The FBI announcing a medical examiner says the body found in Wyoming was indeed that of Gabby Patito. The coroner calling her death a homicide.
– Brian Laundrie, I believe, made his decision to kill himself after he had killed Gabby Petito.
Investigators say human remains found in Florida this week are those of Brian Laundrie, the only person of interest in the death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito.
– Gabby Petito has been gone for over a year now. Is this case over? – No, this case is far from over. My name is Mary Fulginiti and I’m a former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney. There are still a lot of questions for Gabby’s parents, the primary one being – Would Gabby Patito still be alive today, if the case have been handled differently?
We came to know Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie because they were putting themselves out there in social media, documenting their travels throughout America. This young couple in love, living out of their van, seeing what the world had to offer, living the dream. My name is Dr. Khris Mohandie and I’m a forensic psychologist, but we come to learn is that was a veneer.
Friend – Much as I know Gabby and feel like I know Brian, you just never know when it comes to relationships. Anyone that’s met the two of them has been like they seem like such a nice couple. A lot of couples look nice on Instagram.
Dr. Khris Mohandie – About a month into their trip Gabby and Brian have ba lot of arguments. It gets physical. A witness reports it to the Moab police.
Officer – Hey, how are you? Gabby Petito – Hi, I’m good. – I’m with Moab police.
Dr. Khris Mohandie – They respond and now we see that there’s trouble in paradise
Gabby Petito – He locked me out of the car and told me to go take a breather. But I didn’t want to take a breather.
Brian Laundrie – I’m fine. And I love Gabby. I hope she doesn’t have too many complaints about me. I’m just, you know, I feel bad it had to get so public…
– When you look back could that Moab police stop, a game changer? Mary Fulginiti, former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney – Oh, absolutely. it’s hard not to wonder what would have happened to Gabby, if either Gabby or Brian had been arrested that day?
Two people went on a trip, one person returned and that person that returned isn’t providing us any information. We believe the circumstantial evidence demonstrates that the Laundrie family was aware that their son had murdered Gabby and that they were aware of the location of her remains.
Mary Fulginiti, former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney – They refused to communicate to the Petito family as human beings. How could somebody not pick up that phone and say I’m so sorry we don’t know what happened, what can we do to help? And the only reason why you wouldn’t, is if obviously something went a foul.
Gabby is the most amazing person I’ve ever met.
Friend Rose Davis – I’ve never felt a pain like this. I have screamed into the air what happened, because I want answers. We will get justice for her no matter what.
Gabby Petito road trip in the summer of 2021 started as an adventure story. Gabby – I love the van. Months later it turned into a nationwide search for a missing woman. The search for missing 22-year-old, Gabby Petito, is now a multi-state effort before ending here – Earlier today human remains were discovered. With the discovery of her remains and Grand Teton National Park, it has now become a cautionary tale.
Mary Fulginiti, former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney – Ultimately her death will hopefully lead to many women being rescued and saved from these situations well before it gets to murder -Former prosecutor and CBS consultant Mary Fulginiti says Gabby’s story is really about recognizing the warning signs of domestic violence which are often hard to read. – There are people who believe that Gabby Petito’s story didn’t have to end the way it did, if only the warning signs have been picked up on, would it have been different.
To most eyes Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie were compatible in every way. Gabby’s father, Joseph – Coolest chick you ever met, man. By far she’s just gonna make you smile.
22 years old, a New York girl from Long Island, an appetite for adventure.
Mother, Nicole Schmidt – She knew she wanted to take this trip. She had told me about it probably a year before it. Gabby – Brian’s stretching, doing some morning yoga.
Friend Rose Davis – Brian’s very charismatic. He always comes off as such a sweet person and just kind of like ‘I’m here’. One of Gabby’s close friends Rose Davis. They met soon after Gabby moved to Florida. – She texted me one of the sweetest messages I think I’ve ever got from someone, and it was just like ‘You seem so cool, I really want to be your friend,’ and I was just ‘absolutely’ – They made tick tock videos together for fun. Rose says Gabby was good friends with Brian back in high school in New York, then after Brian moved to Florida, Gabby moved there too to be closer to him. – I always told her, her life is kind of like a movie because I was just like, this happens in movies.
Soon they were in love and living together.
Friend Rose Davis – She’d let me know what they did and, you know, he’d make her breakfast and it was always such a cute little thing, and they did cute little dinners.
In July of 2020 they got engaged. They even got tattoos together, but Rose says Brian could sometimes exhibit what she calls toxic traits. We spoke to Rose when Gabby was first reported missing – When Brian wants something, he’s gonna get it. And I don’t mean in a physical way he’s gonna force it, he’s just gonna, I don’t want people to say I’m calling him a full manipulator, but he’ll manipulate the situation to get what he wants out of it, and, you know, he didn’t want her to go out one night with me and he stole her ID, because you can’t get into the bar without your ID. And, you know, this was really upsetting to her, you know. You’re engaged. It’s not, you know, it’s not supposed to be like that.
But the couple seem to put any drama behind them as they got ready for their adventure. Gabby worked hard at Taco Bell and with Brian at Publix Supermarket, saving money for their trip.
Gabby’s mother – They’ve bought the van. They converted it.
The goal was to spend four or five months crisscrossing the country, having adventures, even working on organic farms and chronicling it all in real time on social media.
Friend Rose Davis – She was just like I want to document this. This is so cool to be doing and she was just like, just kind of, yeah, kind of like a vlogger. Just let everyone know what she was up to.
Gabby’s mother – She was excited, starting her van life digital journey where she’s creating this whole, you know. following of van lipers and that’s what she was really into at the moment.
They rolled out officially on July 2nd. Gabby posted constantly. Gabby – Hello, hello and good morning – every little detail. Gabby – You can’t keep chocolate in Utah, not in July.
But all those selfies may have been hiding a darker story.
Friend Rose Davis – There’s everything behind the scenes you don’t know.
Six weeks into their trip, on the afternoon of August 12th in Utah, near the Arches National Park, Gabby and Brian’s Instagram road trip came to a shuttering stop.
Officer – Driver is showing some obscure driving. Possibly intoxicated.
It was around 4:45 in the afternoon, according to this police officer’s body cam.
Officer – Currently doing miles an hour, zone through here is 25. Oh! Subjects just hit the curb. Correction speed limit is 15. What’s your guys’ names? – Gabby – Brian – Gabby, Brian, OK.
It was a start that could’ve changed everything.
Dispatcher – Grand Country Sheriff’s Office.
This 911 call was made on August 12, 2021, in Moab Utah, four weeks before Gabby Petito was reported missing.
Caller – We’re driving by and I’d like to report a domestic dispute.
The caller reports seeing what appeared to be an alarming confrontation between Gabby and Brian. Caller – Florida license plate… White van…
Dispatcher – What were they doing?
Caller – We drove by ‘em. A gentleman was slapping the girl.
Dispatcher – He was slapping her?
Caller – Yes. And then we stopped, they ran up and down the sidewalk, he proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off.
Officers from the Moab Police Department are dispatched and within minutes Gabby and Brian’s white van spotted driving erratically outside the Arches National Park. They’re pulled over. The officers separate the couple and begin questioning them. Gabby is visibly shaken.
Officer – You wanna tell me what’s going on?
Gabby Petito – Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just some days I have really bad OCD and I just, I was just cleaning and straightening up the back of the van before and I was apologizing to him and saying, ‘I’m sorry that I’m so mean. And I’m trying to start a blog, I just have a blog. So, so I’ve been building my website, so I’ve just been really stressed and he doesn’t really believe that I can do any of it, so that’s kind of been like a, I don’t know, he’s like… I don’t know. We’ve just been fighting all morning and he wouldn’t let me in the car before, and then I…
Officer – Why wouldn’t he let you in the car? Cause of your OCD?
Gabby Petito – He told me I, he told me I needed to calm down.
Officer – So tell me what’s going on.
Brian Laundrie – Well she just gets worked up sometimes, and I try and really distance myself from her, so like I locked the car and I walked away from her.
Brian tells police that Gabby attacked him, scratching his face and his arm as she tried to get back into the van.
Brian Laundrie – She had her phone and was trying to get the keys from me. So I was backin’ away. I was just trying to, I know I shouldn’t have pushed her, but I was just trying to push her away to go. Let’s just take a minute to step back and breathe. And she got me with her phone.
Officer to Gabby Petito – People that came to us and told us that they saw him hit you.
Another officer asked Gabby for more details about what happened.
Gabby Petito – Well, to be honest I definitely hit him first.
Officer – Where’d you hit him?
Gabby Petito – I slapped him on the, on the face.
Officer – You slapped him first? Just on his face?
Gabby Petito – He kept telling me to shut up.
Officer – How many times did you slap him?
Gabby Petito – Just a couple maybe.
Officer – And then what? And his reaction was to do what?
Gabby Petito – Grab my arm and so I wouldn’t slap him.
Officer – He just grabbed you?
Gabby Petito – Yeah.
Officer – Did he, did he hit you though? I mean, I mean it’s OK if you’re saying you hit him, I understand if he hit you. But we want to know the truth, if he actually hit you. Cause you know…
Gabby Petito – I guess, I guess yeah, but I hit him first.
Officer – Where did he hit you? Don’t worry, just be honest.
Gabby Petito – He like, grabbed my face like this, I guess. He didn’t like, hit me in the face. Like, he didn’t like punch me in the face or anything.
Officer – Did he slap your face or what?
Gabby Petito – Well, like, he like grabbed me like with his nail and I guess that’s why it looks… I definitely have a cut right here cause I can feel it. When I touch it, it burns.
The officers never directly asked Brian if he slapped or hit Gabby. They also didn’t talk to the 9-1-1 caller who reported seeing Brian hit Gabby. But one of the officers did speak with a second eyewitness that day. Officer – The witnesses says I never saw him hit her, I saw him shove her. But I couldn’t tell you if it was an aggression against her or a defense against her… So at this point, from what, unless the guy’s screaming that he needs to go to jail and did something to this girl, it sounds to me like she was the primary aggressor.
In Utah if officers find evidence of a domestic violence assault, they are required to make an arrest or issue a citation. An independent investigation would later conclude that the officers did not have a clear understanding of the law.
Officer – Gabby, this is a very, very important question. How you answer this question is going to determine what happens next. But the only person who can answer this question is you.
They mistakenly believe that Gabby had to intend to harm Brian to require an arrest.
Officer – When you slapped him those times were you attempting to cause him physical pain or physical impairment? Is that what you were attempting to do to him?
Gabby Petito – No. Never.
Officer – What were you attempting to do? What was the reason behind the slapping and stuff? What was it you were attempting to accomplish by slapping him?
Gabby Petito – I was trying to get him to stop telling me to calm down.
Officer – Well it doesn’t sound to me like she attempted to injure him.
Ultimately officers on the scene decided to separate the couple for the night.
Officer – I’m gonna give you the keys to the van. Gabby was told to stay with the van. Officer – I’m giving him a ride over to the hotel. As the assumed victim, Brian was sent to a hotel. Brian Laundrie – l I really appreciate it, thank you so much. For everything. Officer – No problem. It’s nice meeting you, Brian. Brian Laundrie – Nice to meet you.
No one was arrested or issued a citation. Forensic psychologist Khris Mohandie has worked closely with law enforcement on issues of domestic violence – The officers that responded to Gabby and Brian were compassionate, their hearts were in the right place of wanting to help. They were trying to do what they mistakenly believed was the right thing, by cutting them a break.
Weeks later, when the body cam footage was released, there was a public uproar. Newly released video shows what looks like the aftermath of an argument between Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. For her friend Rose, those images were almost impossible to watch – It takes a lot for her to get that hysterical. Gabby – But I’m perfectly calm, I’m calm all the time and he really stresses me out. Friend Rose – And so when I saw the body cam, I knew it was more than just a little argument. She’s not gonna slap him for no reason.
The release of the 911 call drew outrage. Dispatcher – He was slapping her? – Followers of the story on social media erupted in anger ‘My blood is boiling at how they failed this poor girl,’ ‘All I know is this didn’t have to end like this. Police missed an opportunity.’
Forensic psychologist Khris Mohandie says the officers seem to miss signs of domestic abuse.
Brian Laundrie – She’s just crazy.
And Gabby accepting the blame.
Gabby Petito – And I was apologizing to him and saying I’m sorry that I’m so mean…
Because in a domestically violent relationship it’s not uncommon for one party to take the blame for what really is the behavior of the other party, says forensic psychologist Khris Mohandie.
The independent investigator later wrote that it’s very likely that Gabby was a long-term victim of domestic violence.
The ramifications of the officer’s actions during that stop would play out in the days ahead. And months later would be questioned by Gabby’s parents and their lawyers.
Just days after that traffic stop, Gabby and Brian were back on the road headed north to Salt Lake City. Gabby Petito – It rained all afternoon yesterday.
On August 19th, Gabby posted an edited eight-minute video showing their journey together. Gabby Petito – It is really nice and sunny today.
The video showed no signs of any tension between Gabby and Bryan. Later, Gabby told her mom they were leaving Utah and driving to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Mother – She was happy. She was excited to keep going on her journey and that was the last time I spoke to her, verbally.
On August 25th, Gabby posted a series of photos on Instagram in front of a butterfly mural in Ogden, Utah. It would be her final post on Instagram. The Instagram post on August 25th, 2021, was the last time Gabby Petito would publish on social media and shortly after she said she and Brian were headed to Grand Teton National Park. Gabby’s parents stopped hearing from her. Mary Fulginiti, former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney – She seemed to have been in communication with her parents on a regular basis throughout the totality of this trip, and they were checking in on her regularly.
Then on August 27, 2021, her mother says she received a strange text message from Gabby’s phone. It read ‘Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.’ Stan is Gabby’s grandfather. Mary Fulginiti, former Federal prosecutor and defense attorney – The mother thought it was odd because she never refers to a grandfather as Stan – It was out of character and disconcerting. But as far as the Petito family knew Gabby and Brian were still together on their trip.
– Hi! My name is Miranda Baker and on August 29th my boyfriend and I picked up Brian at Grand Teton National Park, at 5:30 at night, at Coulter Bay. 48 hours after Gabby’s mother received that cryptic text, Miranda Baker says she and her boyfriend picked up a man she believes was Brian Laundrie. She says he was alone. – He approached us asking us for a ride, because he needed to go to Jackson. Before he came in the car he offered to pay us like 200 to give him a ride like 10 miles, so that was kind of weird. He then told us he’s been camping for multiple days without his fiancee and that she was working on their social media page back at their van.
Suddenly, says Miranda, things took a turn when there was confusion over where they were going. – He freaked out. He’s like ‘Nope, I need to get out right now,’ like ‘pull over.’ We dropped him off at 6:09 pm on August 29th.
Meanwhile, Gabby’s mother Nicole did receive one more text from Gabby’s phone. It is said that there was no service in Yosemite. – The last text I received from her phone was August 30th. – Are you confident that was from her or you’re not sure? – I can’t comment on that.
During Gabby’s travels she had been staying in touch with her friend, Rose Davis. Rose was expecting to hear from Gabby on her birthday. – So we talked and my birthday is August 29th, so we decided ‘call me then.’ But no birthday call or text came. – I honestly didn’t think anything of it when she didn’t text me or anything, because she’s traveling cross-country and, you know, once it got later into it around like 8th and 9th of September, that was the point where I was like she would have called me, why haven’t I heard from her yet.
What Rose did not know was that on September 1st Brian Laundrie was back in North Port, Florida. He had driven the van there and he was alone. The Petato family knew none of this, but they had already become alarmed when they stopped hearing from Gabby altogether. And her cell phone had stopped working.
Did you ever reach out to her boyfriend to figure out what happened and where your daughter is? Mother – We can’t comment.
But Gabby’s mother did reach out to police. Mother – It was actually Friday the 10th that I decided to call police, because I had had 10 days, 10, almost 11 days, was enough for me to not hear from my child, and I got the run around. Nobody wanted to report her missing. She’s an adult, traveling. But as a mother I said it’s not like her. Finally, that Saturday I went personally to Suffolk County fifth Precinct and now this is where we are.
abby Petito was officially declared a missing person on September 11th, just over two weeks after her last Instagram post. As the nation remembered so many lives lost 20 years earlier, the Petito family focused on one life that of their missing daughter. Mother – We’re looking for her and only her, not the van, not the two of them, just her. Keep your eyes out and we’ll find her.
That woman disappears on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend in a van. On Monday, September 13, 2021, the story of Gabby Petito’s disappearance hit the news.
The parents of a missing woman from Long Island need help finding her. Gabby’s mom and stepdad, Nicole and Jim Schmidt, held up her photo for reporters.
What happened to Gabby Petito?
But there was one person who wasn’t helping solve the mystery of what happened to Gabby, Brian Laundrie. Northport Florida police spokesman, Josh Taylor said investigators were frustrated neither he nor his parents would answer their questions, even though Gabby had lived with them. – We were essentially handed the information for their attorney that is the extent of our conversation with them. Police confiscated the white Ford van, searched it for evidence and then released it, posting that Brian was now a person of interest in Gabby’s disappearance. Laundrie family attorney, Stephen Bertolino, spoke briefly to the Press on behalf of the Laundrie family – I will hope that Miss Petito is located and that she’s reunited with her family.
Gabby’s parents responded through attorney, Rick Stafford, with a scathing letter – We believe you know the location of where Brian left Gabby. We beg you to tell us as a parent how could you let us go through this pain and not help us.
Six days after Gabby was declared missing, the Laundrie family reported that they didn’t know where Brian was. They said he’d left for a hike at the Carlton Reserve days earlier. Police immediately began to comb the huge local park, looking for Brian. A massive search, more than 50 officers and FBI agents combing a 24 000 acre park, near Sarasota, Florida, looking for Brian Laundrie.
Anger at the Laundrie family silence prompted protesters to gather outside the Laundrie home, demanding answers. While authorities were searching for Brian in Florida, the search for Gabby in and around Wyoming intensified.
All of that social media attention ultimately helped investigators locate Gabby. When Kyle and Jenn Bethune came forward with information they had spotted Gabby and Brian’s van. The Bethune had been in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park around the time Gabby’s family last heard from her. On August 27, 2021, the Bethunes had their GoPros rolling for their YouTube channel when they went looking for a campground. – We’re driving down this road, past this van, and it had Florida plates. However, the van was completely dark. We assumed that they were just out hiking or doing something else.
Once the Bethunes left the park they didn’t think about the van again, until late on Saturday, September 18th. When Jenn checked her phone and was stunned to learn authorities now believed Gabby had been in the Tetons the very same night the Bethunes were there. Jenn instantly remembered the white van. As instructed the Bethunes uploaded their footage to the FBI website. They also posted it on YouTube and Facebook. Just hours later came the devastating announcement.
Earlier today human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle Gabby Petito. The FBI says Gabby’s remains were found at the spread Creek Camping Area inside Bridger Teton National Forest in Wyoming.
An autopsy confirmed the remains were Gabby’s and the coroner determined her death was a homicide by manual strangulation.
Hours after it was announced Gabby had been found over a dozen FBI agents and police officers swarmed the home of Brian’s parents. Police arrived, the FBI arrived. They were carrying a battering ram They also announced that they had a warrant. The next day Northport police, the FBI and other agencies ramped up the search of the nature preserve near Brian’s home. 49 days after Brian had returned home without Gabby on October 20th 2021, the FBI made an announcement earlier today investigators found what appeared to be human remains. An autopsy revealed Brian Laundrie had died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. And there was something else – Along with personal items such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Landrie, that notebook contained writings from Brian, explaining what he says really happened to Gabby Petito, writing ‘I ended her life. I thought it was merciful.’ He wrote a story describing how Gabby Petito died. ‘It was dark. They were running across the stream. She must have fell and hurt herself and he went to help her but she seemed to be in extreme pain.’ In that small notebook found in a dry bag near Brian’s remains, he wrote – I ended her life, I thought it was merciful that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made.
Khris Mohandie, a forensic psychologist – Self-serving narrative that portrayed that there had been an accident and that there have been a mercy killing by him of her, because she was suffering. It speaks to selfishness and a degree of narcissism that it was important for other people looked at him his image. You know, he had the last word.
Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie were arriving at a parking lot on August 27, 2021. These are the last images of Gabby Petito. Gabby Petito probably died several hours later. They walking together.
Roberta stated that she did not remember the exact date that she wrote the letter, but it was written before Brian and Gabby left Florida for New York. Roberta said they left Florida on June 2, 2021. Roberta indicated that she was trying to convey her love and support for her son. Roberta suggested that the relationship between her and Brian was difficult and strained she said quote I was trying to connect with Brian and repair our relationship as he was planning to leave home. “Burn after reading” was play on words based on a book that Brian liked.
“As we all know the letter references burying a body bringing a shovel and burying a body,” Petito family attorney Patrick Reilly said in court Wednesday. “Those are criminal acts, by the way, that Roberta Laundrie has said she would commit.” The Petitos sued the Laundries for emotional distress in connection with Gabby Petito’s death while traveling the Western United States with Brian Laundrie, her fiancé. The couple refused to return calls or texts to the Petito family as they were frantically trying to find their daughter, it says. Laundrie’s parents were not charged but found themselves accused in a civil case of failing to disclose that their son admitted to killing her. That case has now been resolved and a trial avoided. Both sides said details of the resolution were confidential.
Child must learn to respect boundaries, so parents must put boundaries. That’s way, according to many experts, including criminologist Laura Richards, if your children think and feel that they can do whatever they want, because parents are and will be there – they will never learn that their actions have consequences. Laura Richards said that she would never tell her son that she would be there for him if he did something like this, for his own wellbeing. Unconditional love is not less unconditional if parents teach their children to respect others, by putting boundaries and showing them how to respect themselves and others. We can hear that mothers like Roberta Laundrie create abusers.
