What We Know About the Disappearance of Gabby Petito – The Cut
Influencer Gabby Petito was reported missing on September 11 after an extended road trip through the desert with her boyfriend, who had since returned to the couple’s Florida home. On September 19, the FBI said it had found human remains consistent with the description of Petito, and now a preliminary autopsy has deemed homicide the cause of death.
So far, 23-year-old Brian Laundrie has refused to tell police where he last saw Gabby Petito, 22; indeed, he is reportedly refusing to tell them, or Petito’s family, anything at all. The FBI and Florida police are treating Laundrie’s home as a crime scene and executed a search warrant on the residence on Monday, September 20. Now, the FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie, though authorities have been unable to locate him since September 17. His whereabouts are still unknown.
Officers in Moab, Utah, responded to a dispute between Petito and Laundrie in mid-August; Petito was “crying uncontrollably,” per the report, while Laundrie explained “that time spent created emotional strain between them and increased the number of arguments.” Petito’s parents say they hadn’t heard from their daughter since late August, and are pleading with Laundrie and the public to share any details they might have about their daughter’s death. Meanwhile, authorities ranging from the North Port police in Florida to the FBI have been investigating the case. Here’s everything we know so far.
Gabby Petito was a travel influencer.
Originally from Blue Point, New York, Petito lived with Laundrie — apparently her fiancé — and his parents in North Port, Florida. Beginning around 2019, the pair traveled the country together, with Petito documenting their trips on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. On July 2, they left from Long Island on a cross-country drive, posting from national parks and hot springs under the hashtag “van life.” Her most recent Instagram post went up on August 25.
A witness to an argument they had in Utah called police, who separated Petito and Laundrie for a night.
On August 12, police in Moab, Utah, stopped Petito and Laundrie after a witness called 911 about a “domestic problem” the couple allegedly had outside the Moonflower Community Cooperative. The 911 caller said they saw Petito slap Laundrie across the face during a fight over a phone, and then climb through the van’s window as if Laundrie had locked her out. When police pulled them over, Petito was “crying uncontrollably,” per a police report. “At no point in my investigation did Gabrielle stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears, wipe her nose, or rub her knees with her hands.”
Laundrie told the officer that so much time together inside the van had created “emotional strain” that led them to fight more, while Petito reported “serious anxiety” made worse by “little arguments she and Brian had been having all day.” Laundrie, meanwhile, said Petito became “manic” from fear that he would strand her in the desert. During their argument, Petito scratched Laundrie’s face and arms, but per the report: “They are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn’t wish to see anyone charged with a crime.” Laundrie said he felt safe and did not appear to have hurt Petito physically, the officer concluded; still, he brought Laundrie to a hotel and left Petito in the van to cool off for a night, encouraging them “to take advantage of this time apart to relax their emotions and regain control of their anxiety.”
Police labeled the incident a “mental/emotional break” rather than a domestic assault.
Laundrie arrived back to Florida on September 1 without Petito.
Over two weeks later, on September 1, Laundrie arrived back in Florida without Petito. On September 11, the day Petito’s parents reported her missing, North Port investigators found the couple’s van at Laundrie’s parents’ house. Because he is the last known person to have seen Petito — and is also her boyfriend — Laundrie is a person of interest in the case. But he’s not talking.
So far, he is refusing to speak with police.
On September 15, North Port police — who are working with the FBI and police in Suffolk County, New York, on the case — said Laundrie had neither “made himself available to be interviewed by investigators” nor “provided any helpful details.”
“As a father, I can imagine the pain and suffering Gabby’s family is going through,” said North Port police chief Todd Garrison in the statement. “We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks. The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out.”
Right now, police are reportedly routing all their questions through Laundrie’s attorney, Steven Bertolino. In a statement to CBS2 New York, Bertolino explained: “In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this and the warning that ‘any statement made will be used against you’ is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito’s disappearance. As such, on the advice of counsel, Mr. Laundrie is not speaking on this matter.” Both he and his family, Bertolino added, “will continue to remain silent on the advice of counsel.”
Chief Garrison has appealed to Bertolino publicly, reminding him that “two people left on a road trip and one person returned.” Meanwhile, Petito’s family say they haven’t seen her since August 24 or 25, when she was hiking in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and video-chatted with her mom. Petito’s mother says they texted over the next few days, but Petito went dark after that. They also issued a statement, saying: “They are frantically searching for answers and information in their daughter’s disappearance while Brian sits in the comfort of his home.”
On September 19, the FBI found a body matching the description of Petito.
On Sunday, the FBI held a press conference sharing that they had found what they believe to be Petito’s remains, in Bridger-Teton National Forest. “On behalf of the FBI personnel and our partners, I would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby’s family,” an FBI spokesperson said during the conference. A cause of death has not been confirmed. Laundrie, whom the police are calling a “person of interest,” is still missing. On Monday, police declared Laundrie’s home, where he lived with his parents and Petito, a “crime scene.” The FBI and other authorities searching the home have removed Laundrie’s parents.
And on September 21, a preliminary autopsy ruled her death a homicide.
Two days after the FBI identified Petito’s body, the Teton County coroner Dr. Brent Blue announced that a preliminary autopsy determined her death a homicide. The official cause of death is still pending.
Now, the FBI has issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie.
Laundrie, whose whereabouts have been unknown since September 17, is being charged with using “unauthorized access devices.” Specifically, he appeared to use a Capital One debit card, which may have belonged to Petito, around August 30 and September 1. “It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,” said Steven Bertolino, the Laundrie family attorney, per Insider. “The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.” The FBI still considers Laundrie a person of interest in Petito’s homicide.
The FBI is encouraging anyone with information on Petito’s disappearance or Laundrie’s whereabouts to call its tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
This post has been updated.