The boyfriend of the missing young American has been missing since mid-September. Significant means have been put in place to find him, while several elements attest to significant tensions in the couple.
The investigation continues after the disappearance of the young American traveler Gabrielle Petito in circumstances which still remain murky. On Sunday, a body matching the 22-year-old’s description was found in a Wyoming national park. An identification was still in progress on Tuesday.
Originally from Florida, “Gabby” Petito had left New York in July with her companion Brian Laundrie, 23, for a “road trip” in a van supposed to last four months . First surprise in this affair which has several: on September 1, Brian Laundrie returns alone with the van to Florida. Eleven days later, the family of the young American reports her disappearance, saying they have not heard from her since the end of August.
New twist last week: the fiancé disappears in his turn. His parents reported him to the police on September 17, several days after his departure. “The lawyer for the Laundrie family called FBI investigators Friday night indicating that the family wanted to talk about their son’s disappearance,” police said.
Where did Brian Laundrie go?
Officially, the young man, who refused to cooperate with investigators, is not a suspect, only “a person of interest”. “He is not wanted for a crime,” said the police, who say so far treat Brian’s disappearance after Gabrielle’s as “a case of multiple disappearances.”
Legal representatives for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of a North Port woman who went missing while the couple was in the middle of a cross-country trip, said he and his family are “remaining in the background” while searches get underway near the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito and Laundrie – who police have not identified in relation to the case, but legal representatives for his family identified Tuesday afternoon – were driving a converted camper van from Florida to New York and then to national parks out west when Gabrielle went missing.
North Port police joined the investigation, assisting agencies across multiple states to find out what happened to her now that her boyfriend and the van were located Saturday at his North Port family home.
North Port police confirmed Tuesday morning that Gabby’s boyfriend was not cooperating with the investigation and did not identify him by name. FOX 13 News has confirmed his identity through a press release from Steven P. Bertolino, P.C., of Bertolino Law in Long Island, New York.
“The Schmidt and Petito family are going through the worst moments of their lives. Their beautiful twenty-two year old daughter is missing and the one person that can help find Gabby refuses to help,” the statement says, in part.
Meanwhile, investigators in Sarasota County have been searching the van for clues into Gabrielle’s disappearance, but there are no obvious signs of foul play inside.
“The concern is already there. There is enough information there that we are concerned for her health and well-being,” said Josh Taylor, with the North Port Police Department. “The investigation will evolve when we have more details and evidence. I’m confident that will happen.”
Agencies from Sarasota County to New York to the FBI are now trying to piece together where she might have gone.
Gabrielle and her boyfriend began their trip in July, driving from Florida to New York, where Petito grew up. The couple then drove west, stopping at national parks along the way.
A little more than a month into their trip, on September 11, Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, reported her daughter missing. Schmidt said the last time she talked to her daughter was August 25.
Nicole said her daughter and boyfriend’s road trip was supposed to end in Portland next month, but along the way, she seemed to have disappeared. They chronicled their travels on several social media accounts throughout July and August. Then, the posts stopped and so did the calls home.
At first, they figured she was out of cellphone range, but after several days passed, Gabby’s family became worried. On Saturday, they officially reported her missing.
Her last post on social media was August 25. That’s also the last day her mother said she heard from her. She said the two spoke over Facetime. Gabby told her they were in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and planned to visit Yellowstone National Park next, but it’s unclear if she ever made it.
