Gaby Petito news – latest: Family shares holiday tribute, saying ‘Live with love, laughter and gratitude’
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The family of Gabby Petito have shared a number of Thanksgiving messages that pay tribute to the 22-year-old, more than two months after her remains were found in rural Wyoming by FBI investigators.
Her father, Joseph Petito, posted a moving Thanksgiving Day message to his daughter in which he said he missed his daughter, who “should be with us but now all we have are the pictures.”
Nichole Schmidt, her mother, also wrote: “Gabby will forever remind me to be grateful for every moment, every breath, and every memory. I will cherish what I’ve had, and have in the present, always. Live with love, laughter and gratitude”.
Both parents, as well as Ms Petito’s mother and stepfather, are founders of the non-profit Gabby Petito Foundation to help raise awareness and reunite families with their missing loved ones.
The touching Thanksgiving messages follow reports on Thursday that the whereabouts of the gun used in Brian Laundrie’s death remains unknown, days after a lawyer for the family revealed the results of an autopsy on the 23-year-old’s remains.
Mr Laundrie, who was the focus of a manhunt for more than a month as investigators searched for clues in the death of Ms Petito during their cross-country van trip together, was found to have shot himself in the head.
ICYMI: Brian Laundrie shot himself in the head, family attorney says
Brian Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, family attorney Steven Bertolino has revealed. The Independent has more.
Brian Laundrie shot himself in the head, family attorney says
Laundries hope cause of death confirmation will bring ‘closure’ to two families
Prosecutors considering new charges in Gabby Petito case
Petito family lawyer Richard Stafford revealed that prosecutors may be considering bringing charges against other individuals involved with the Gabby Petito case.
“The Schmidt and Petito family has been aware of the circumstances surrounding the suicide of the sole suspect in Gabby’s murder,” Mr Stafford said. “The family was asked to not comment and let the FBI continue their investigation and allow the United States Attorney’s Office to make a determination on whether any additional individuals will be charged.”
It is unclear who else prosecutors might consider charging or what charges they will bring.
ICYMI: Gabby Petito memorial bench installed outside North Port City Hall
A bench memorialising Gabby Petito has been installed outside North Port, Florida’s, city hall.
The bench was installed in the sport where a large, makeshift memorial filled with flowers, signs, and stuffed animals stood in the weeks after Ms Petito was reported missing.
The original memorial was removed to protect it from the elements, and the items were given to the Petito family.
Florida police who lost Brian Laundrie charged 100k in overtime on the case
The months-long investigation by North Port police into the disappearances and deaths of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie allegedly cost more than $100,000 (£74,000) in overtime pay.
A spokesperson for the North Port Police Department said on Monday that although it did not track how much it was spending on its investigations, the cost of paying overtime was over $100,000 (£74,000).
The Independent’s Gino Spocchia has more on the massive overtime pay in the story below...
Search for Brian Laundrie cost 100k in overtime
Department accused of failing to monitor the 24-year-old allegedly spent 2,000 extra hours on the case
ICYMI: Thousands sign petition demanding Florida police be investigated for handling of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie case
More than 3,400 people have signed a petition calling for a formal investigation into the North Port police department’s handling of the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie investigation.
The change.org petition, addressed to Florida governor Ron DeSantis, urged him to start an “internal investigation into this case” but added that the “bigger picture is to bring about change”.
“Police deal with citizens on a daily basis and the actions of incompetence can have tremendous, life-altering effects on numerous people in their communities,” the petition said. “What happens when you have a department that’s full of incompetence? Well, Governor DeSantis, this case right here is what happens.”
The Independent’s Maroosha Muzaffar has more in the story below...
Thousands demand Florida police be investigated in Petito-Laundrie case
Petition raises doubts about handling of evidence and calls it ‘highly suspicious’
ICYMI: Gabby Petito’s mother says the family didn’t notice any “red flags” during her daughter’s relationship with Brian Laundrie
ICYMI: Gabby Petito’s mother says the family didn’t notice any “red flags” during her daughter’s relationship with Brian Laundrie, Bevan Hurley writes.
Gabby Petito’s mother says she didn’t see warning signs in Laundrie relationship
Nichole Schmidt says wishes her daughter had ‘opened up’ about her relationship with Brian Laundrie
FBI remain silent on Brian Laundrie case
ICYMI: The FBI Denver office is maintaining its silence after a forensic anthropologist revealed that Brian Laundrie died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
Richard Stafford, the lawyer representing the Petito family also noted today that prosecutors are considering bringing charges against additional individuals.
The federal agency offered no information to reporters who asked about the developments, instead directing them to the FBI Denver Twitter page and wishing them a happy Thanksgiving.
Laundrie family lawyer says he has “no reason” to think parents will face charges in Gabby Petito case
ICYMI: Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the parents of Brian Laundrie, said he has “no reason” to believe that his clients will face charges in the death of Gabby Petito.
“I have no reason to believe any charges will be filed against Chris and Roberta Laundrie [Brian Laundrie’s parents] with respect to this case,” Mr Bertolino said in a statement to Insider.
The statement comes in the wake of Petito family attorney, Richard Stafford, claiming he has advised his clients to remain silent until the FBI investigation into the case has concluded, noting that prosecutors are considering whether or not to charge “additional individuals” with crimes connected to the woman’s death.
Outrage over FBI ‘hiding’ that Brian Laundrie was ‘armed’
The FBI is being slammed for “hiding” the fact that he was “armed and dangerous,” after it was revealed that Brian Laundrie had shot himself in the head.
Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing Laundrie’s parents — had earlier said one of the Laundries’ guns could not be found at the time their son went missing.
He was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail: “We didn’t want the public going into a frenzy on that. I don’t think they considered him dangerous to anybody he met on the street.”
The family had tried to keep it a secret.
The investigators are still looking for the gun.
Now people are furious with the FBI for hiding that Laundrie was “armed” and “dangerous.”
On social media, several observers asked “Why do we even have an FBI?” and others said: “What is FBI hiding.”
One user, who goes by the handle Tessarossa on Twitter said: “Wow. I saw the update on the news and this blatantly obvious question didn’t even occur to me. None of this makes sense. What is the FBI hiding?”
There was outrage over the fact that the FBI tried to hide the “vital information.” One social media user commented that the law enforcement and the FBI have a lot to answer for in the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie case “knowing that he had a firearm when he went missing and not notifying the public of an armed and dangerous person.”
Brian Laundrie: Everything we know about Gabby Petito’s boyfriend
ICYMI: Ever since human remains found inside the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park were confirmed as belonging to Brian Laundrie, the manner of his death has remained a mystery.
But on 23 November, the family’s attorney Steven Bertolino revealed Brian Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Catch up on everything we know about Mr Laundrie in Helen Elfer’s story for The Independent below...
Everything we know about Brian Laundrie as his remains are identified
FBI confirms human remains belong to Brian Laundrie
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