Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #12

[Jurisprudence]

IMO, someone said his parents might be getting divorced, and it's also been said that Brian and Gabby lived with the parents.

I am more sure of the latter than I am of the former, though.

They may be divorced by design if one or both end up going to the clink.

 

[Herat]

She said it was the damn. She said he freaked out when he realized they were going to Jackson Hole (in other words, back up north).

Edit: they were going south but he was adamant to not return there and exited vehicle. Now FBI is looking East. They know something and I am more hopeful than I've been for 5 days.

I think he freaked out when he realized they were turning off on a different road than he had expected and he would have a longer walk back to the campground, or possibly realizing he might have to cross the Snake River if they went too far south.

Which leads me to think they might have driven the road from Coulter Bay to get to Spread Creek and he walked back from the campsite (while "camping along" along the Snake River to get to Coulter Bay for some reason). He seems to have known the route. And was hanging around Coulter Bay without the van. So what was he doing and for how long?

 

[feralwriter]

Because he's not thinking straight; the same reason he'd offer two hundred bucks to go 10 miles. Even after I changed my name, I often accidentally forgot & said my old name to people. And that was not under stressful situations. Just the fact he offered 200 like that, he should have known that would raise suspicion. No one does that to go ten miles. I've never heard of it. So in theory, he was already not even trying to act casual & blend in, you know?

Just wondering... if you'd JUST done something regrettable, like murder someone, leave them somewhere hurt, whatever, and you're stealthily trying to make a get away, WHY would you give out your real name and anything resembling the truth of your life to random strangers you're bumming a ride from???

 

[TotusTuus]

Just wondering... if you'd JUST done something regrettable, like murder someone, leave them somewhere hurt, whatever, and you're stealthily trying to make a get away, WHY would you give out your real name and anything resembling the truth of your life to random strangers you're bumming a ride from???

To establish an alibi? My thought is that he is talking to these people as though Gabby is alive, when he knows she is not (IMO, speculation only.) What he tells them sets up a story that she is all alone in "the middle of nowhere" and he hasn't been near her for days, so if someone killed her, it wasn't him. It just feels like a really clumsy attempt to establish himself as innocent.

 

[Herat]

Yup. They’re campsite numbers. Sorry (not sorry ) for getting excited and hopeful about possible phone pings.

Iz OK. This is what WebSLEUTHS is all about.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

This is my first post, but I've followed another case on Websleuths for a while. Since this one's local, I've been keeping an eye on it all week and thought it would get big but never expected this!

I just want to clear a few pieces. My apologies if these have already been addressed, as I can't quite keep up with the whole thread!
-Jackson Hole and Jackson are not totally equivalent. I think the TikTokker added to this confusion, but there is a distinction. JACKSON is the name of the main town in the area. So if BL asked for a ride "to Jackson" he was just asking to be taken into town. JACKSON HOLE is more of the region -- the whole valley that includes Jackson, a few other small towns, and most of GTNP. The campground they're looking for GP in is in Jackson Hole, technically, but still an hour or so north of Jackson. When BL asked to go to Jackson he was actually still in Jackson Hole. (A side note-- almost no one around here refers to "Jackson Hole" anyway unless we're out of town saying where we live. It's just called "the valley" locally.)
-Spread Creek Campground is not part of GTNP. I think the Daily Mail got this wrong. It's in Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is very close, almost bordering the park, but under a different agency. So you don't need reservations or a permit but probably need to register at the campsite due to stay length limits (5 days at the time of their trip). (More info here: Bridger-Teton National Forest - Dispersed Camping Areas (Undeveloped Campground))
-The idea of BL camping with only a small backpack and a tarp seems, to be honest, preposterous to me. It gets cold at night and you'd need a good sleeping bag even if you don't have shelter. Plus, all food items need to be secured from bears, and if he's just camping wherever, he would need a bear canister. He doesn't seem like he'd know how to set up a bear hang. It is still possible that he just didn't care and was lucky enough that all the hyperphagic bears around here didn't try to find his food. So I'm not saying he didn't camp with only a little backpack but it would be... unusual... and foolish IMO.

On another note, it has been rainy and very windy in the area this whole afternoon. Any search efforts for GP may have been hindered somewhat by the weather. Rain and very cold weather are expected tomorrow... I doubt it will snow where they're looking but will be pretty close.

Great post, thanks! It seems if the TikToker was headed to Jackson via the scenic road rather than Hwy 191, that might be why BL freaked out. He realized he needed to go via 191 to get over to Spread Creek. So probably not a Jackson vs Jackson Hole, or north vs south confusion but rather Teton Park Rd. vs. Hwy 191.

 

[Beren]

She said he said his name was Brian, & that his girlfriend/fiance (however he termed it) was somewhere else working on her social media site. Of course we can't be certain the man in the car was *our* Brian, but imho it's a pretty sure bet. Only LE can determine that. I found her absolutely believable. But then, I've been fooled before by liars.

Just wondering... if you'd JUST done something regrettable, like murder someone, leave them somewhere hurt, whatever, and you're stealthily trying to make a get away, WHY would you give out your real name and anything resembling the truth of your life to random strangers you're bumming a ride from???

 

[grammieto5]

Something else I noticed while watching their videos, BL was eating with a plastic fork. He wouldn't take water from the police because it was in a plastic bottle but he will use a plastic fork to eat. Nothing really important, just interesting. I also have lit a candle for Gabby.

 

[redabby]

*cringe* Absolutely not! I started at 12 years old…many young women are very interested in True Crime…

Agree not odd at all ,many young and older women love to read about true and fictional crime, hell that's why so many of us are websluthers.

 

[samanthadaniels1995]

Seriously disturbing and alarming dynamic between them!
That kind of intensity in a van, with all kinds of other pressures happening probably reached a crescendo and exploded. IMO. A perfect storm.

Shame .
Seemingly unpreventable.
Like a karmic clash of gigantic proportions.

In my imagination.

I believe that behavior is common in a relationship where the pattern has reoccurred and was part of the bonding process. A percentage of you is attracted to the other, you share experiences, unique perspective, openly accept the others behaviors, and allow for strong emotions to erupt with no accountable boundaries because the attraction and desire to forgive to move past, to avoid setting boundaries has resulted in the elevated behavior to a norm. Between them, they sense a storm that they allow because the bound is strong. The emotional side, explaining the behavior is challenging, it may even be muted such that self blaming protects the potential legal harm to the other or both of them. My point is that from the observe, the situation seems more grave then they are willing to accept or ability to connect with. Their desire places them in plausible denial of the building conflict. Until it no longer can be denied and that is perhaps where we are right now in observing this wreck of a relationship.

 

[bambibones]

My thought was maybe he moved all of his belongings into the storage locker when they left. Since he was coming back home to live, he moved his belongings back into the house to use them. Maybe since it is a small house his parents wanted to use the now empty room for something else so he agreed to move their stuff out.

But the plane ticket would have cost more than a year of storage unit fees. This couldn't have been about saving money.

Maybe: he flew home after they broke up, and needed to get his stuff out of storage to move back into his parents' house. Then he changed his mind.

I had a relationship like that about 40 years ago.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

This is my first post, but I've followed another case on Websleuths for a while. Since this one's local, I've been keeping an eye on it all week and thought it would get big but never expected this!

I just want to clear a few pieces. My apologies if these have already been addressed, as I can't quite keep up with the whole thread!
-Jackson Hole and Jackson are not totally equivalent. I think the TikTokker added to this confusion, but there is a distinction. JACKSON is the name of the main town in the area. So if BL asked for a ride "to Jackson" he was just asking to be taken into town. JACKSON HOLE is more of the region -- the whole valley that includes Jackson, a few other small towns, and most of GTNP. The campground they're looking for GP in is in Jackson Hole, technically, but still an hour or so north of Jackson. When BL asked to go to Jackson he was actually still in Jackson Hole. (A side note-- almost no one around here refers to "Jackson Hole" anyway unless we're out of town saying where we live. It's just called "the valley" locally.)
-Spread Creek Campground is not part of GTNP. I think the Daily Mail got this wrong. It's in Bridger-Teton National Forest. It is very close, almost bordering the park, but under a different agency. So you don't need reservations or a permit but probably need to register at the campsite due to stay length limits (5 days at the time of their trip). (More info here: Bridger-Teton National Forest - Dispersed Camping Areas (Undeveloped Campground))
-The idea of BL camping with only a small backpack and a tarp seems, to be honest, preposterous to me. It gets cold at night and you'd need a good sleeping bag even if you don't have shelter. Plus, all food items need to be secured from bears, and if he's just camping wherever, he would need a bear canister. He doesn't seem like he'd know how to set up a bear hang. It is still possible that he just didn't care and was lucky enough that all the hyperphagic bears around here didn't try to find his food. So I'm not saying he didn't camp with only a little backpack but it would be... unusual... and foolish IMO.

On another note, it has been rainy and very windy in the area this whole afternoon. Any search efforts for GP may have been hindered somewhat by the weather. Rain and very cold weather are expected tomorrow... I doubt it will snow where they're looking but will be pretty close.

Welcome, and good info!

 

[captdj]

I still think there is a good chance she DID go to Yosemite. I also think Brian's flight back home to the storage locker was to bring some camping and hiking gear back for Gabby. It was obvious their trip wasn't working out, so they probably decided to part ways. She would go off on the Pacific Crest Trail or something, and he would return the van, lawyer up, and enjoy the media frenzy.

But not call her momma .....she didnt part ways with her friends and family... and you dont need a lawyer for just parting ways.

 

[Seni]

Yes, a gator can eat an entire body. Remains could be found by capturing the gator and looking inside his stomach.

I understand they break the body into pieces and come back to feed.

The only case I know of a whole human body being swallowed was of a giant anaconda in Leticia, Amazonas. Even in that case, it was likely that the anaconda would have regurgitated parts if it hadnt been captured and killed by the victim's family.

Understand also that the alligator is more agressive than the caiman we have here, especially in areas of frequent human occupation like Florida.

Totally agree that the insects are the main problem in these types of treks. Absolute misery!

RE- snakes, they tend to hear you coming and get out of the way.

We always sleep in hammocks with mosquito nets tucked in.

Night time cameras record a lot of animal activity!

 

[LeeLeeBird]

Oooh! NICE observation!

there’s two sets of numbers…1-17 and 1-24….

two separate phones?

or are they campsite #s?

 

[annpats]

It was obvious their trip wasn't working out, so they probably decided to part ways. She would go off on the Pacific Crest Trail or something, and he would return the van, lawyer up, and enjoy the media frenzy.

Return the van? Return the van where?! It was Gabby's van. Her property. And surely she would've needed it to get to the Pacific Crest Trail?!

 

[squareandrabbet]

I still think there is a good chance she DID go to Yosemite. I also think Brian's flight back home to the storage locker was to bring some camping and hiking gear back for Gabby. It was obvious their trip wasn't working out, so they probably decided to part ways. She would go off on the Pacific Crest Trail or something, and he would return the van, lawyer up, and enjoy the media frenzy.

IDK, Gabby doesn't seem stupid.

She seems like she very much would understand that this would make her and Brian the cynosure of all eyes; and she also doesn't seem like the brash kind of person who wants or at least doesn't mind negative attention, like that lady YouTuber in the Summer Wells case who clearly thinks "no attention is bad attention".

The girl in the police video, to the contrary, seems more likely to have been mortified by the prospect of being thought poorly of.

 

[HolographicOne]

Something else I noticed while watching their videos, BL was eating with a plastic fork. He wouldn't take water from the police because it was in a plastic bottle but he will use a plastic fork to eat. Nothing really important, just interesting. I also have lit a candle for Gabby.

I went through some of the videos and pics and noticed he was using melon halves for bowls.
After having found this photo, it was wooden/bamboo utensils

 

[Jurisprudence]

Agree it was the Jackson Dam... I keep wondering if the van was in a nearby parking lot... The Spread Creek campsites is about 20 miles away from the Dam. We were speculating on the spread creek camping because people reported the van there. and it is East southeast of the Dam. So maybe they are searching this area....
still far to be on foot.

Remember she did say though that he said he was "going to cross the road and head to parking lot to look for another ride."

 

[BeachSky]

As shown in the body cam video she was not wanting dirt or disarray going on in her van. The van was the vessel for her blog. The dream was void without that van. I don’t see her willingly abandoning the van, the plan.

In contrast he was comfortable taking her van & going on by himself. Cutting the plan short. Whether he drove it home (or someone helped him) seems no worries about GP coming after him …for some reason.

MOO