Missing YouTuber Gabby Petito seen in police body camera footage one month before she disappeared

17 September 2021, 13:29

Gabby Petito seen crying in police bodycam footage before she went missing

Jazmin Duribe

By Jazmin Duribe

On August 12, police responded to a call from a third party that said Gabby and Brian had been fighting.

Police have released body camera footage of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito, 22, and her fiancé Brian Laundrie, 23, one month before her disappearance.

Gabby was reported missing by her mother Nicole Schmidt on September 11. She had been travelling across the US in a camper van with her fiancé Brian at the time, who returned home to Florida alone.

The YouTuber was last seen on August 24 and it's believed she was in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, when she went missing. Gabby was on her way to Yellowstone National Park but she never got there.

READ MORE: Family of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito accuse boyfriend Brian Laundrie of refusing to help find her

Missing YouTuber Gabby Petito seen in police body camera footage one month before she disappeared.
Missing YouTuber Gabby Petito seen in police body camera footage one month before she disappeared. Picture: @gabspetito via Instagram, Moab City Police Department

Nicole last received a text message sent from Gabby's phone on August 30, which read: "No service in Yosemite." However, she believes the message was not sent by Gabby and could have been sent by Brian. She told Daily Mail: "That text was NOT from Gabby I know it!"

The Gabby Petito body camera video explained

Moab City Police Department has now released a video which shows officers attempting to diffuse the situation between Gabby and Brian on August 12. The couple were interviewed by responding officers after a witness called emergency services claiming that Gabby and Brian had been fighting.

Gabby, who said she has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, allegedly slapped Brian because she was scared he would drive off without her during an argument. In the footage, Gabby appeared visibly distressed as she told the police officer that she had a disagreement with Brian but she had apologised: "We've been fighting all morning and he wouldn't let me in the car before. He told me I need to calm down […] Rough morning."

The couple are thought to have been separated that night but reunited the following day and continued their travels. According to a police incident report obtained by The Independent, the couple had been going through a "mental health crisis" and no charges were filed.

Brian, who returned home 10 days before Gabby was reported missing, remains a person of interest in the case. So far, Brian has refused to confirm when he last saw Gabby or why he returned home with their van without her.

Police in North Port have said: "Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in this case. As of now, Brian has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators or has provided any helpful details."