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.
Did Brian Laundrie leave a suicide note? Damaged notebook may provide last chance of learning how Gabby Petito died
A notebook recovered close to the skeletal remains of Gabby Petito’s boyfriend Brian Laundrie may represent the last hope authorities have for finding answers about her death.
Laundrie, whose death was confirmed to be gunshot wounds by suicide on Tuesday, was found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on 20 October, along with personal items including a notebook that had been sealed inside a dry bag.
The area had been underwater for nearly a month, and the notebook sustained water damage, but North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor said last month it may be “salvageabale”.
Bevan Hurley has more:
Did Brian Laundrie leave a suicide note?
Hopes Laundrie notebook could provide answers to lingering questions
Dog the Bounty Hunter questions latest news on Brian Laundrie
Dog the Bounty Hunter has questioned the latest details released on Brian Laundrie’s autopsy results, hinting that he believes that the fugitive could still be alive.
Just hours after the news broke on Tuesday that Laundrie had died from suicde, Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman appeared on Fox News to give his take on proceedings.
During his interview with the channel, Mr Chapman spoke of the fugitive as if there was still some doubt that the human remains found last month in Florida did not belong to him.
“If he’s alive he’s going to get arrested,” Mr Chapman said before adding: “Right now it looks like he committed suicide.”
“It’s a tragedy for both families,” he said.
Gabby Petito family waiting to see if others will be charged as Brian Laundrie lawyer reveals cause of death
The family of Gabby Petito has said it is waiting to see if other individuals are charged over their daughter’s murder, after it was reported the suspect in her death had shot himself in the head.
A lawyer for the family of Brian Laundrie, whose remains were recovered from a Florida nature reserve last month, said a post-mortem examination had concluded the 24-year-old had died after shooting himself in the head with a gun.
Laundrie had been named as a “person of interest” by the FBI in the disappearance and killing of the 22-year-old woman, whose case triggered global attention.
Andrew Buncombe has more:
Petito family waiting to see if others charged over daughter’s murder
Brian Laundrie’s remains recovered from Florida nature reserve last month
Brian Laundrie: The dark themes that permeate his digital footprint
A recently uncovered social media account belonging to Brian Laundrie is being pored over by an army of internet sleuths seeking clues to his state of mind prior to his death.
The Pinterest page suspected of being Mr Laundrie’s is also offering new clues into his state of mind in the weeks before his girlfriend Gabby Petito went missing on or about 25 August.
Ms Petito’s remains were found in Wyoming on 19 September. Laundrie was found dead in a Florida reserve a month later, and autopsy results showed he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, family lawyer Steven Bertolino announced on 23 November.
Bevan Hurley reports:
The dark themes permeating Brian Laundrie’s digital footprint
Brian Laundrie’s social media accounts may provide clues to his state of mind before the death of his girlfriend Gabby Petito
Where could Brian Laundrie’s alleged gun be?
Although the anthropologist’s ruling has answered one question - how did Brian Laundrie die - it raises others, like what happened to the gun that the 23-year-old used?
As Graig Graziosi writes, there remain a few possibilities as to its location...
Brian Laundrie: No gun found amid reports firearm belonging to family is missing
No firearm has been reported found near the site where remains of suspect in Gabby Petito homicide were discovered
ICYMI: Timeline of events in Petito-Laundrie case
2 July – Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie leave New York for van-life road trip.
12 August – The couple is seen arguing in Moab City, Utah. Concerned bystanders call the police, who intervene, capturing the altercation on video on the officers’ body camera. One officer describes the incident as a “mental health crisis”.
17 August – Laundrie flies from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Tampa, Florida, alone, to collect some items and close a storage unit as the couple allegedly contemplates extending their road trip.
23 August – Laundrie returns to Salt Lake City to rejoin Petito.
24 August – Petito spotted checking out of a hotel in Salt Lake City with Laundrie.
25 August – Petito has a video call with her mother.
27 August – Louisiana couple see Petito and Laundrie involved in a “commotion” at the Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming. Last known sighting of Petito.
30 August – last text messages sent from Petito’s phone.
1 September – Laundrie returns to North Port, Florida, where the couple lived, without Gabby.
11 September – Petito’s family launch missing person’s investigation
14 September – Police declare Laundrie a “person of interest” in the case.
17 September – Laundrie’s family call investigators to their home, admit Brian has been missing since 14 September.
19 September – FBI announce that a body has been discovered in Wyoming, believed to be Petito.
20 September – FBI search the Laundrie home, declared it a crime scene.
21 September – Petito family attorney confirms that the body found in Wyoming is Gabby. FBI confirm her death to be a homicide.
23 September – FBI issue federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, related to “activities following the death of Gabby”.
12 October – Teton County Coroner announces Petito’s cause of death was strangulation.
20 October – Human remains discovered in Florida’s Carlton Reserve, alongside personal items that belonged to Laundrie.
21 October – FBI match Laundrie’s dental records to human remains found in the Carlton Reserve.
23 November - Autopsy results confirm Brian Laundrie died from self-inflicted gunshot wound to head and verdict of suicide recorded.
Laundrie family ‘mourning'
Steven Bertolino, the Laundrie family lawyer, told reporters following the recent autopsy that he hoped the finding brought closure for both families, inculding that of Gabby Petito.
He added that “Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families”.
What have Gabby Petito’s family said?
“The Schmidt and Petito family has been aware of the circumstances surrounding the suicide of the sole suspect in Gabby’s murder,” an attorney for the family said in a statement Tuesday.
“Gabby’s family will not be making a statement at this time due to the request of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Teton County Prosecutor’s Office,” the attorney, Richard Stafford, reportedly added of her parents and stepparents.
Questions remain about Laundrie notebook
There was intense speculation that Brian Laundrie’s notebook could contain a suicide note, or explain how and why Ms Petito, whose remains were found in Wyoming on 19 September, was killed.
When asked about the possibility of the notebook containing answers about his daughter’s death, Joseph Petito said said it wouldn’t bring him closure and definitely wouldn’t bring Gabby back.
Laundrie, 23, was confirmed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head by lawyer Steven Bertolino on Tuesday.
Laundrie family attorney Mr Bertolino told The Independent’s Bevan Hurley he didn’t know whether the notebook had yielded any new information or when it might be publicly released.
Did Brian Laundrie leave a suicide note?
Hopes Laundrie notebook could provide answers to lingering questions
Laundrie family reportedly turned guns over to police
Steven Bertolino, the attorney for the Laundrie family, has reportedly said that they turned over all of their guns to police after the 23-year-old was reported missing in September.
However, one was missing, according to WESH 2.
Mr Bertolino added that the family had cooperated “from day one” with FBI investigators.
Police in North Port, Florida, have meanwhile faced accusations that they failed to track Mr Laundrie the week he disappeared from his home.
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