Laundrie parents could be charged if they give false information but should share what they know: Williams

Amid a nationwide manhunt for Brian Laundrie, a "person of interest" in Gabby Petito's death, former Washington, D.C. homicide detective and defense attorney Ted Williams said the warrant recently issued for Laundrie's arrest for alleged bank card fraud may change the way his parents interact with police. 

"When Brian was a missing person and not a fugitive, the parents did not have to cooperate," Williams said Saturday on "Fox News Live." "Now that Brian is considered a fugitive from justice, if I, as a lawyer, was representing the parents, I would tell them not to say anything." 

Williams said the parents have constitutional protections that allow them to keep silent, and any statements they give to the police could be used against Brian or another family member. 

A Florida statute that says a person commits a felony offense by assisting someone who is evading authorities does not apply to family members, protecting Laundrie’s parents from being charged with any crime, according to Williams. 

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Williams said if family members know of about Brian’s whereabouts, they should come forward. But if they give false information, they "could be charged with a crime of accessory after the fact or contributing to his delinquency or his being gone." 

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Based on the resources being put into the search for Laundrie, Williams said he believes law enforcement has more information than it is releasing.

"I believe at some stage here — clearly, with the facts that we know — that there is and will be probable cause to possibly arrest Brian for … the murder of Gabby Petito," Williams concluded. 

Fox News' Bradford Betz and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report