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The attorney representing the family of Brian Laundrie has criticized Dog the Bounty Hunter for getting involved with the search, accusing him of doing so only to feed his ego.
Lawyer Steven Bertolino accused the reality TV star—whose given name is Duane Chapman—and John Walsh of America's Most Wanted, who has also been weighing in, of seeking publicity.
"Dusty relics like that Dog and John Walsh need a tragic situation like this so they can clear the cobwebs off their names and give their publicity hungry egos some food," Bertolino told TMZ on Thursday.
Bertolino's comment comes after Chapman made an attempt to confront Brian Laundrie's sister, Cassie, on Wednesday.
Laundrie remains a missing person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancée Gabby Petito, who a coroner ruled died by strangulation.
"The coroner's statement has established a timeline that looks worse for Brian Laundrie. His continued evasion of law enforcement makes him look guilty. His best decision now would be to turn himself in," Chapman previously told Newsweek on Wednesday.
"I can't fathom how Brian's parents can live with themselves after how they've stonewalled the Petito family. They need to be doing more to signal Brian to stop running."
Chapman's stepdaughter previously labeled his search for Laundrie as a "publicity stunt."
"He needs to back off and let the FBI handle it," Cecily Chapman told The Sun on October 6. "It's just a publicity stunt. That's really what it is."
Brian Laundrie's mother, Roberta, reportedly dialled 911 after Chapman turned up at their family home last month.
Brian Laundrie's parents released a statement on September 27, refuting speculation they know their son's whereabouts and helped him flee, calling such claims "just wrong." Laundrie's father, Chris, has also joined authorities' search for his son.
Meanwhile, Walsh, a former host of America's Most Wanted, hosted a special episode titled "Gabby Petito: ID Special Report" that aired on Thursday.
In it, Walsh shared a theory that Brain Laundrie's father, Chris, drove him over the Mexican border.
"We've had over a thousand solid tips to the 'In Pursuit' hotline. Most of them are about my theory of his father driving him to the Mexican border and letting him go through Mexico," Walsh said.
"It's a great time to be heading south, because [there are] thousands of refugees ... I mean, he could walk across the border naked with his hair on fire, and nobody would notice him," Walsh said. "I think that's maybe where he's hiding—and somebody might be helping him."
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Chapman and Walsh for comment.
