THIS BLOG IS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER – PLEASE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR THE UPDATES FROM WEEK 1.
Gabby Petito (22) left on an exciting road trip adventure with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie earlier this year.
Before we get started, check out their social media accounts:
They even made a website and YouTube account to document their travels.
The pair had been travelling around the country for at least a few months in their white van. Brian made this post in early July.
The couple had traveled to Kansas’ Monument Rocks, Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zion National Park and Bryce National Park in Utah and Canyonlands National Park since the start of their trip.
Gabby is originally from New York and she is very close to her family. She checked in regularly with them while she traveled. The last contact they had with her was in the last week of August 2021.
In a press release, Suffolk County Police Department said: “According to family, they were last in contact with her during the last week of August. Prior to the last communication, Petito is believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming,” adding that anyone with information about her whereabouts should come forward.
Gabby’s mother, Nicole Schmidt said she last spoke to her daughter on the phone on August 25, and received texts from her a few days later. She said she isn’t sure that the texts were actually from Gabby.
Gabby was last actually seen alive on August 24, when she checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City with Brian. They allegedly stopped in Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 25. Their next stop was due to be Yellowstone National Park .
Gabby’s family became worried around September 11 when they had not heard from her. It was not too unusual for her to be out of contact for a short term due to no wifi. They decided enough was enough though, and reported her missing on September 11.
An investigation into Gabby’s whereabouts began and online comments say that Brian was back home in Florida by August 30.
Brian drove their white van home and he has since retained an attorney and is not cooperating with police.
Gabby’s mother spoke to the media again.
‘I can’t say much, but she’s no longer with the van. I don’t want to say anything more than that but for people looking for her, I want them to look for her now, not look for that van anymore.’
Gabby’s family have started a Facebook page in an effort to help find her.
Gabby is about 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos. A tattoo on her forearm says “let it be.”
Updates: September 14th
Police released a new statement, revealing that the FBI are involved:
The North Port Police Department is actively assisting in this case in conjunction with the Suffolk County Police Department where she was reported missing. We currently have no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port. With that said, the circumstances are odd. The vehicle she was traveling in was located here in North Port. So, we are actively gathering local details and any evidence to assist in finding needed answers. If you know anything about this case please contact us at 941-429-7382.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is also looking into the situation. Tips can be sent by calling 1-800 CALL FBI or online through tips.fbi.gov.
Police confirmed to the media that they took possession of the white van from Brian’s family home.
“We have the vehicle, we took it away very late Saturday night into Sunday,” North Port police spokesman Josh Taylor said.
“We take it, we process it for evidence — fingerprints, any evidentiary value that we think is possible. We are continuing to try to piece the things together. The situation is obviously very fluid,” added Taylor, who confirmed that Brian has not talked with investigators yet. “We have not talked with him, we would love to talk to him. He is under no obligation to talk to us — and he has not. And we don’t even know yet if a crime happened.”
Taylor said police went to the home of Brian’s parents, who “did not want to make him available”.
In a statement, police said: “We currently have no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port. With that said, the circumstances are odd. “The vehicle she was travelling in was located here in North Port. So, we are actively gathering local details and any evidence to assist in finding needed answers. If you know anything about this case, please contact us at 941-429-7382,” police added.
The Laundrie family released a statement on September 14:
Joe Petito sent a message to Gabby via the media : “Gabby, we just want you to come home,” he said. “Call us. Let us know you’re OK. Come home, please.”
The Petito family also released a statement, seemingly in response to Brian’s ‘statement’:
Updates: September 15th
It’s being reported that Utah police were called for an incident between Gabby and Brian 2 weeks before she was last seen. Apparently, someone else called the police on them. No further details yet. (source FOX)
09/15, 11:30 am
Police give a statement on the latest in the search for Gabby and officially call Brian a POI.
Instagram said they took Gabby’s account down temporarily
Fox13 obtained the 8/13 incident report
DailyMail put out an article about her last text and phone ping
A new statement from Gabby’s family
A new statement from Brian’s attorney
Updates: September 16th
Body cam footage from 8/12 has been released
Here is an easy to follow timeline from NBC
Photos of a girl who looks like Gabby:
Photos of a girl who looks a lot like Gabby began circulating social media on the evening of 9/17. The photo is said to be from 9/1 in Lodi, California. Someone reached out the the family’s “Find Gabby” Facebook page and were told the girl is not Gabby.
The photos also look similar to this young girl
Kylen Schulte & Crystal Turner Connection?
We also did a write up on the deaths of Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner. The two were found murdered 5 days after they were last seen at Woody’s Bar in Moab, Utah on 8/13. They were camping in the area.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember that on 8/12 Gabby and Brian had an encounter with police in the same area. In fact, they were at Kylen’s place of work – Moonlight Co-op.
Before Kylen and Crystal disappeared, they told a friend about a “creepy guy” who was bothering them and they were considering moving their campsite away from him. Kylen also joked ‘if something happened to them, they were murdered.”
The girls bodies were found on 8/18 partially undressed with multiple gunshot wounds.
Read their full story here.
Plea for help from Gabby’s family attorney
Updates: September 17th
Blurbs from the news:
A stop sign near the Laundrie’s home
There will be a prayer vigil tonight (9/17) in North Port, FL
North Port Police release Gabby’s missing person report but it’s all redacted.
Police have determined there is no connection between Gabby and the murders of Kylen and Crystal
Then someone released a fake statement and NPPD had to correct them
POLICE ARE IN THE LAUNDRIE’S HOUSE – just going to post all the screenshots from journalists who were there
So, apparently Brian is MIA.
Updates: September 18
Blurbs from the news:
Here is a good timeline I found on reddit that includes all of the possible/non-confirmed sightings of Brian or Gabby as well.
Police are currently searching for Brian in the 25000+ acre Carlton Reserve. They said that Brian took his vehicle there Tuesday and then the vehicle somehow made its way back to the house Tuesday. Brian’s parents provided police with articles of clothing for the dogs to track him, what’s what you saw removed from the home.
As of right now they do not believe Gabby is with Brian and they do not believe anybody else is in danger at this time. They have 50 police officers on site, including ATV’s, drones, police dogs, and airboats for the canal.
Per police, this is ONLY a missing persons grid search at the moment.
Search for GABBY updates:
We started a new blog for week 2 of the search for Gabby. You can find it here.
Did they go to the mackinaw bridge as well
I thought I seen it in the video
What about this Christopher guy???
Thinking the same
So my question is if she sent a text August 30th in Northern California how was Brian back in Florida September 1St?
It wasn’t Northern California
Whoever sent the text “claimed” to be in Yosemite. They wouldn’t necessarily have to BE in Yosemite to claim that is where they were.
Why ! And I know this might be petty given what’s happening and the fact that she is missing . but why do the cops treat him so well ? Like why the hell does gabby who doesn’t drive that clearly us more upset then Brian …take the can alone and they take him to hotel to shower relax and watch tv while she has to go pay for a shower and find a place to park and sit in the van alone ????????? Wthhhh ..
Grrrrr this is infuriating!!!! I believe there is little hope Gabby is alive. Brian at the very least is involved somehow. And now he has the audacity on top of him and family refusing to cooperate with police, to go into hiding or off himself.
Has anyone looked into the money accounts of the family and lawyer? If he fled the country there should be a money trail. If he stayed in country he will still need money to survive