Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #58

[JudgeJoe]

I am confused. What awards did “RV Nomads the movie obtain? Are you mixing it up with NOMADLAND that won a bunch of awards in 2021?

We are part time RVers and I can assure you that it is not for everyone. However, we DO NOT boondock in the wilderness as we consider it unsafe. Even seemingly safe places like North Padre Island (NPI) in Texas can be unsafe for boondooking. NPI is where a couple was murdered in October 2019, their bodies buried in the dunes, their truck and trailer stolen and taken to Mexico. Murderers (man and woman) were caught in Mexico and now await trial in March 2022 that had been postponed due to COVID. If you want to follow a case, it is here on WS; just look for TX - James and Michelle Butler.

Yes- that’s a very disturbing case.
Found Deceased - TX - James, 48 & Michelle Butler, 46, driving RV to Fort Lauderdale from Corpus Christi, 14 Oct 2019

 

[scorpius]

While BL parents have every right to plead the 5th. Are there any charges such as obstruction they could make stick enough to summons all their financials and anything else that may aide the investigation?

 

[cady]

While BL parents have every right to plead the 5th. Are there any charges such as obstruction they could make stick enough to summons all their financials and anything else that may aide the investigation?

good question...............jmo good news is that the Mustang was towed to investigate, so GPS was undoubtedly analyzed to see what trips it took and when. jmo

 

[NCWatcher]

About living at home in your 20’s… I think a lot of people are taking things personally. Please don’t minimize the picture of a “failure to launch” vs a young adult who cannot financially make it in today’s rich man’s society. BL had no real job, instead he wanted to “play”. Traveling in a van across country sounds like a great way to spend your 20’s, but most that age are busy trying to set up a career, a family, a life plan. BL used a car that belonged to his parents, he lived in their house and his much older sister’s before that, he had no educational goals, he had no career goals that I have seen. He stayed home and saved money so he could go play out in GP’s van and escape the rat race. This is not the same as struggling GenZ that have found it difficult to break into financial security in todays world. BL is someone who seemed to be actively avoiding becoming self sufficient in favor of being free to do as he please, rather than what most of us do - earn a living to support ourselves, and then hopefully have the financial freedom to spend time enjoying our lives.

I'm not young and believe me, I'm not taking the idea of "failure to launch" personally! But when national data show that in the US a majority of people up to age 29 live at home with a parent/parents, more than at any other time since the Great Depression, I think that provides an important societal context. It's not cute or "catchy" like the title of the Matthew McConaughey/Sarah Jessica Parker film , but it's still a fact.

While it sounds like GP had more jobs than BP, none of them were "career type jobs" either. So as @Which_pancake pointed out, most criticisms of BL's lifestyle also apply to GP's. But as GP's mom said, not everybody has to go to school or get a job:

"She just fell in love with that lifestyle and wanted to take journeys. She was a free spirit. Everybody was jealous, everyone was like, we want to do that too, but we all think we just have to get a job and go to school. But she was doing what we were all envious of."

'"And I supported her on all of that, even every once and a while when she needed help moneywise and stuff, because it was a really expensive trip. I helped her out a little bit here and there. So did her father. But they were having a great time."

Mother of missing Gabby Petito says boyfriend and his family IGNORED her desperate texts | Daily Mail Online

 

[TheGardener]

There's been some discussion about BL being alive and operating in his "comfort zone".
His comfort zone is the wide open spaces...I don't believe his financial umbilical cord stretches that far.
He's alive, but confined by his circumstances and handlers.
Spam in a can.
MOO

 

[SMK777]

I don't think the family has seen the remains. In the interview, the stepfather when asked about when he found out that remains were found [3:55 mark], he says that the FBI called and said they had information they wanted to share and a few people from the FBI met with the stepfather in a hotel conference room and told him they found remains. When asked when he was shown the sweatshirt, he said the FBI described the sweatshirt. In my opinion, the sweatshirt would have been badly soiled from decomposing body fluids and that could be why the FBI didn't show it to them. It might be too disturbing for the family to see that. [I'm sure it will be shown if there is a trial, but it may not be the most sensitive thing to show the parents this early on.]

I don't know if they have even been told what is in the autopsy. The FBI seems to be keeping a tight lid on that information.

Yes, I think from everything I know about decomposition (and I researched it extensively years ago when a young family member met an early and tragic death) Gabby was out in the open in August in Wyoming (80s temperatures during daytime, plus exposure to animals and insects) for close to 3 weeks. Sadly, she can’t have been in very good shape for family to identify her remains.

It’s very telling that the sweatshirt had to be described, rather than a picture sent by phone.

 

[WizardQuest]

kinda lacked the willpower to stop slapping his girlfriend around, or screaming at the waitress, or the manager at the texmex. then probably lacked the willpower to not kill gabby. then had no willpower to not use gabby's van or money on trip back home. then had no willpower to keep himself from his master controller parents. the had no willpower to be honest and forthcoming. had no willpower to hire his own lawyer, had to use his parents. yeah, such great willpower. more like pretty much NO willpower AND NO self control. just my opinion only.

If his goal with exerting his willpower is to be right or good, I would agree. However, my theory on his behavior is he exerts his willpower where life/people/earth seems to want to control him.

If his goal (will) is to be good, he would turn himself in and follow societal rules.

His goal is to not be controlled so that is where he shows his willpower.

moo.

 

[CarolynAB2]

Or, if it's over $1000.00, does it become a felony? I have no idea, just wondering what the Fed law is...

15 U.S. Code § 1644 - Fraudulent use of credit cards; penalties

I don't see anything applying to amounts over this threshold in the code before or after 15 U.S. Code § 1644.

I wonder how much B.L. [allegedly] spent from that account, and if he possibly emptied it within those few days he [allegedly] used the card(s). I heard somewhere that he could only withdraw $1000 a day in cash, but I don't know if it is substantiated. I wonder if he stopped on the way home and bought more camping gear, hard core gear for survival on the Appalachian Trail, in Alaska, or elsewhere.

It has occurred to me that he and GL were probably sharing the one account. I read that he and she both worked at a grocery store for awhile and they were likely both saving a long time for this trip and possibly putting the money into one account. If he can prove that his money was deposited into the account, I wonder if that would be a defense that could get him off these charges.

 

[shotgun09]

There's been some discussion about BL being alive and operating in his "comfort zone".
His comfort zone is the wide open spaces...I don't believe his financial umbilical cord stretches that far.
He's alive, but confined by his circumstances and handlers.
Spam in a can.
MOO

OMG!! LOL! I love it!
There really is only so much you can do with Spam in a can!

 

[esayer]

In the video of the Moab police stop BL stated something along the lines of complaints about his dirty feet.

When disagreements happen (marital spats, wars between countries, sibling arguments), it is usually over who will control the outcome. Both want to be in control.

If one conceded (walked away), there would be no argument. They would be arguing with themselves.

disagree. IMO

 

[Chrissy1958]

The stepfather says that the FBI describe a sweatshirt and it matched the description of one of her favorites that was from a shop that is near where she lived [in NY, I think]. That makes me think that the remains were pretty decomposed; otherwise, wouldn't they would have been able to identify her by her tattoos?

I just had a thought about the sweatshirt. If she was wearing it when found, that might indicate time of death during night time when it might’ve been colder outside.

 

[Rotten apple]

DBM found the answer!

 

[cady]

I just had a thought about the sweatshirt. If she was wearing it when found, that might indicate time of death during night time when it might’ve been colder outside.

YUP. I have always thought early evening....sometime fairly close to when Bethunes drove by. jmo

 

[CarolynAB2]

Yes, I think from everything I know about decomposition (and I researched it extensively years ago when a young family member met an early and tragic death) Gabby was out in the open in August in Wyoming (80s temperatures during daytime, plus exposure to animals and insects) for close to 3 weeks. Sadly, she can’t have been in very good shape for family to identify her remains.

It’s very telling that the sweatshirt had to be described, rather than a picture sent by phone.

Agree that it's telling that the sweatshirt was described and not shown. In other cases where remains were outside for awhile, the clothing was in very poor shape.

 

[TheGardener]

OMG!! LOL! I love it!
There really is only so much you can do with Spam in a can!

Absolutely. You can slice it, dice it, mash it, mix it, but...you cannot take it out on a date. Dead meat.

 

[borndem]

Light colored figure moving swiftly from open area into trees. Disappears under tree canopy.

Good eye, as they say! Hmmmm.
Where are the dogs?? Crossing my fingers that something will finally pay off?

Or, as Otis Redding put it, a long time ago:

"Slippin' and a-slidin', peepin' and a-hidin'
Been told a long time ago
Slippin' and a-slidin', peepin' and a-hidin'
Been told a long time ago…"

 

[MollyDDD]

Yes, I think from everything I know about decomposition (and I researched it extensively years ago when a young family member met an early and tragic death) Gabby was out in the open in August in Wyoming (80s temperatures during daytime, plus exposure to animals and insects) for close to 3 weeks. Sadly, she can’t have been in very good shape for family to identify her remains.

It’s very telling that the sweatshirt had to be described, rather than a picture sent by phone.

I read that the sweatshirt had some sort of logo on it that was unique to New York, and it was a favorite shirt of Gabby’s. I assumed then that the remains were skeletal.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Yes - Even if his art were to become whittling.
I can imagine a scenario where Maslows Hierarchy of needs are completely met, but for a period of time only.

His art could fulfill love and belonging.
His faulty view of freedom, feeling he is disconnected from government and society can meet esteem.
Self actualization could be him showing himself he can do all this on his own. He doesn’t need anyone else.

In my opinion however, it will start to become circular in his thinking after a few months, maybe even a year. He will never truly be safe even if all his physiological needs are met. He will always be looking over his shoulder, so over periods of time his comfort and sustainment will be met with internal resistance. What we don’t know, is how strong is Brian and what is his willpower? What are his true weaknesses?

I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. Thank you. I’ve been thinking about his art too. I was thinking about materials. Did he bring a favorite tool? A knife? Wood is plentiful if he’s on the trail. Does he carve? A pen? Paper? A metal straw? You can pack a lot of small to tiny things in a backpack.

Just what would one pack in a backpack if they were leaving all their belongings behind? Does he have Gabby’s photo?

I’ll have to think about his weaknesses but I do think he is missing his mom and dad.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Maybe, but if her neck was broken and decomp set in, the head could easily be moved either by animals or strong wind. There are tw0 photos of crosses. One is in a fairly wooded area with flowers on it, the other is in what looks like a wind-blown area. I have no idea which photo is of the cross placed by her step-dad. jmo

watch the Dr. Phil video, he is very compassionate and tender about it....

 

[elmomom]

I know someone recently said temps were in the 80s. But I remember way back in early threads hearing fall had already set in, snow coming any day and that temps were actually much cooler late Aug/early Sept. I am too lazy to look this up but I do want to point out that the climate is also very dry, so if the temps were fairly cool and the air was dry, there might be a bit more than just skeletal remains.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/jackson/83001/september-weather/336564?year=2021