Gabby Petito: Body discovered that is "consistent with the description of" missing YouTuber
20 September 2021, 17:22
Gabby Petito seen crying in police bodycam footage before she went missing
The FBI have announced that a body “consistent with the description of” the 22-year-old has been discovered in Teton County, Wyoming by a search crew.
A body believed to be that of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito has been found.
The FBI have announced that a body “consistent with the description of” the 22-year-old has been discovered in Teton County, Wyoming by a search crew.
"As every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for her family," an FBI agent told a news conference yesterday (August 19), adding that a cause of death had not yet been confirmed.
Gaby’s father Joseph posted a tribute to his daughter on Twitter shortly after the conference, saying she “touched the world”.
Her brother TJ also shared an image of his sister to Instagram, writing: “I don’t even know what to say. I’m at a total loss. My heart is shattered #justiceforgabby”.
What happened to Gabby Petito?
Gabby had been visiting Grand Teton National Park with her fiance Brian Laundrie before she disappeared on August 11.
Gabby and Brian, who got engaged in July, had been travelling around the US in a campervan and documenting their travels on Instagram and YouTube.
Gabby was last seen at a hotel in Salt Late City, Utah, with fiancé Brian. She was reported missing by her family on September 11 after her mother, Nicole Schmidt, grew worried that she had not heard from Gabby, who would usually FaceTime her three times a week.
Brian Laundrie has since also been reported missing after being declared a “person of interest” in the case and declining to be interviewed by the police.
According to The Independent, the home of Brian’s parents in Florida, where he was last seen on Friday (August 17), is now being treated as a crime scene as police search for the 23-year-old in the Florida wilderness.
💔#GABBYPETITO she touched the world. pic.twitter.com/DukH7UCTPo
— joseph petito (@josephpetito) September 19, 2021
It comes after police released bodycam footage last week that showed Gabby and Brian being stopped by officers in the van they were travelling in. The video shows the couple being interviewed by responding officers on August 12 after a member of the public called emergency services claiming that Gabby and Brian had been fighting.
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.
Gabby’s family has since asked for privacy and, through their lawyer, said they will speak about their daughter’s disappearance once they are “ready to make a public statement.”
