Florida cops are investigating the disappearance of Gabby Petito, who was reported missing on Saturday, September 11. The Long Island native, 22, had been on a cross-country trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, since July, and police said in a new press conference that communication with her family “abruptly stopped” in late August, leading them to seek answers about her whereabouts. Keep reading to find out what happened leading up to her disappearance and more.
When Was Gabby Petito Last Seen?
Petito and her fiancé, Laundrie, were documenting much of their trip on social media and YouTube while visiting national parks in her 2012 Ford Transit van this summer. The student was last seen traveling in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone area of Wyoming.
Police said that Laundrie later returned to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, without Petito on September 1 in the van they had used to travel the country.
Who Is Brian Laundrie?
“Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in this case,” North Port police said about her fiancé in a statement on September 15. “As of now, Brian has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators or has provided any helpful details.”
Petito shared several snaps from their trip on her Instagram account leading up to her disappearance, last posting photos with him in August and late July.
Newly released body camera video from Utah police showed the couple being pulled over in August following a dispute between the two. “At this point, it sounds like she’s the primary aggressor,” an officer said in the video. After talking with both of them, police later separated the two for the evening, but no charges were filed against either Petito or Laundrie.
Brian Laundrie with Gabby Petito insetted.
What Have Gabby Petito’s Parents Said About Her Disappearance?
“It’s almost unbearable,” her father, Joseph Petito, said. “Listen, my baby girl is missing. The one person on the face of this Earth right now that can help me right now and they’re not. You can’t describe that type of frustration.”
Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, said she last heard from her daughter in late August but questions if the update was actually from Laundrie. “No service in Yosemite,” the text message read. “I do not believe the text on August 30th was from my daughter,” Schmidt told The Daily Mail, explaining, “The van was in Florida on the 1st [of September]. I think I can do the math.”
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call 800-CALL-FBI.
Source: InTouch
