Search intensifies for missing Gabrielle Petito, last heard from on August 25
(Gabrielle Petito, Missing, Image credit: gabspetito / Instagram)
(Updated September 15, 2021) On September 12, police in Suffolk County, New York, announced that they were investigating the disappearance of 22-year-old Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, who was living in Blue Point, New York. Police say that Petito went missing while traveling.
Petito was reported missing to the Suffolk County Police Department by her family on September 11 at approximately 6:55 p.m. According to family, they were last in contact with her during the last week of August. Prior to their last communication, Petito is believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, held a news conference Monday. She said the last conversation she had with her daughter was on Aug. 25. Schmidt said the two stayed in contact regularly. “At least three times a week we would FaceTime, call and text frequently,” she said. “She kept me updated on this trip.” ~ WPTV
Petito was traveling in a white, 2012 Ford Transit van with Florida license plate QFTG03 with her boyfriend when she stopped communicating with friends and family.
Petito, 22, of Blue Point, is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads “let it be.”
Gabby’s boyfriend has been identified as Brian Laundrie, who is also depicted in the missing woman’s social media travel posts. According to the authorities, Laundrie is not missing, but he reportedly is not cooperating with authorities and has retained a lawyer, according to WPTV.
The van she was traveling in has been recovered. It seems suspicious that the van was located at the home of her boyfriend’s parents in North Port, Florida – Sarasota County. Currently, there is no public statement from authorities as to how the van ended up in North Port.
In a statement, North Port PD 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 traveling in was located here in North Port. So, we are actively gathering local details and any evidence to assist in finding needed answers.”
North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor said they are not ruling anything out, including that Gabrielle may not want to be found. ~ FOX 13
Gabby is no stranger to social media and is an experienced blogger with followers on YouTube and Instagram – where she even shared videos and images of her travels with her boyfriend. In late July, Gabby shared an Instagram post of she and her boyfriend at Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park.
Note: As of September 15, Gabby’s Instagram page documenting her travels with boyfriend Brian Laundrie has been taken down.
Gabrielle’s most recent Instagram post was made on August 25. The photos appear to be taken in front of a mural called “The Monarch” in Ogden, Utah. ~ Fox 13
On September 14, Wink News reported that the North Port Police Department said that Brian Laundrie is now considered a “person of interest” in Gabby’s disappearance and that he’ll continue in that vein until he begins cooperating with the authorities.
Wink News also shared the news about a police report filed by Moab Police regarding Laundrie and Petito when the couple was still in Utah. That report was filed just two weeks before Gabby was last seen.
“Officers responded to an incident involving Brian Laundrie and Gabrielle Petitio on August 12, but they weren’t the reporting party,” the Moab sheriff shared in a statement. “Officers conducted an investigation and determined that insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges.”
Gabby’s YouTube video seen below, “Van Life,” depicting her travels with Brian Laundrie, was uploaded to the web on August 19 – less than one week after she was last heard from.
A GoFundMe effort to raise money to help in the search for Gabrielle Petito is currently underway. The page, started by a friend of the family, also characterized Gabby’s disappearance as suspicious.
Gabrielle Petito – Slideshow
- Suffolk County Detectives are asking anyone with information on Petito’s disappearance to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls can remain anonymous.
- North Port PD in Florida said that anyone who might have information about the case is asked to 941-429-7382.
- The FBI Tampa Field Office is also assisting the investigation. You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips to tips.fbi.gov.
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
