Grand Teton Remains Identified as Gabby Petito

Details

Category: Crime

Published on Tuesday, 21 September 2021 18:24

Written by Janet Walker

Gabriella "Gabby" Petito, 22, declared missing since September 11, has been positively identified from the remains found over the weekend in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, according to the FBI, who also ruled her death a homicide.

"In a statement, the F.B.I. said that the remains found on Sunday had been taken to the Teton County Coroner's Office, where forensic examination confirmed Ms. Petito's identity and the manner of death. The specific cause of death was still pending final autopsy results, the agency said," reported The New York Times.

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Ms. Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie, 23, had been traveling cross country documenting their road trip using, the popular social media platform, Instagram to post their "Van Life" journey from Florida west. The pair had a run-in with law enforcement in Moab, Utah at Arches National Park and were ordered to stay apart for 24 hours.

The pair continued to Grand Teton National Park.

Ms. Petito, who owned the white mini-van the pair drove, had been in regular contact with her mother, Nicole Schmidt of Long Island, telephoning and texting throughout the journey. After several days of obscure texts and no verbal communication, Mrs. Schmidt contacted the Suffolk County Police department and reported her daughter missing.

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They learned that Laundrie had returned, driving the van registered to Ms. Petito, to North Point, Florida, alone on September 1. By the time the case became an active investigation, he had retained legal counsel who advised him against speaking to the media or issuing any statements.

With the investigation split between the Grand Teton, Wyoming, and North Port, Florida, authorities were faced with the growing public frustration over Laundrie's refusal to provide any information to authorities on the whereabouts of Ms. Petito. He was named a person of interest in hopes of leveraging his cooperation.

Shortly after the search began in Grand Teton, Wyoming, Laundrie left his Florida home telling family he was going on a hike in the Carlton Reserve, a swampland similar to the alligator and snake infested Everglades National Park.

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"Meanwhile, the search continued for Mr. Laundrie in a 24,565-acre park in Sarasota County, the Carlton Reserve, a day after the police in North Port, Fla., said they had "exhausted all avenues" at the park. In a statement on Tuesday, Josh Taylor, a spokesman for the North Port police, said the reserve "is a vast and unforgiving location at times," reported The New York Times.

Petito's 985K followers on Instagram were privy to the life she shared with Laundrie, his July 2020 marriage proposal, the beginnings of a grand adventure, and as the tension between them grew, even the abuse the pair inflicted on each other.

"The couple seemingly bonded over their love for adventure and went on several trips in late 2019 and 2020. Video and photos from their travels show they visited Portland, Ore., along with parts of Georgia and California. They later used footage from that trip in their "Van Life" video blog, which they combined with their adventures this summer," reported Globalnews.com.

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This is a developing story.