Found Deceased WY - Gabby Petito, Grand Teton National Park #87

[PommyMommy]

Missing woman disappears after road trip with boyfriend as mom reveals message to authorities

Gabby Petito, 22, set out on a road trip with her boyfriend in a converted camper van in early July to tour National Parks, but she disappeared in late August and her family hasn't heard from her in more than two weeks. Now, her mother is pleading for help finding her daughter.

Nicole Schmidt, Petito's mother, said that the last verbal conversation she had with her daughter was on Aug. 25.

"I don't know if she left Grand Teton or not," Schmidt said. "I did receive a text from her on the 27th and the 30th, but I don't know if it was technically her or not, because it was just a text. I didn't verbally speak to her."

[...]

The couple stopped in Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 25, Petito's last known location, before a planned trip to Yellowstone. They were traveling in a 2012 Ford white van that was converted into a camper.

[...]

A spokesperson for the Jackson Police Department said that an "attempt to locate" call was recently filed for Petito. The Suffolk County Police Department is also investigating the case. Suffolk County PD declined to comment on Sunday.

Petito is 5’5" and has blonde hair and blue eyes. She has a triangle tattoo with flowers on her left arm and a "Let it be" tattoo on her right arm.

Anyone who has seen Gabby or has any information on the case should contact the Suffolk County Police Department at 1-800-220-8477.

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[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Some posts have been removed.

Please move on from semantics surrounding use of the term "extremely" used by the experts. No need to hyper-focus on one descriptive word when IMO we can agree that if the disorder results in a murder, most people would consider that to constitute extreme.

Also, as noted in the Opening Posts, discussion of mental health in general is not allowed. Members may discuss what is said by experts in MSM as it relates to this case but regular members are not qualified to discuss/comment on the specifics of a disorder unless they are a WS Verified mental health expert (i.e. psychologist, psychiatrist).

Thanks.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Read The Rules folks !! Websleuths is victim friendly and Gabby Petito's parents are victims.

Stop the negative speculation and snark about their pursuit of this lawsuit.

Any further posts that are not victim friendly will result in a permanent thread reply ban from this discussion.

 

[Laura456]

They have a time and date stamp; it was the same day, shortly before the 911 call.

Timestamps aren't ironclad, but you're right, there was no reason for her to change it and I don't think Brian or his parents had the skills or motivation, they would have erased the photo.

 

[NCWatcher]

There was a lot more to that fight than we heard, and they'd been fighting since the morning, IMHO and based on Gabby's and Brian's accounts during the stop (Brian says, for example, that they were having a nice morning but it was already late afternoon, Gabby describes his getting angry about cleaning out the van). My best guess is that they fought when she was trying to clean out the van, that's when he clocked her, she closed the back doors, took a photo, he *caught* her taking the photo of her injury and grabbed the phone away from her, leading to what was witnessed by the person who called 911. All MOO.

That's possible. But the timing is still very tight. From GP being in the back of the van with the doors closed taking the photo and then him somehow catching her & taking the phone away, then the both of them running up and down the sidewalk fighting over the phone with him "slapping" her (per the caller it was a slap) then him climbing in the van and starting to drive away while she climbed into the van through the driver's window, then the van speeding away, then the observer having time to react and decide to call 911 and then doing it... All of that happened in two minutes. That's tight.

That also doesn't leave much time for her to "clean up." Different resolution or not, makeup or not, the injuries look very different in the picture GP took vs the extensive video from the traffic stop...and if that level of injury WAS visible at the traffic stop, I'm surprised the female park ranger didn't mention that in her after-the-fact remarks to the press. Instead even she said they thought Gabby was the aggressor and said things like "“I wouldn't have called (the relationship) unsafe. If we had any reason to think any one of them was in danger, we would’ve separated them." And “This wasn't a good day for anybody. We thought we were making the right decision when we left them.” While she may have been covering up, the most damning thing she said was the relationship "seemed toxic." If she saw GP the way that photo portrays, would she have spoken about it that way? Seemed toxic?

If it happened that way and BL was upset GP took the selfie I wonder why he never erased it? He might not have had time that day but he likely had time in the two weeks before he killed her. And certainly had time if he was sending phony texts with the phone after killing her .. or is the assumption it was erased but somehow recovered? Either from the phone itself (I didn't think they had the phone but the atty said the photo was found "on Gabby's phone") or it was recovered from the cloud? GP may have had more techie skills than BL, but he took photos/videos on both of their trips. I really doubt 23-year old BL didn't know how to erase a cell phone photo.
JMO

 

[xyzlunar]

Timestamps aren't ironclad, but you're right, there was no reason for her to change it and I don't think Brian or his parents had the skills or motivation, they would have erased the photo.

I recall the whole metadata discussion at the Heard./.Depp trial related to photos showing different date/time stamps, but both obviously taken at the same time. IMO with uploading the picture to somewhere where it could later be retrieved by her parents without having the actual phone on hand, the timestamp showing is not necessarily the date/time it was taken. And, it would make a lot of sense to me that she decided to save a picture on her phone to the cloud or another dropbox type of storage, so it is not be found on her phone in case he looks for it/checks her phone.

 

[NCWatcher]

I recall the whole metadata discussion at the Heard./.Depp trial related to photos showing different date/time stamps, but both obviously taken at the same time. IMO with uploading the picture to somewhere where it could later be retrieved by her parents without having the actual phone on hand, the timestamp showing is not necessarily the date/time it was taken. And, it would make a lot of sense to me that she decided to save a picture on her phone to the cloud or another dropbox type of storage, so it is not be found on her phone in case he looks for it/checks her phone.

That would make some sense. So

1) it might not have been taken the day of the Moab event but just uploaded that day probably when they were driving away from the Moonflower after the street fight. (Since the time/date stamp is 2 minutes before the 911 call.) And whatever day it was taken, GP was wearing that brown top and the same jewelry... I don't know how often she did that but we do see her in the same earrings and necklaces in the pumpkin/monarch photo taken in Ogden and posted to her Instagram Aug 25. We don't know when the monarch photo was taken but it looks like she'd either had her hair colored more blonde or it had sun bleached blonder than it was in Moab. (I think it was probably taken after her hotel stay in SLC. She may have had her hair done then while BL was in FL.) No matter what, the monarch photo probably wasn't taken the day before or after Moab so she likely did repeat jewelry at various points (vs just not have changed it out yet.)

Human remains 'consistent' with description of Gabby Petito

So if the Moab lawsuit goes to trial we'll probably hear experts testify to the date stamp not being meaningful like in the Heard/Depp trial. If it wasn't taken that day, officers didn't miss her looking like that.

2) If it's from the cloud or some other dropbox her actual phone could still be missing. The P's attorney said the photo was found "on her phone" but he wasn't speaking under oath but to the public. I'm not sure how easy it is for next of kin to get access to cloud storage but I expect it can be done. I do wonder if there were photos from other days. It makes no sense to release them now because that might actually work to the advantage of the Moab officers. And the lawsuit against BL's estate is over. I do wonder when the photo was found though. I guess we'll learn that at trial. I'm curious because in mid-Sept NS called the Moab fight an ordinary irrelevant fight among travelers in tight quarters. Gabby Petito's mom slams Brian Laundrie's sister over interview
JMO

 

[TL4S]

That would make some sense. So

1) it might not have been taken the day of the Moab event but just uploaded that day probably when they were driving away from the Moonflower after the street fight. (Since the time/date stamp is 2 minutes before the 911 call.) And whatever day it was taken, GP was wearing that brown top and the same jewelry... I don't know how often she did that but we do see her in the same earrings and necklaces in the pumpkin/monarch photo taken in Ogden and posted to her Instagram Aug 25. We don't know when the monarch photo was taken but it looks like she'd either had her hair colored more blonde or it had sun bleached blonder than it was in Moab. (I think it was probably taken after her hotel stay in SLC. She may have had her hair done then while BL was in FL.) No matter what, the monarch photo probably wasn't taken the day before or after Moab so she likely did repeat jewelry at various points (vs just not have changed it out yet.)

Human remains 'consistent' with description of Gabby Petito

So if the Moab lawsuit goes to trial we'll probably hear experts testify to the date stamp not being meaningful like in the Heard/Depp trial. If it wasn't taken that day, officers didn't miss her looking like that.

2) If it's from the cloud or some other dropbox her actual phone could still be missing. The P's attorney said the photo was found "on her phone" but he wasn't speaking under oath but to the public. I'm not sure how easy it is for next of kin to get access to cloud storage but I expect it can be done. I do wonder if there were photos from other days. It makes no sense to release them now because that might actually work to the advantage of the Moab officers. And the lawsuit against BL's estate is over. I do wonder when the photo was found though. I guess we'll learn that at trial. I'm curious because in mid-Sept NS called the Moab fight an ordinary irrelevant fight among travelers in tight quarters. Gabby Petito's mom slams Brian Laundrie's sister over interview
JMO

It's all very perplexing to me. I do tend to believe that GP's selfie photo was taken around the time of the Moab fight, because not only is she wearing the same clothing/jewelry, but the scratches to her cheek, which are acknowledged in the bodycam footage, are visible. But so is a big knot on her forehead, swelling around her eye, scatches near her eye, and what some are calling blood smears, but looks more like an abrasion to me. It's all consistent with the 911 reports of them having a physical altercation, him hitting her in the face, etc. The timing...IDK. I'm willing to believe something is either off with the timestamp, or there's simply something in the timeline around then that we are missing. What doesn't make sense to me is why we can't see more of those injuries in the bodycam footage.

 

[NCWatcher]

It's all very perplexing to me. I do tend to believe that GP's selfie photo was taken around the time of the Moab fight, because not only is she wearing the same clothing/jewelry, but the scratches to her cheek, which are acknowledged in the bodycam footage, are visible. But so is a big knot on her forehead, swelling around her eye, scatches near her eye, and what some are calling blood smears, but looks more like an abrasion to me. It's all consistent with the 911 reports of them having a physical altercation, him hitting her in the fact, etc. The timing...IDK. I'm willing to believe something is either off with the timestamp, or there's simply something in the timeline around then that we are missing. What doesn't make sense to me is why we can't see more of those injuries in the bodycam footage.

Agree, mostly. And if we can't see those injuries in the body cam footage, could the officers see them in person? The selfie photo is intended to say "see what they ignored" but why are most of those injuries not visible on film? We have lots of angles of view.
JMO

 

[TL4S]

Agree, mostly. And if we can't see those injuries in the body cam footage, could the officers see them in person? The selfie photo is intended to say "see what they ignored" but why are most of those injuries not visible on film? We have lots of angles of view.
JMO

The timestamp being before the Moab stop pretty much means the photo had to be taken prior, rather than after, doesn't it? I mean, even if her phone was in airplane mode and hadn't switched time zones or something, that would mean the photo was taken an hour earlier. If the photo was from earlier, or from a previous day, then why did GP feel her face in the bodycam footage, as if she wasn't aware of the scratches? They are visible in the selfie. Were the swellings just not fully visible yet? Did the bleeding get wiped after the stop? Is the clarity just that bad? I'm totally perplexed.

 

[NCWatcher]

The timestamp being before the Moab stop pretty much means the photo had to be taken prior, rather than after, doesn't it? I mean, even if her phone was in airplane mode and hadn't switched time zones or something, that would mean the photo was taken an hour earlier. If the photo was from earlier, or from a previous day, then why did GP feel her face in the bodycam footage, as if she wasn't aware of the scratches? They are visible in the selfie. Were the swellings just not fully visible yet? Did the bleeding get wiped after the stop? Is the clarity just that bad? I'm totally perplexed.

Yes, that perplexed me too. She seemed to really not know what injuries were there except for a place that "burned" if she touched it. So what did she think she had documented in the selfie and didn't she look at it after she took it? Makes no sense unless the photo really was from a totally different day with the same clothes/same jewelry. An earlier day.. GP might have uploaded it to get it off her phone if she thought they might get pulled over after the public Moab fight. Maybe someone even yelled "I'm calling the cops." But from all accounts she was busy hitting BL in the arm during the drive so how could she also fiddle with her phone after crawling in the window? And if it happened that way, then the gap between the time stop and the 911 call should be smaller or even reversed with the call being earlier than the time stamp.

It's a puzzle.
JMO

 

[TL4S]

Yes, that perplexed me too. She seemed to really not know what injuries were there except for a place that "burned" if she touched it. So what did she think she had documented in the selfie and didn't she look at it after she took it? Makes no sense unless the photo really was from a totally different day with the same clothes/same jewelry. An earlier day.. GP might have uploaded it to get it off her phone if she thought they might get pulled over after the public Moab fight. Maybe someone even yelled "I'm calling the cops." But from all accounts she was busy hitting BL in the arm during the drive so how could she also fiddle with her phone after crawling in the window? And if it happened that way, then the gap between the time stop and the 911 call should be smaller or even reversed with the call being earlier than the time stamp.

It's a puzzle.
JMO

Is there any way possible that the timestamp is off and the photo was taken after the Moab stop?

 

[NCWatcher]

Is there any way possible that the timestamp is off and the photo was taken after the Moab stop?

Well they were separated at least for a time. So if BL couldn't have hit her again after the stop (at least not until later in the evening if she then drove to the motel.) So it's sort of the same problem. Why didn't the injuries show on video during the stop? It was a long stop too. And whether the time stamp is time taken, time uploaded, or is just off, how could it be so close in time to the 911 call? Just meaningless coincidence?
JMO

 

[TL4S]

Well they were separated at least for a time. So if BL couldn't have hit her again after the stop (at least not until later in the evening if she then drove to the motel.) So it's sort of the same problem. Why didn't the injuries show on video during the stop? It was a long stop too. And whether the time stamp is time taken, time uploaded, or is just off, how could it be so close in time to the 911 call? Just meaningless coincidence?
JMO

Indeed. There's no clear explanation, which is why it is so maddening. I wonder if the injuries were there but we just couldn't see them in the bodycam footage, and if so, perhaps GP's family is aware of this. IDK. But like you said, GP acted like she wasn't aware of her injuries in the footage, yet she seemingly had already taken the selfie by then. And why would LE ask her about the scratches and not the big knots on her head and eye?

The entire thing is unsettling to me because early on, the families said GP had not called them during the stop, and downplayed the seriousness, but later the story is that they said she called and they told her they would fly her home, and that Moab ignored the injuries, etc. (I'm summarizing, not quoting). I understand that maybe they found some of this information at a later date, but what about denying she had called them?

Just like I don't understand why the FBI didn't do anything with the "Burn After Reading" letter, if it were of great significance. I feel like I'm clearly missing some important data...

 

[xyzlunar]

Is there any way possible that the timestamp is off and the photo was taken after the Moab stop?

Either that, or the photo taken at a previous day would make the most sense to me - given the footage during the police stop not showing these injuries. With the size of the van they cannot have travelled with loads of clothing, and they also had to take some warmer clothing along for the further trip up North. It makes sense that she would wear that top on various days and just wash it out somewhere in between stops.
As for the jewelry - she wears the necklaces underneath the top in the photo, whereas they are above the top at the time of the police stop.

We do not know if they really stayed apart during the night as ordered by the police. It could very well be possible - actually, IMO it is very likely given their relationship - that they got back together after the stop. However, that does not fit the supposed timestamp,

 

[TL4S]

Either that, or the photo taken at a previous day would make the most sense to me - given the footage during the police stop not showing these injuries. With the size of the van they cannot have travelled with loads of clothing, and they also had to take some warmer clothing along for the further trip up North. It makes sense that she would wear that top on various days and just wash it out somewhere in between stops.
As for the jewelry - she wears the necklaces underneath the top in the photo, whereas they are above the top at the time of the police stop.

We do not know if they really stayed apart during the night as ordered by the police. It could very well be possible - actually, IMO it is very likely given their relationship - that they got back together after the stop. However, that does not fit the supposed timestamp,

Here's my hangup. You can see the scratches on her cheek in the selfie and the bodycam footage.

If the selfie was taken on some day prior to the Moab stop, then that would mean, 1) Moab LE mistook an old injury for a new one, 2) the knots on her head and eye were either no longer visible or not mentioned, even though the scratches were, 3) GP was pretending she had been unaware of the scratches on her cheek and that they burned, and 4) the timestamp was likely when she uploaded the photo, just minutes before the stop, or was way off.

If the selfie was taken after the Moab stop, then that would mean, 1) Moab LE didn't notice or mention the knots on her head and eye, 2) bodycam didn't register the knots, even though it did the scratches, 3) the injuries were possibly sustained after the stop, and 4) the timestamp was way off.

If the selfie was taken a couple minutes before the stop, as the P family claims, then that would mean, 1) GP got into the back of the van at so undetermined moment and took the photo, 2) GP either didn't notice the scratches on her cheek or pretended she didn't know about them during the stop, and 3) bodycam didn't capture those injuries, even though they did the scratches.

I'm not super comfortable relying on a timestamp being wrong, especially when it was so close to the Moab stop. And while I agree that GP most likely wore the same clothing often during the trip, I'm also not comfortable assuming she had on the exact same thing on the day of another physical altercation that resulted in the scratches to her cheek that Moab LE made note of, and GP acted unaware of. None of it makes sense to me.

 

[Nikynoo]

Timestamps aren't ironclad, but you're right, there was no reason for her to change it and I don't think Brian or his parents had the skills or motivation, they would have erased the photo.

It doesn't need to be change though does it, the time mechanism could be set incorrectly?

I am just wondering whether there is the suggestion by the P's that LE somehow 'cleaned up' the video of the stop so that G's injuries were not clear. From what I have seen of the stop video, I cannot see any injuries of the kind shown in the photo.

 

[Nikynoo]

Here's my hangup. You can see the scratches on her cheek in the selfie and the bodycam footage.

If the selfie was taken on some day prior to the Moab stop, then that would mean, 1) Moab LE mistook an old injury for a new one, 2) the knots on her head and eye were either no longer visible or not mentioned, even though the scratches were, 3) GP was pretending she had been unaware of the scratches on her cheek and that they burned, and 4) the timestamp was likely when she uploaded the photo, just minutes before the stop, or was way off.

If the selfie was taken after the Moab stop, then that would mean, 1) Moab LE didn't notice or mention the knots on her head and eye, 2) bodycam didn't register the knots, even though it did the scratches, 3) the injuries were possibly sustained after the stop, and 4) the timestamp was way off.

If the selfie was taken a couple minutes before the stop, as the P family claims, then that would mean, 1) GP got into the back of the van at so undetermined moment and took the photo, 2) GP either didn't notice the scratches on her cheek or pretended she didn't know about them during the stop, and 3) bodycam didn't capture those injuries, even though they did the scratches.

I'm not super comfortable relying on a timestamp being wrong, especially when it was so close to the Moab stop. And while I agree that GP most likely wore the same clothing often during the trip, I'm also not comfortable assuming she had on the exact same thing on the day of another physical altercation that resulted in the scratches to her cheek that Moab LE made note of, and GP acted unaware of. None of it makes sense to me.

BBM - was there easy access from the front to the back of the van or was the front sectioned off from the back?

It doesn't make sense to me either.

 

[NCWatcher]

BBM - was there easy access from the front to the back of the van or was the front sectioned off from the back?

It doesn't make sense to me either.

There does not appear to be access. And if there is (for a really skinny person only) it's not easy.
The pic near the bottom of this is article is from G&B's YouTube acct.

Bodycam Footage Reveals True Interior of Gabby Petito's Van

Bodycam footage from the police stop has revealed a glimpse into Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's van, in stark contrast to a video they shared.

www.newsweek.com

So to take a selfie in the back G would have had to get in back through back doors. And get out that way.
JMO

 

[Nikynoo]

There does not appear to be access. And if there is (for a really skinny person only) it's not easy.
The pic near the bottom of this is article is from G&B's YouTube acct.

Bodycam Footage Reveals True Interior of Gabby Petito's Van

Bodycam footage from the police stop has revealed a glimpse into Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's van, in stark contrast to a video they shared.

www.newsweek.com

So to take a selfie in the back G would have had to get in back through back doors. And get out that way.
JMO

I'm just watching the mosb stop again and I agree, that access would have to be through the back doors.

Looking at her face, from lots of different angles throughout the video, and especially at the beginning where she exits the van and talks to the officer where the left side of her face is very visible, there do not appear to be the injuries as shown in the photo. If this claim is going to be put to a jury, I think the- claimant really needs to explain their thinking because as it stands that picture was not taken 2 minutes before the MOAB stop.

Also, what is the mobile coverage like in that area? Would she have been able to upload photos whilst travelling in the van. Is it possible its an old photo and was uploaded when they were in the cafe in Moab?