Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #10

[Windsorite]

So what contact have LE actually had with BL? Did they ever meet him? Speak with him on the phone? See him in person from a distance?

I get that he's refused to cooperate, but was this relayed to LE via a third party such as another family member or their lawyer, or did BL actually speak to LE himself at some point (either in person or on the phone) and say he wasn't willing to talk with them/pass any comment on the case?

I'm just trying to figure out if LE went to the Laundrie's house and were refused entry initially and BL was there in the background refusing to talk, or they were let inside by the Laundries and BL refused to talk??

Does anyone have any clarity on this, please? It would surely aid in the time line as far as being able to confirm when BL was definitely last at the house.

No contact with BL ever. Relayed by the lawyer. They weren't inside the house at all until last night.

 

[Loveallmyhorsesdogsandcats]

I think they are likely telling the truth because they are concerned for their son's safety. They know LE has the resources to find him.

I wish they had shown the same consideration for Gabby, however.

I am suspicious they are now speaking with LE because they have given BL adequate time to secure his new location. The whole story of finding his car, driving it back, which as someone else already stated is suspicious, how did they know he no longer needed it? What if taking the car left him stranded? I think this could be some thought out plan

 

[Pepper6564]

Not answering questions, combined with leaving the area and failing to report Gabby missing undoubtedly made him a suspect.

However, no. Failing to answer questions cannot cause a person to be held in contempt. Contempt means they are in violation of a court’s orders.

He cannot be charged with obstruction either for failing to incriminate himself. Our U.S. constitution protects against that. (Fifth amendment right to silence). As it should. Those constitutional rights were asserted because in earlier times under English rule, people could be tortured until they “confessed”, or otherwise compelled to incriminate themselves. We have a right not to do that.

Obstruction of justice would more be for things like disposing of evidence, threatening witnesses, etc.

Would helping their son escape be obstruction of justice?

 

[JuneRose]

I can’t help but think that if Gabby had been arrested for DV, she would not be missing.

not true!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

One would ask “why does all of this make sense to BL”? I wonder if difficult situations in his past resulted in his behavior to run and hide from the situation. Quit things when it gets hard. There is a clear pattern of dismissive and avoidance tendencies when you look at this small frame of what is likely his overall behavioral style.

Individuals that have these tendencies, do however have key locations or items that they are attached to. This is where they find comfort, and even when leaving all else there is something they take with them. This park may have been his comfort location when he needs an escape. What is his tangible item? Did he take it with him or leave it behind? If he left it behind, that can be an indicator of a plan to separate from all completely.

His compass.

 

[Alkali13]

I've taken many buses throughout New England. Though a ticket might say to show ID, I was never once asked. Just a thought.

Pretty sure it's the same for the trains up here. Buy a ticket at a kiosk, just show the ticket when asked.

 

[Vegasgrl]

Did your dad bring along those extra sets of keys every time he went out for a drive?

It is possible that they saw the car, then went home for the spare key?

 

[captdj]

New member here doing my first post, although I've peeked into this site's postings for many years... Pardon me if someone asked this before, but every time that I blink, another 8-10 pages of posts fly by...

The latest North Port PD spokesman update (Josh Taylor, guy with the beard) said that they had 50+ LE out in the 25,000+ acres of the Carlton Reserve wilderness. Someone asked why they thought BL was there and Josh said BL family told them the CR was one place that BL often visited and they believed he may be hiding there ("hiding", not "missing" there). BL's family had asked LE to come to them yesterday because they had some things to discuss. Yesterday's LE visit with BL's family was not a search warrant, but a request by the family to speak to LE. So...

What if BL's parents PURPOSELY told LE yesterday to look in CR as a diversionary tactic to divert resources away from other places that BL may be traveling? Yes, the parents could be telling the truth and really wanting to help LE. But like Qinxuan Pan's parents giving him $19,000 cash and his father's passport, many parents will still help their children even if they knowingly are assisting a suspect in a crime. And you cannot prove that the parents purposely diverted LE to CR because the parents could just say that they were just guessing but trying to help with a tip. Diversionary/distracting tactics happen everyday both in real life and in movies (the "Die Hard with a Vengeance" movie involving a fake threat of a bomb placed somewhere in the city's schools comes to mind).

one of my thoughts were similar ...only because I don't trust the parents... while we are watching the right hand....what is the left hand doing? Hope LE is sitting on their home...

 

[Cardinal47]

IMO, these parents are in way over their heads.

Are there any forfeiture of asset laws whereby cost of resources can be recovered from anyone charged with obstruction of justice or causing a frivolous investigation?

You’re reading my mind!

 

[Here_I_Am]

IMO This says it all. They wanted to be influencers but were very basic, doing things, going places where every other vanlife influencer has already been. GP obviously wanted to monetize their adventures but wasn’t getting much exposure. GP seemed stressed about the social media aspects during the LE stop - I’m sure finances became an issue but I don’t know if/how that plays into GP’s disappearance

Is there a way to determine how many followers they had and how many likes their posts were getting BEFORE she was reported missing and became international news? I do think they were hoping to become van-life influencers and likely were not making any headway due to the fact that there are thousands of people creating similar videos. It's basically a shot in the dark to think your videos will succeed, but the fact that SOMEONE has to succeed entices people. I follow some van lifers, but for every successful one there are dozens of channels chugging along with a few hundred subscribers hoping for a big break or viral moment.

Influencers try to sell their followers on the dream. You can also make money by literally just posting on social media like me! Supply and demand doesn't work like that. If everyone was an influencer, then there is nobody to influence. A handful might succeed and the rest don't.

 

[10ofRods]

You can't report a car stolen when it's in police custody. And he had every business driving the van, he was the primary driver, she admitted she wasn't used to driving it or comfortable in the driver's seat (I don't remember her words exactly), but she mainly rode shotgun from what it seems. So yes, he had every right and business driving it. He had no right and no business leaving her, that's what matters.

But the two things are interconnected. First of all, she does know how to drive the van and there are videos of her driving it and SM posts talking about driving it. Being the "primary driver" of someone else's car doesn't make that car your own car.

In some sense, he was her driver - and he took her car. If this were a different kind of case, one in which some young person had been driving a feeble or disabled person around in that person's car, and then suddenly, the driver drives across country (leaving the disabled person...somewhere undisclosed), that would be investigated. Typically, for a person to simply take someone else's vehicle (no matter why they'd been driving that person around), it can be investigated. And should be. If BL has never driven the van without Gabby's permission (and without Gabby actually in the car), then doing so for a cross-country trip seems quite suspicious, especially in a missing person's case.

Why do you say he had no right to leave her? Of course he did. If two people aren't getting along and one of them thinks it's time to split, they get to leave! They just don't get to take that other person's property when they do so. Heck, entire legal battles have been fought over return of something like a piece of jewelry. Unfortunately, Gabby isn't around to file theft charges, which is quite convenient for BL.

<modsnip>

 

[GatorFL]

Absolutely. His lawyers are incompetent.

I disagree. Lawyer has given Laundrie good advice to this point.

 

[Coquette]

I think they are likely telling the truth because they are concerned for their son's safety. They know LE has the resources to find him.

I wish they had shown the same consideration for Gabby, however.

You're very generous. I don't think for one moment they're telling the truth. Certainly not the whole truth. Selective truth? Perhaps.

MOO.

 

[Kristyp1024]

Would helping their son escape be obstruction of justice?

Not yet because he wasn't told he couldn't leave...only if they helped him after he was told not to leave

 

[devertere]

But I think he’s far away from Florida, probably going back to cover up his tracks in GP’s disappearance. IMO

This guy is not stupid enough to return to the crime scene. He's likely out of the US already. Don't forget, he had retained a lawyer early on, who probably planned the best way to go about this.

 

[aim4thestars]

Is there a way to determine how many followers they had and like the posts had BEFORE she was reported missing and became international news? I do think they were hoping to become van-life influencers and likely were not making any headway due to the fact that there are thousands of people creating similar videos. It's basically a shot in the dark to think your videos will succeed, but the fact that SOMEONE has to succeed entices people. I follow some van lifers, but for every successful one there are dozens of channels chugging along with a few hundred subscribers hoping for a big break or viral moment.

Influencers try to sell their followers on the dream. You can also make money by literally just posting on social media like me! Supply and demand doesn't work like that. If everyone was an influencer, then there is nobody to influence. A handful might succeed and the rest don't.

I believe GP had about 2k followers on IG before her disappearance. So, decent, but not necessarily influencer by any means

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I can’t help but think that if Gabby had been arrested for DV, she would not be missing.

Or if BL was

 

[KrisL]

I wonder if he left a note for his parents suggesting that he was going for a hike in the reserve and for them to pickup vehicle. Perhaps misleading them into thinking he would make his way home by other means and not to worry.

 

[Waddles]

Just catching up, this is going so fast. His parents…and driving that car back… what in the h??

 

[Vegasgrl]

Maybe he did tell his parents he was going for a day hike over there. He drove the mustang over. He had his pack when he left the house. Then when he didn't return, they went looking. They found the car and brought it home. I don't know if it was legally parked? Maybe that was a concern? But, at that point they knew he didn't plan on returning home. They were in contact with the attorney and continued along with his advice. I don't know how or when this could have happened because so many people were watching that house. No one has reported seeing BL. There are no photos of him (that we are aware of). And I can't recall anyone reporting the car moving. Then LE retrieves something or examines something in the car without gloves the same day the parents volunteer clothing for K9 search? Also, did the parents attempt any search before agreeing to sit down with LE? So many peculiar oddities with how this family operates, IMO.

Replying to my own post to ask about Tampa. Where did the info come from that he was in Tampa and LE knew exactly where he was?