A 22-year-old missing after going on a van trip with her fiancé and aspiring to be a content creator. Suspicious rose when family did not want to cooperate.
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Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito was a 22-year-old woman from North Port, Florida. In July 2021, she began a cross-country VAN trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.
On August 12, 2021, police in Moab, Utah, stopped the couple after a witness reported a possible dispute. Officers documented that Petito was upset, separated the pair for the night, and filed no charges.
Petito’s family said they last heard from her in late August while she was in the Wyoming area. Her final text message, on August 30 raised concerns because the family did not believe she wrote it.
On September 1, Laundrie returned alone to their North Port home driving the van. Petito was not with him. Her family reported her missing on September 11.
A multi-agency search began. On September 19, authorities found human remains at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Wyoming. The FBI confirmed they were Gabby Petito. The coroner ruled her death a homicide caused by manual strangulation.
During the investigation, Laundrie’s parents reported him missing on September 17, saying he went to the Carlton Reserve days earlier. A federal warrant was later issued for his unauthorized use of Petito’s debit card.
On October 20, investigators located Brian Laundrie’s remains in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A notebook recovered nearby included written statements taking responsibility for Petito’s death, according to the FBI. The medical examiner ruled Laundrie’s death a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The FBI closed the case on January 21, 2022, stating Laundrie was responsible for Petito’s death and that no other persons were involved.
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