Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #16

[Lillymac]

Not excusing it, but I believe the motivation is overwhelming fear.

Okay, but fear of what? I'm referring to his first trip when he flew home to help Dad move things out if storage.

 

[captdj]

I think they said it was #15.

look at Lot 5

 

[NorthErn2]

Then why not use that defense immediately? Instead, he allegedly sends a text as a ruse or possible alibi, and allegedly takes off in her van heading back home?

I honestly cannot wait for more details to emerge because so much of this just isn't logical.

Entirely possible he was going by what he "saw on tv", trying to stage an alibi and/or ward of suspicion. BL does not sound like he was the most stable in the head and makes sense he may have acted without a plan in GP's killing.

 

[jtfolden]

And anyway, if one sends a text saying there's no service, eventually that text will get sent when near a tower, right?

It's been a while since I've been in that situation but, at least on an iPhone, I believe if a text can't be sent via iMessage then it attempts to send via SMS and then if *that* fails then it simply stops trying and gives you the option to try sending again. I don't think it would wait and send a day later, for example.

 

[Printcess]

Yep, I could actually give some credence to my wild proposition except I keep getting hung up on them not contacting anyone when he would have found out she was missing. Abuser or not, I really believe he loved her and don't think he could have sat by and not reported where he had last seen her. Unless he knew she was already dead and nothing he could say would change

I think there is a distinct possibility of him being a terrified 23 year old in an unimaginable situation listening to the attorney that his parents hired. His parents get the texts from GPs parents, and realize she is missing. knowing what the assumption will be they hire an attorney... everyone is telling him to keep quiet. He has no clue what to do, so listens to the "adults" in the room.

Imo

 

[bambibones]

Then why not use that defense immediately? Instead, he allegedly sends a text as a ruse or possible alibi, and allegedly takes off in her van heading back home?

I honestly cannot wait for more details to emerge because so much of this just isn't logical.

 

[prblythe]

I think these are great questions. I think, in a word, they were both immature. But then most are at this age (certainly not all). 2 people who aren't completely whole in themselves looking to the other to provide something they need to feel good about themselves.

I think most people are not irredeemably evil. And even those who seem to be, there is usually a cause or reason for the way they are.

Who knows what the real story was, but from the little that's evidenced here on this website, it certainly seems that he had problems empathizing with Gabby's distress and Gabby didn't know yet how to handle her emotions constructively. Most relationships go through phases like this. The scary thing about this, I think, is that most people can relate to some part of the dysfunction displayed. The hopes of making it, stresses of living your life on display that is diverging more and more from reality, how "ok" you are with yourself so that you don't expect another to be there fulfilling all your needs, just losing it and slapping, wanting to hold on to control, etc. We all learn to manage ourselves as we go through life. For these 2, whatever happened out there, it was getting clear they could no longer function well together and had they still been in FL, with family and friends and normal life around them, probably would have just broken up like everyone else before it got to the point where one of them ended up losing a life. Of course, we don't know what happened so this is all conjecture. But everybody believes that what they think and how they feel is the right point of view. Who can really know.

Sadly the tragedy happened here but I think most of us can resonate with a few of the emotional aspects of this and that's what makes it sad, scary and intriguing at the same time because we want to understand it. What would WE have done in that situation. ALL JMO.

This is the most well thought out and written post. I will add it is hard to break up with someone 2,000+ miles from home and your stuck with someone.

 

[BCSleuth]

Was she buried? I watched a few videos but I couldn't tell. I haven't read all the posts here.
TIA.

The videos do not show the exact spot she was located. They are just getting ready to walk over to where she is. Some are saying they saw a body but I doubt it. They are usually pretty quick to cover a body. So at this point we just don't know whether she was buried or not.

 

[Rocky1]

He was officially not a suspect. Even now, there isn't officially a crime, and there won't be until the autopsy results come back Tuesday or Wednesday.

This was their logic, and it's legally sound. But the reality is that it is completely legal to put someone under surveillance without them being a suspect. That's how many crimes get solved.

I agree, and yes they should have been tailing him. Even after the autopsy, they'll still have to have evidence that he killed her and not someone else. I know there's circumstantial evidence that says he did, but enough for a conviction?
Hopefully now that North Port PD has hopefully realized they dropped the ball by letting him slip away,(although they'll never admit to that) they have woken up from their coma and will take the right steps not to blow it again by arresting him without not enough evidence. It would be a shame if he killed her to be able to walk due to a technicality.

 

[JayWill]

Considered that except....

I don't think anybody "in love" would drive 35 hours away from someone who is missing. Also, 35 hours is a lot of time to reconsider and turn around.

Where she was found was not that remote from traffic. Generally NP vistors, hikers, and campers are helpful. She would have had no issue contacting help.

Unless she was dead, as it turns out, she was.

 

[Hyway]

You know, I keep considering the option that there was some verbal fight and separation. Later when he finally returns, she is nowhere to be found and he drives home thinking she left him BUT... There seems to be texts and social media activity after the time we think she died, such as the text to her mother on the 30th? I don't think there's enough room in the timeline for her to still be alive on the 30th and then him driving home alone by the 1st...

Again, I am not proposing this, I just like helping people imagine something they can't see happening. The text could have been sent earlier but got hung up because they are parked in a area with spotty cell service. When he finally drives away and passes through an area with service the phone, which is stored in the back somewhere he isn't aware of, unhangs itself and sends out the text.

 

[StarrChance]

I cover a moving dent in my fridge with a big magnet. Did he cover something up? Or just more strange behavior?

Must be time for me to take a break from this thread, took me three times to try to understand how a dent in the fridge could move doh!

 

[KeithF40]

Comma splices can be a dead giveaway. Did G or B frequently have those? There was a glaring comma splice in that text. And anyway, if one sends a text saying there's no service, eventually that text will get sent when near a tower, right? So why not send another text at the same time to inform the recipient of how the trip's going, future plans, how they are? I'm just struggling with the fact only one text got sent.

What text are you referring to?

 

[feralwriter]

It's been a while since I've been in that situation but, at least on an iPhone, I believe if a text can't be sent via iMessage then it attempts to send via SMS and then if *that* fails then it simply stops trying and gives you the option to try sending again. I don't think it would wait and send a day later, for example.

Yeah, this will probably remain a question. My phone waits & waits then sends eventually.

 

[feralwriter]

What text are you referring to?

Final text to Gabby's mother.

 

[JayWill]

I agree, and yes they should have been tailing him. Even after the autopsy, they'll still have to have evidence that he killed her and not someone else. I know there's circumstantial evidence that says he did, but enough for a conviction?
Hopefully now that North Port PD has hopefully realized they dropped the ball by letting him slip away,(although they'll never admit to that) they have woken up from their coma and will take the right steps not to blow it again by arresting him without not enough evidence. It would be a shame if he killed her to be able to walk due to a technicality.

More than enough IMO. Most evidence is circumstantial, not many murderers kill in front of witnesses.

 

[woods]

If he's alive, he's going to claim self-defense. And both sides will try use the body cam video as evidence as to who was the perpetrator.

Caroline Crouch admitted in her diary that she had hit her husband during their explosive fights. He ended up strangling her to death when she threatened to leave him with their child, and I believe he got convicted of her murder.

 

[Hyway]

She was supposed to meet up with her friend Rose on the 29th and the friend never heard from her. I believe according to timeline she died on the 27th or 28th.

I don't think she was supposed to meet her friend. She was going to contact her on that date (Rose's birthday) to set up a time to meet

 

[Sillybilly]

hey SillyBilly <3

can i just say the people who alerted the FBI to their footage they did such a great job, when we speak about sleuths be it by accident or somewhere like here, its nice when their efforts to go through their own dashcams and such lead to such a big break for authorities

Ping !! It's been a while and it's great to see you here.

hey back <3

 

[ABCDiana]

Or just more strange behavior?

Yeah it seems like very strange behavior. I guess I can see if he had bought some with GP and they were lying around, he might add them in like a twisted memorial or a fit of emotion or just as a mindless activity. But the Venice FL one (which was remarked on before) seems especially weird because hadn't they started their journey in NY? So did he buy and add that sticker once he'd returned without GP? That seems like bizarre behavior, whether he knew she was gone or thought she might come back for her van someday.