(Trends Wide) — Local and federal authorities are searching for 22-year-old Gabby Petito, who was reported missing by her family over the weekend after she traveled with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.
Laundrie returned to the couple’s North Port, Florida home earlier this month without Petito and now refuses to speak to authorities, police say. Petito’s family and his attorneys have pleaded with Laundrie and her family to cooperate and help bring the young woman home.
An attorney representing the Laundrie family said in a statement Tuesday that the family “is in the background at this time and will not comment further” for legal advice.
Police describe Petito as a white woman, who is about 1.65 meters tall and weighs 50 kilos, has blonde hair, blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that says ” Let it be “. The FBI has established a national hotline, 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324), to receive information.
This is what we know about what happened in the case of the missing girl.
June 2021
North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison told a news conference Thursday that Petito and Laundrie, whom Garrison described as the woman’s fiancé, embarked on a trip across the country in June.
They planned to ride the white Ford truck from Petito to the west coast and visit state national parks in the region, Garrison said.
She was excited to share her journey with her family and others on social media, she said.
“He was in regular contact with members of his family during his trip. However, that communication was abruptly cut off at the end of August,” added the police chief.
A photo of Gabby Petito taken from her Instagram account.
August 12, 2021
Police in Moab, Utah, had an encounter with the couple on August 12, describing that the couple had “been involved in some kind of altercation.”
Although Laundrie and Petito had a physical fight after an argument, “both the man and the woman reported that they are in love and engaged to be married and that they did not desperately want to see anyone charged with a crime,” according to the police officer Eric’s report. Pratt.
Moab police body camera footage shows them talking to Brian Laundrie.
At the agents’ suggestion, Laundrie and Petito separated at night, according to the report. Petito is described by an agent as “confused and emotional”.
“After evaluating the totality of the circumstances, I do not believe the situation has risen to the level of an attack as much as a mental health crisis,” wrote Officer Daniel Robbins in the police report. No charges were filed.
The couple each had their own cell phone in case of emergency, the report added.
Body camera footage from Moab Police shows an officer talking to Gabby Petito.
last week of august
Petito’s family told police they were last in contact with her during the last week of August, North Port police said.
Before that latest communication, Petito is believed to have been in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, police say.
At a press conference Thursday, the Petito family’s attorney, Richard Stafford, said the family’s last communication with Petito was on August 30, but the family does not believe the message they received was from Petito. The lawyer refused to share what the message said or why they did not believe it was written by her.
September 1, 2021
Laundrie returned to the couple’s home in North Port, where his parents also live, on Sept. 1, according to police.
The white vehicle in which Petito and Laundrie were traveling was later recovered by the police at the house. The vehicle was processed and “there was some material there” that authorities will review, North Port police spokesman Josh Taylor said at a news conference Wednesday.
Photos of Petito’s truck, released by North Port police.
September 11, 2021
After being unable to contact her, Petito’s family, who live in New York, reported her missing Saturday night to the Suffolk County, New York Police Department.
North Port authorities went to Laundrie’s home Saturday night asking to speak to him and his family, but “basically gave us his lawyer’s information,” said Taylor, the police spokesman.
“That was the extent of our conversation with them,” Taylor said.
16 of September
In a letter read Thursday by the Petito family’s lawyer during the police press conference, the family of the missing girl begged Laundrie’s family to help in the investigation.
“Please, if you or your family have any decency left, please tell us where Gabby is,” Stafford said. “Tell us if we are looking in the right place. All we want is for Gabby to come home. Please help us make that happen.”
He said Petito’s family contacted Laundrie’s family earlier this month to obtain information on where Petito might be, but his family declined to respond.
“We have not been able to sleep or eat, and our lives are falling apart,” adds the letter from the Petito family.
