not been seen since September 14.

Gabby Petito’s remains were found in Wyoming.

With a search underway at a swampy reserve near Mr Laundrie’s home, many outside experts say they don’t believe he could survive there.

Surviving in the swamp would be difficult enough, Chapman said, and thermal vision devices used by law enforcement make eluding capture even harder.

Chapman, who has his own anonymous tip line, said he’s getting calls every two or three minutes. His wife, Francie, has been fielding a steady stream of calls while he works on finding Mr Laundrie.

Much of the information he’s received points toward the Appalachian Trail, where Mr Laundrie camped previously. So if he’s not in the Carlton Reserve, as many suspect, Mr Laundrie may be along the trail.

“If there’s anywhere out there that looks the hottest, that could be the area,” Chapman said.

If Mr Laundrie skipped town, investigators must figure out where he went and begin their search with dogs, infra-red and other technology, Chapman said.

“I think he’s young enough, not an experienced criminal, but what is his greatest experience? Outdoorsman. That’s what he does the best,” Chapman said. “I don’t think he can shoplift, live on the run, live in cheap hotels. On a one-to-10 he’s probably a six, compared to the outdoorsmen and some of the guys I’ve captured.”

The Dog Bounty Hunter has set his target on finding Brian Laundrie. Picture: Lucy Pemoni/AP

So, Chapman’s hunch is Mr Laundrie is on the trail.

“What’s in his blood is in them hills,” Chapman added.

And Chapman is no stranger to the Appalachian Trail himself. He took part in a massive manhunt in upstate New York in 2015 for two escaped murderers.

And if Mr Laundrie does turn out to be in the swamp, he would have to be moving by night when authorities suspend their search and trying to hide by day.

Chapman agrees with other experts that Mr Laundrie’s probably not in Mexico.

“A white boy that doesn’t know Spanish, the cartel’s gonna grab him for the reward,” he said. “So he’s not down there.”

So he’s likely in the states and probably somewhere along the East Coast, according to Chapman.

“Somebody else knows where he’s at, where they dropped him off at, or did they drop him off?” Chapman said. “That person is gonna tell us because, again, we’re not the police. This is anonymous.”

This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission