Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #38

[Barbie619]

I wonder if and when this ever goes to trial if they will move the venue out of that area? Will it be in Wyoming or Utah? Sorry if this has been discussed already

Isn't it usually in the State where a body is found? As far as the debit card theft, that warrant came out of Wyoming, which is the only charge against BL presently.

 

[Wallendo]

I suspect the financial charge is just an excuse for an arrest.

It is an interesting charge. While there may be arguments he can make to LE or in court, he would have to wave his 5th amendment rights to make those arguments.

 

[RickshawFan]

Rock climbing pedantry warning:

I haven't done a deep dive into their social media, so there may be other evidence of rock climbing experience, but this post alone leads me to believe they are novice climbers, if that.

Rock climbers use a dizzying amount of jargon, and I don't see any of it in that post. Looking at the at the terrain, a climber with any outdoor experience would call that a scramble, not rock climbing. In a scramble, you need your hands for balance, but not to pull yourself up or lower yourself. While climbing adjacent, no experienced climber would refer to a scramble as climbing.

Also, experienced climbers know that while scrambles are less technically demanding than climbs, many climbing injuries occur during the approach, not the climb itself. Experienced climbers have a healthy respect for a scramble, and consider not only the technical difficulty of the terrain, but the consequences of falling, no matter how unlikely.

From the topo maps of that area, taking a tumble there could lead to serious injury, or even death. I'd at least want a helmet and some technical shoes before attempting it. The post references another consideration experienced climbers would consider before undertaking a scramble: who else is around? Climbers make hard things look easy, and if there are a bunch of people watching you (which there would be at Delicate Arch, they might think they can do it, too. If people follow you out, could it put you in danger? Block your return route? If so, it's probably not worth it.

TL;DR: From this post alone, I see no evidence of climbing experience. It doesn't use the language of climbing, it demonstrates a safety third ethos uncommon among experienced climbers without a death wish.

Thanks so much for your thread. I’m not a climber myself (though I love to watch it on TV), but you confirm my suspicions that they had little experience climbing (or even bouldering), and scant of any kind in the outdoors.
Sometimes, IME, people don’t know what experience looks like or entails.
Also, though I’ve admittedly not read their SM, isn’t a permit required to climb in a National Park? I.e. if you’re off a hiking trail.

*****
Related: competitive rock climbing was a new sport this last Olympics. I’m new to this, too. I find the related competitions super easy to watch (ummmm the goal is to get to the top!!). It takes place indoors (no environmental damage), but the skills on this smaller scale are pretty much the same as outdoors. If you’re not familiar with what rock climbing skills look like, I’d recommend the finals of the climbing world cups on YouTube; I’ve found the commentators present in a way that’s very easy to understand.
Climbing is very “current”, exploding in popularity.

 

[ringbearer]

We don’t KNOW that

And it really makes very little, if any, sense if you really think about it imo. Why would they be working on the camper in the driveway in full view of all of the neighbors if they were trying to whisk their son away to some hidden location?

 

[dtowndetective411]

This Google Earth measurement puts Gabby's body approx 287 yards from where her van was parked.
I've wondered if both BL & Gabby were in the van when those witnesses drove by, catching the door closing on the Go-Pro. We know BL liked to hike barefoot as in Utah, so it's plausible those were his flip flops outside the van on 9/27... However, I personally think they were hers because he didn't give a schit about sand etc. in the van.
(If) she was killed in the van then dragged across the creek, I'm thinking he would wait till dark as to not be seen, hence. reason for door closing. (She could very well have been dead inside when the Go-Pro witnesses drove by.) I'm sure LE checked for drag marks as well as taking many, many samples of ground material to check for her DNA in a wide area from the van to where she was located.
That is one scenario. Personally, I think she was killed close to / at the location she was located across the creek. Perhaps he lured her out there, idk, but the fight at the restaurant imo, was a huge factor in setting him off into a fit of deadly rage. I firmly believe her actual DOD was 9/27/2021.
JMO

I find it hard to believe she was killed in the van because I’d think they probably used cadaver dogs on the van when they first retrieved it from his home? Or is that not the case?

 

[Skigirl]

Oh, and GL's social media activities -- LE would have been able to get all of that from Instagram/FB/Youtube, etc., right? But they would not be able to get BL's without a subpoena, I think.

I think they would need a search warrant for those. We don't know if they have one that is sealed, or if they don't have one. I have my suspicions, though, since he's been charged with a crime and is also named as a person of interest in a murder, but we shall see!

 

[silverau]

Unless he really didn’t know she was dead?

BUT— as I said in an earlier post (see below), now that he has an active arrest warrant out and is not turning himself in, there’s no going back.

He didn't really know she was dead so he just drove off with her van back to Florida? I wouldn't buy that defence and I'm not sure a jury would either.

 

[jamicat]

It is Brian's parents who could stop the bullhorns...today. Just cooperate with LE. Tell them what they know.

MOO that wouldn’t stop it. Likely nothing would have prevented this once media ball started rolling. BL could have prevented by reporting to LE whatever made him leave campground without Gabby. Or tell friends and family. Just upping and going as he did is what makes it look very much like he did something terrible. And he really did, since just leaving like that in itself is terrible. Maybe not illegal or criminal, but terrible ethic ally and morally

 

[Bertha96]

Correct, flight manifests haven't been public since 9/11. Although LE can access them.

 

[JudgeJoe]

I don’t think that a loner like him cares about the outside world. It’s all about his happiness and his peace of mind. That’s all he’s thinking about now. It’s all behind him. Remorse? Doubt it MOO

To clarify, BL’d want the news to know what’s going on with Gabby’s case & the manhunt for him. It is all about him- and his freedom from consequences. Nothing to do with remorse or others. Imo

 

[Sleuthypsych]

Former FBI figures the DNA from BL will be used to compare against GP's body and that he is most likely on the AT.

LINK:

It is getting colder and will begin getting treacherous soon along the AT as it starts snowing in the upper elevations but I truly believe he is skilled enough to survive. Especially if he can build a fire. I hope he decides to come into a more public area at some point and someone recognizes him.

I saw that they are using helicopters to search along the AT and I don’t quite understand how that would be helpful. There are probably hundreds of people hiking the AT at any given time so how would they be able to notice BL. If anything I feel searching the trail will bring more awareness to the case and people along the trail will be more observant if they see him or something suspicious. It could also push him off the trail unfortunately. I guess it would make sense to look for a lone hiker because *most* people do not hike the trail alone.

 

[Truthseeker8953]

This Google Earth measurement puts Gabby's body approx 287 yards from where her van was parked.
I've wondered if both BL & Gabby were in the van when those witnesses drove by, catching the door closing on the Go-Pro. We know BL liked to hike barefoot as in Utah, so it's plausible those were his flip flops outside the van on 9/27... However, I personally think they were hers because he didn't give a schit about sand etc. in the van.
(If) she was killed in the van then dragged across the creek, I'm thinking he would wait till dark as to not be seen, hence. reason for door closing. (She could very well have been dead inside when the Go-Pro witnesses drove by.) I'm sure LE checked for drag marks as well as taking many, many samples of ground material to check for her DNA in a wide area from the van to where she was located.
That is one scenario. Personally, I think she was killed close to / at the location she was located across the creek. Perhaps he lured her out there, idk, but the fight at the restaurant imo, was a huge factor in setting him off into a fit of deadly rage. I firmly believe her actual DOD was 9/27/2021.
JMO

9/27 is today. I think you meant 8/27.

 

[dtowndetective411]

We don’t KNOW that

@TotusTuus Agreed. Other neighbors have said they did not in fact see that trip happen (which is not evidence that it didn’t happen!) but also other neighbors have refuted the claim that the camper van is new, they thought they’ve had it all along. (Unsure if I am allowed to post the interview as it is not MSM but a youtuber interviewing a neighbor. Perhaps mods can lmk?) I am choosing not to trust that story even though it has been a wide media frenzy, until it is fully confirmed. Of course this is reasonable suspicion about it, but personally, I find too much discrepancy between the differing neighbors accounts of that to find it firm as fact that this was a) a new camper and b) was taken out for a trip that weekend.

 

[dtowndetective411]

He didn't really know she was dead so he just drove off with her van back to Florida? I wouldn't buy that defence and I'm not sure a jury would either.

I agree with you there

 

[cady]

This Google Earth measurement puts Gabby's body approx 287 yards from where her van was parked.
I've wondered if both BL & Gabby were in the van when those witnesses drove by, catching the door closing on the Go-Pro. We know BL liked to hike barefoot as in Utah, so it's plausible those were his flip flops outside the van on 9/27... However, I personally think they were hers because he didn't give a schit about sand etc. in the van.
(If) she was killed in the van then dragged across the creek, I'm thinking he would wait till dark as to not be seen, hence. reason for door closing. (She could very well have been dead inside when the Go-Pro witnesses drove by.) I'm sure LE checked for drag marks as well as taking many, many samples of ground material to check for her DNA in a wide area from the van to where she was located.
That is one scenario. Personally, I think she was killed close to / at the location she was located across the creek. Perhaps he lured her out there, idk, but the fight at the restaurant imo, was a huge factor in setting him off into a fit of deadly rage. I firmly believe her actual DOD was 9/27/2021.
JMO

I really doubt that she was killed in the van, or dead in the van for any length of time. The dogs would be able to detect that. Yes, I agree that she was killed on the 27th. It may have already happened, or could have been happening at the same time that the Bethunes were driving by. Their camera was focused on the road and they had been looking for camping spots, so not likely looking out toward the treeless area where Gabby was found. JMO

 

[JuliaGoolia]

Isn't it usually in the State where a body is found? As far as the debit card theft, that warrant came out of Wyoming, which is the only charge against BL presently.

That was my thinking as well

 

[MsBetsy]

Cause of death was homicide. Does anyone know if manner of death has been released or if it will be?

The "manner of death" was homicide and we don't yet know the cause of death. If they are waiting for toxicology results, it could take several weeks. Imo

 

[Cecelia]

All of this discussion and confusion about whether or not the "camping trip" took place with BL's parents, what dates it allegedly may have taken place on, and whether the neighbors saw it or not, is an amusing little example of how reliable direct evidence (eyewitness testimony) can be, as opposed to the much-maligned circumstantial evidence.

I mean, it's amusing to me. Maybe just me.

 

[jamicat]

I agree with your points. I do see how a defense attorney will see the other side.

There is no way to prove he did not have her permission to use the van and card.

In the extensive interview, LE found no evidence to charge him with abuse but they did question her intent to harm him.

Unless he states that he has never been to that sight, his DNA there just means he has been there and not that he was there at her death.

The best evidence, outside of a confession, is linking him to the manner of death. If it was by strangulation, I am not sure what the link could be. There could be one, I just don't know what it is. If by an instrument of force, then a DNA link to that instrument (that otherwise should not host his DNA) would be strong evidence.

I don't think that type of evidence currently exists or he would be listed as a suspect in her death. They need to find him alive and let him convict himself through interrogation.

The cards are a problem regardless of whether he had his money in the accounts, or had permission. All that ends when the account owner dies. Even with POA. The accounts had to be specifically set up so that he could use if she died and they were not.
Given what a pain in the body parts to all he has been, if LE can’t make anything else stick, they’ll push this to max.
The only catch I see in the card use is if they can truly prove she was dead the days he used that card

 

[lizzied]

I don't believe there's a live feed right now of this. I checked their website, nothing. JB goes live at noon.

I feel like this reporting from WFLA has been good. thanks to whoever keeps telling us when it's live. also i feel JB's career is going to skyrocket. excellent reporting.