Gabby Petito family lawyer issues statement, as Grand Teton National Park agency identified on hold – NBC New York

An attorney for Gabby Petito’s family released a brief statement to media on Tuesday as the young woman’s family learned of the grim results of an autopsy conducted Tuesday on a body found in a Wyoming park over the weekend.

It was Gabby Petito. His death was ruled a homicide.

“I would like to personally thank the press and media for giving the Petito and Schmidt family time to mourn,” lawyer Richard Stafford said, referring to mother, father, stepfather and Petito’s mother-in-law. “We will make a statement when Gabby is home. I will contact you to arrange a time and place. ”

While the autopsy results are still pending, the FBI has previously said it believes the remains found in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday belonged to Petito. A mysterious stone cross was discovered in the campsite where the body was found.

Their biggest question right now: where is Brian Laundrie?

Police in North Port, Fla., The hometown of Laundrie, on Tuesday launched a new search for him in the 25,000-acre Carlton Reservation, a day after saying they were suspending the effort because they believed they had exhausted all avenues. They started looking early in the day. By early afternoon, nothing had been found.

Laundrie’s parents said they haven’t seen their son since last Tuesday, when he said he was heading to the reserve for a hike. They have since spoken to law enforcement officials as federal and local agents step up their search for answers.

Petito’s family said they believed Laundrie’s family knew more than they hinted at.

Remains that may be missing from Long Islander Gabby Petito have been found although the identity of the remains has not been confirmed. As news of the social media creator’s disappearance spread, interest in her increased, NBC New York reporter Kay Angrum said.

In a previously published letter from Petito’s parents to parents in Laundrie five days ago, the Long Island woman’s family asked for help in finding “our beautiful daughter.”

“We think you know where Brian left Gabby. Please tell us. As a parent, how could you let us go through this pain and not help us. As a parent, how could you. – you bring this to the young brothers and sisters of Gabby, “one reads in part.

The Laundrie family, through their attorney, released a statement after officials announced the discovery of a body matching Petito’s description in Grand Teton National Park, where the couple visited, calling the news “heartbreaking”. They said they were praying for Petito and his family as they searched for their own son.

The Laundrie family said they haven’t seen their son in a full week, since they told officers he wanted to go to Florida’s vast Carlton Reservation, a 25,000-acre park with a rough terrain, according to North Port Police, for a hike and never returned.

North Port Police scoured this nature preserve all weekend and came back empty. They said on Tuesday that their research would resume with a different geographic approach.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the resumption of the search on Tuesday, but police for the first time called the case an “FBI-led criminal investigation” as they announced their plans.

The mystery surrounding Petito and Laundrie’s disappearances has made national headlines and garnered massive attention from law enforcement in several states.

Laundrie returned to Florida alone in this van on September 1, 10 days before Petito’s mother reported her missing. A search of this van revealed a hard drive believed to contain evidence related to Petito’s disappearance, according to the filing of a search warrant in Florida. We do not yet know what is in this reader.

A day after Gabby Petito’s body was found in Wyoming, there were startling new developments in the missing person’s case that caught the nation’s attention. Pei-Sze Cheng reports from Florida, and Sarah Wallace has the latest news from Wyoming.