Gabby Petito Disappearance

On August 12 police in Grand County, Utah responded to a call about a domestic dispute between a couple. The caller reported the couple walking up and down a street and the male repeatedly striking the female. Police arrived at the scene and identified their vehicle and pulled them over. The couple admitted to an altercation, but there was no sustainable evidence to continue the stop any further.

That couple turned out to be 22 year old Gabby Petito and 23 year old Brian Laundrie. Roughly two weeks after that stop, Gabby Petito checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City, and that was the last time she was seen alive. Then, on September 1, Laundrie returned to his home in Florida in their van without Petito. Soon after his arrival, Petito’s family reported her missing.

 The story then started to attract global attention. People started swarming Laundrie and his family’s house claiming he potentially took Petito’s life. Laundrie and his family made a statement that he would remain silent due to advice from his attorney. Every movement of Laundrie’s family made public headlines, from them getting the mail, to them even stepping outside.

However, on September 17 it was released to the media by Laundrie’s family and attorney that he was now also missing. Two days later a body was found in Bridger-Teton National Park and was believed to be Gabby Petito’s. The autopsy revealed that the body found in Bridger-Teton National Park was Gabby Petito’s and the cause of death was ruled a homicide. 

The Laundrie’s family lawyer, Steven Bertolino, stated to People magazine in response to the FBI’s confirmation of the autopsy results of Gabby Petito, “May Gabby rest in peace.”

As of right now, Brian Laundrie is still missing and is a person of interest in the case. The FBI has resumed their search for him after finding Petito and issued an arrest warrant.