Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #63

[PingTheRouter]

The father should hire a lawn service to avoid crowds if he cannot stand the sight of the protestors, and media.

the first couple of weeks i was like yeah man give it to them make them understand!

but its 4 weeks later, its kind of like just let the authorities handle it now, everyone and their dog has been there and yelled stuff now

they had people bashing on their door yesterday too,

they have a lot of explaining to do but yeah let the FBI handle it now

 

[customCF]

I'm curious to see just how many of you think BL is still alive. To see how split this group is on dead/alive

 

[ericasf]

Maybe BL convinced her that she was a terrible driver. A lot of men think they are instictively better drivers than all women-and we already know that BL was disrespectful to Gabby. I don’t think it’s a stretch to imagine that he gaslit her about that, too.

Just wanted to put it out there that there isn't any fact of GP stating she didn't like the van. She stated in the video she didn't drive it much. That's all she said. I don't mean any disrespect to anyone but I see this going back and forth about her not liking to drive the van but that isn't a fact that has been shown. Only that she didn't drive it much.

Gabby Petito: (01:04:11)
I just don’t usually drive the van so I just wanted to make sure it’s not far.

 

[LietKynes]

I'm curious to see just how many of you think BL is still alive. To see how split this group is on dead/alive

I've no idea here. ^^^

But from the dad's smiling demeanor while 'helping to search' in the park aka swamp area for Brian --I'd guess he knows Brian is alive.
If worried sick or fearful that his son was suicidal --it's doubtful he'd crack so much as a grin.
MOO.

 

[cady]

I know folks won't agree with me here, however IMHO I think the situation at the Merry Piglets let Gabby see B in a new light. He was now acting this way in public that she had only seen in private before. I think this may have been her last straw with him and she may have tried to break it off/end the relationship. I know folks don't agree with this because this would have ended her van life dream and all, but this is just my opinion. Her breaking off the relationship may have led to the final outcome here. I don't mean that as a blame thing, just the steps that led up to it. IMHO.

I keep thinking that she would be too afraid to break up with him in the middle of nowhere, but maybe she was so exasperated that that's what she did. jmo

 

[10ofRods]

National Parks and National Forests are two different things and have different ways of handling crime investigations.

National Parks are under the Department of the Interior and have their own LE officers, although in some places administered by National Parks (like Mojave National Preserve), there are no park LE, and instead the County Sheriff handles things. Typically, the local counties handle autopsies for the National Parks, but the lead investigator in a homicide would start with a federal employee (a NP ranger).

National Forests are under the Department of Agriculture. Bridger-Teton, for example, allows all manner of activities banned in National Parks, such as target practice, as long as the shooters obey Wyoming gun laws. Search and rescue and LE is provided by the County Sheriff. This is true of nearly all National Forests (they have no independent LE, their rangers serve to keep things running smoothly). I believe New Mexico is the exception, where the NF falls under NM state police. In both Bridger-Teton and in the NF's of New Mexico, rangers tag trees they want down and people get a permit and go harvest their own Christmas trees (long tradition). So, very different to a NP.

At any rate, both are Federal land, but handled quite differently and with different relationships to local LE and local law. Colter Bay, where. the ATM is, is in a National Park so that crime was committed in a jurisdiction where LE are federal and who answer to the FBI when there's a serious crime.

I think we saw yesterday that the homicide is being processed and press releases managed by the County, with deference of course to the FBI due to the federal charges already laid. The County drew on the FBI in deciding what to say and how to handle things, since the POI is still at large, but a fugitive from federal charges.

The place where Brian. and Gabby parked...meets all the rules for target shooting, which is why I believe the bullet holes in the downed trees are from target practice, but any investigator would take note of them.

For. an interesting read on how these two different jurisdictions can sometimes impede a missing persons case or an investigation, read The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman, about the disappearance of Jacob Gray (left his bike in a NP, almost immediately crossed a river boundary into a NF...) It's a really good read for we who love true crime mysteries. or wilderness misadventure.

 

[LeeJay55]

I just can’t imagine, even in a fit of rage, how you wouldn’t realize what you are doing and stop and be shocked at what you had done. Not only did he take the time to strangle her but afterwards he ran. What a coward

Ppl in a rage don't stop what they are doing untill its to late or someone or something stops them!!!! It's not anger!!!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Credit: Moab City Police Department
The video, coupled with new information that Petito was strangled to death, has disturbed local domestic violence advocates, who say they have long seen a link between strangulation and domestic homicide.
Manual strangulation is the biggest sign domestic abuse will turn deadly, experts say | wthr.com

IT IS THE TRIVIAL QUARREL OR INCIDENT THAT TRIGGERS THE ACT OF FINAL AGGRESSION. ACCORDING TO THIS THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED STUDY, KILLING IS AN IMPULSIVE RESPONSE TO EMOTIONAL SITUATIONS THAT OFTEN INVOLVE SUCH THINGS AS THE MURDERER'S ABILITY TO OBTAIN LOVE OR A DEFENSE AGAINST HOSTILITY.
CRIME OF PASSION - MURDER AND THE MURDERER | Office of Justice Programs

 

[Mom24]

I have a question for those of you familiar with physical DV. Gabby claimed to have hit Brian first during their scuffle and also said she hit him when the police pulled them over. She also said Brian did not hit her but grabbed her face and pushed her back. She was very clear that Brian was wanting her to calm down. I believe her.

Is it normal for victims of long term DV to initiate violence with the one they fear? Or is it more likely that Brian's violence was new? I have no experience with DV and this is an honest question.

To be clear, I in no way put any blame on Gabby. I'm just trying to understand as I find this confusing.

What you're describing is normalization. It's what a person does to accept and live with abuse, they normalize it. I too believe that Gabby felt Brian intended her no harm, so she normalized his violent behavior, not only to herself but to others. She claimed she was OCD and hard to deal with, that's why he got angry with her. He grabbed her face to calm her down. He shoved her because she wouldn't calm down. Later we find she's not OCD or suffering from anxiety (another thing she claimed) and that the initial reports were that Brian was hitting her, something she never said.
She normalized his behavior and in her mind, I believe she believed it was all her fault. Because that's the only way a person can justify staying with someone who hurts them.
This article is simplistic, but it gets to the heart of the matter.
Normalizing — Out of the FOG

This one goes a bit more in depth if you have the time.
The normalization of violence in heterosexual romantic relationships: Women's narratives of love and violence

 

[dacjess]

Threatening and upsetting their children is inexcusable. Media can question the adults (if they agree) but random protesters making threats shouldn’t be tolerated — leave the kids alone. I hope they learn who made/is making the threats and that some type of charges can be filed.

MOO

I don’t condone the threats at all. I just find this ironic considering all this is about not being able to file charges against the suspect in a murder investigation. Again, the people making threats are wrong here. But actions have consequences. If BL chooses to murder someone and then hide, he has to be aware that his actions will have consequences for his loved ones.

The threats are too extreme, I agree, but IMO a lot of this has to do with public anger at the system. There have been many cases we’ve endured watching and there seems in many cases to be no consequences for aiding someone who commits horrible acts of violence. Then people project those pent-up feelings onto the next case.

I personally would like the legal system to take aiding someone more seriously so everyone else could calm down and know that the system works. I believe someone should be scared to assist someone who has killed another person. IMO we all know that BL is going to be arrested whenever he is found but his parents may go about their lives without consequences. I understand the anger at that but not the actions.

JMO.

 

[Turkeytrot]

I'm curious to see just how many of you think BL is still alive. To see how split this group is on dead/alive

I go back and forth on this.
I HOPE he's alive so he can be found and brought to justice.

 

[Lavendi]

I know folks won't agree with me here, however IMHO I think the situation at the Merry Piglets let Gabby see B in a new light. He was now acting this way in public that she had only seen in private before. I think this may have been her last straw with him and she may have tried to break it off/end the relationship. I know folks don't agree with this because this would have ended her van life dream and all, but this is just my opinion. Her breaking off the relationship may have led to the final outcome here. I don't mean that as a blame thing, just the steps that led up to it. IMHO.

Completely agree. This has been my theory all along. People have given up more than a social media presence/lifestyle to leave an abusive partner.

 

[NuttMegg]

Have we learned if the BL family received a heads up on the autopsy report? I don't see any logical reason that they should have received that courtesy, just wondering if it happened.

 

[Mom24]

or even a neighbor....they need to just stop harassing these people already. MOO

I think people would get more with honey than with vinegar. It doesn't appear the family has much for friends, someone mowing their lawn might get them to crack.

 

[ctmom]

Was he saying this in relation to Gabby or was he just offering his professional opinion?

If it's the latter I can't for the life of me understand why you think this is problematic.

He's not saying anything that we can't find the answer to on google.

BBM
He was saying this in relation to Gabby.

Here is AC's twitter link to the interview:
https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1448079789059944451

Dr. Blue: "We believe this was strangling by a human being"

AC: "How do you determine that it's a human being?"

Dr. Blue: "Only humans have opposable thumbs."

 

[x_files]

Yes, imo these officers are almost as gullible, naïve and incompetent as the ones who let Jeffrey Dahmer convince them a 13 year old boy covered in blood and crying was his adult male gay lover in a little disagreement

That still baffles me to this day! There's no WAY they don't know something was OFF? How dumb can they get?

 

[NCWatcher]

What you're describing is normalization. It's what a person does to accept and live with abuse, they normalize it. I too believe that Gabby felt Brian intended her no harm, so she normalized his violent behavior, not only to herself but to others. She claimed she was OCD and hard to deal with, that's why he got angry with her. He grabbed her face to calm her down. He shoved her because she wouldn't calm down. Later we find she's not OCD or suffering from anxiety (another thing she claimed) and that the initial reports were that Brian was hitting her, something she never said.
She normalized his behavior and in her mind, I believe she believed it was all her fault. Because that's the only way a person can justify staying with someone who hurts them.
This article is simplistic, but it gets to the heart of the matter.
Normalizing — Out of the FOG

This one goes a bit more in depth if you have the time.
The normalization of violence in heterosexual romantic relationships: Women's narratives of love and violence

BBM

When did we find that out? (The bolded part) If there are published reports I think they can be cited here even when mental health is mentioned.
JMO

 

[oviedo]

I've no idea here. ^^^

But from the dad's smiling demeanor while 'helping to search' in the park aka swamp area for Brian --I'd guess he knows Brian is alive.
If worried sick or fearful that his son was suicidal --it's doubtful he'd crack so much as a grin.
MOO.

ITA and have believed this since the beginning...
JMO

 

[Claire182]

I don't think she was afraid of him!
She was not married to him why she stayed is beyond me!
All she had to do was call dad!

Doesn’t work like that at all unfortunately. Perhaps look up why people stay and don’t tell others what’s happening.

 

[10ofRods]

I think many posters here are very confused about what a coroner does. A coroner is not a pathologist.

Yes. Some counties combine the positions, but most have a separate Coroner (sometimes elected) and a Medical Examiner (who is usually a pathologist or at least a medical doctor whose experience includes autopsies). If the position is combined the the Coroner/Medical Examiner is just a local who has no medical background, then that person has to contract with an M.D. to do the autopsy.

Autopsies are required in most jurisdictions if a person dies outside of medical care, unless the person's personal physician states that they had a medical condition that could cause death. So, when the investigation begins, it is not known whether the case is going to be natural causes, accidental, suicide, homicide or impossible to determine by autopsy. The Coroner's office takes pictures of the scene and provides the ME (if a separate. person) with that information.

Usually, in a case like Gabby's, there's a team of experts, as we have learned. Today, forensic anthropologists get training in entomology (although nothing beats the expertise of a forensic entomologist but they are few and far between). Since it was only about 3-4 weeks past death, the forensic anthropologist probably knew enough about the insect and mold evidence to call it.