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QUICK FACTS
- Gabrielle Petito, 22, found dead in Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest, Mode of death: Homicide
- FBI is looking for Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito’s fiancé, after his family admitted they had not seen him since Tuesday
- Police release body camera video of the August 12 incident between the couple
NORTH PORT, Fla .– Human remains found during a ground search in an area of Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest are those of Gabby Petito, the FBI confirmed on Tuesday.
The Teton County Coroner’s initial determination confirmed that the death of 22-year-old Petito was considered a homicide. The cause of death is pending final autopsy results.
The body was found at Scattered camping area of Spread Creek in Teton County.
“May Gabby rest in peace,” Brian Laundrie’s lawyer said after the body was officially identified as Gabby Petito.
The FBI is now seeking any information on the homicide of Gabby Petito. Anyone who was in the scattered Spread Creek camping area August 27-30 and saw Gabby or her betrothed Brian Laundrie or their van are encouraged to provide this information to the FBI.
Relevant information can be submitted to the FBI online at tips.fbi.gov or by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Photos or videos can be uploaded to the FBI’s digital information line dedicated to the case, which can be found at fbi.gov/petito. You can also contact your local FBI office, the nearest US embassy or consulate.
THE GABBY PETITO CASE
The North Port Police Department and the FBI were paving the way for the investigation into Gabby Petito’s disappearance. Gabby was reported missing by her family on September 11, just before 7 p.m. The 22-year-old North Port woman from New York was last heard from in August by her family.
Her fiance Brian Laundrie returned home from the trip to North Port on September 1 alone. He was reported missing on September 17 after his family admitted they had not seen him since Tuesday, September 14.
Laundrie has been named a person of interest in her disappearance by North Port Police. So far, North Port Police said Laundrie had not made himself available for questioning by investigators or provided useful details about Petito’s disappearance.
Petito and her betrothed were traveling in a white 2012 Ford Transit van with a variety of stickers on the back with the Florida plate QFTG03, according to the FBI.
Law enforcement now has tracking access for Laundrie and Gabby Petito’s cell phones. This means that they can establish a timeline of the location of the phones. It is not real time tracking. The process could take some time, officials said.
The police do not physically have any of the phones.
The white Ford van in which Petito and Laundrie were driving across the country was recovered by North Port police on September 11, the same day Petito went missing, from the home of Petito and Laundrie.
“The van is there. We have him in custody. We are working with the FBI, it will be a very thorough process with all their skills and ours to find out anything that might be there, ”said Josh Taylor of the North Port Police Department.
Brian Laundrie’s attorney released a statement Wednesday evening that reads:
“A lot of people wonder why Mr. Laundrie didn’t make a statement or speak to law enforcement in Ms. Petito’s absence. In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this and the warning that “any statement made will be used against you” is true, whether or not my client has something to do with Mrs. Petito’s disappearance. Thus, on counsel’s advice, Mr. Laundrie does not speak to the matter.
I have been informed that North Port, Florida Police have named Brian Laundrie as the “person of interest” in this matter. This formality has not significantly changed the circumstances in which Mr. Laundrie is the center of law enforcement attention and Mr. Laundrie will continue to remain silent on counsel’s advice.
“We share the frustration with the world right now, two people have gone on a trip, one person has returned and this person who has returned is not providing us with information,” said North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison .
The case gained national attention after Long Island police first reported Petito’s disappearance.
UTAH BODYCAM VIDEO
During the couple’s trip, Utah police confirmed responding to an incident involving Laundrie and Petito on August 12, about a month before she went missing. Neither Laundrie nor Petito was the declaring party.
A witness told officers they saw Laundrie and Petito engage in a physical altercation outside their van. The couple told officers they got into a fight when Petito started slapping Laundrie. He would have grabbed Petito’s face and pushed her away.
READ THE FULL WITNESS STATEMENT:
Witness Statement – Moab Utah by Waterman Broadcasting on Scribd
The Moab, Utah Police Department released a bodycam video Thursday showing an emotional Gabby following an altercation with her boyfriend in Utah weeks before her disappearance.
SEE THE FULL BODYCAM VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT BELOW:
The couple told police they did not want charges laid against them. Instead, the police arranged for the couple to go their separate ways for the night.
READ THE FULL POLICE REPORT BELOW:
Moab County Police Department by Olivia Hyde on Scribd
GABBY’S FAMILY TALKS
Joseph Petito tweeted, “she touched the world” with a photo of his daughter after the remains were found.
Counsel for the Schmidt and Petito family released a statement to the press on Sunday evening.
The Laundrie family responded to the news with a statement through their lawyer.
“The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking. The Laundrie family pray for Gabby and her family.
BEFORE GABBY’S DISAPPEARANCE
Petito and Laundrie had posted a YouTube video that documented the couple’s first steps on their trip across the country.
Petito sent updates to his family several times a week after the trip began on July 2. She last spoke with her dad and stepmom on Facetime on August 21.
His mother, Nichole Schmidt, last heard from Petito on August 30. Her family believed she was in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, when they last heard from her.
Family members said they noticed the 22-year-old’s Instagram posts slowed down towards the end of August around the same time they lost communication with her.
On Wednesday morning, Petito’s Instagram account was briefly deleted. It was restored a few hours later. North Port Police said they are still investigating why their page was deleted.
Click here to see a full timeline of events with everything we know about what led to Gabby’s disappearance and what has happened since.
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