Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #67

[cady]

Yes she does say she saw him alone

This forced Schultz to drive off the road a bit to get around — and as she passed, she looked over and saw that the van’s driver was alone — a “generic” young white guy.

Gabby Petito case: What one witness saw near the Tetons may help FBI unravel mystery

Although it could be possible G was in the back (I don't know - can't you ride in the back of one of those things?) we know she was in the passenger seat at Moab.

There really, really is a lot we don't know about the time period around the murder. I wonder why they were separated at this point? JMO

All I can think is that she was at some nearby café doing vlog stuff and he was scouting out the campground for a spot...but it looks pretty remote out there so how far could a café be? jmo

 

[JayWill]

@10ofRods
I don't know if someone has responded to you yet, but in an earlier post regarding suspects not taking the stand, you said you weren't familiar with the Fla case cited. However, it said "Fla vs. CMA," so I'm pretty sure it refers to Casey Anthony.
Just want to also say that I respect your knowledge. Forensic anthropology strikes me as a field that requires not only intellect, but a temperament that can handle some seriously macabre situations.
So thank you, Dr. @10ofRods !

@imstilla.grandma
My heart aches for what you've endured with your brother.
Of course I hit "like" to show support, but it feels weird. It's not like I "like" that it happened. I'm sure we all feel the same.

Many people have given the opinion that had the jury not been sequestered, the CA verdict may have been different. Juries get sick of trials when they sequestered and just want it over with and to go home.

 

[Which_pancake]

BBM
I agree, I thought it strange when this came out because she stated something like 'we noticed the Florida plates and thought about saying hello but didn't see anyone inside'

When watching the footage, IIRC there is audio, you can hear the van driving along the bumpy track and general clatter but there's no one speaking.

I don't think there's anything sinister in it!
Just finding the van in their footage itself was amazing! But why the need to embellish? It didn't need any addional chatty explanation about them making a friendly observation, seeing another van from the same state and wanting to say hello... when clearly they didn't.

IMO it was an odd statement to make when clearly no one speaks before, during or after passing Gabby's van in the footage.

JMO
Lots of things about this case are a bit odd imo

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression there was no sound to the original recording because it was a go pro or something like that, and they just added the commentary after. MOO

 

[cady]

Yes she does say she saw him alone

This forced Schultz to drive off the road a bit to get around — and as she passed, she looked over and saw that the van’s driver was alone — a “generic” young white guy.

Gabby Petito case: What one witness saw near the Tetons may help FBI unravel mystery

Although it could be possible G was in the back (I don't know - can't you ride in the back of one of those things?) we know she was in the passenger seat at Moab.

There really, really is a lot we don't know about the time period around the murder. I wonder why they were separated at this point? JMO

All I can think is that she was at some nearby café doing vlog stuff and he was scouting out the park for a spot...but it looks pretty remote out there so how far could a café be? jmo

 

[carbuff]

Yelling about a bill in a restaurant (if that was the issue- we don't really know from the blogger) rarely gets someone arrested much less sent to jail. Those who have worked in restaurants (including me) know it happens and it's not as rare as some here seem to think it is. People who are hungry or drunk can be real jerks sometimes. It happens in good restaurants too. And restaurants won't call LE unless it's really bad. Good way to lose a liquor license to have LE called.

JMO

Yes. And since the pandemic, it seems to be a lot worse.

Earlier this summer there was a guy bragging to his party that he was going to get their dinner comped, and he proceeded to hassle the hostess about a made-up problem until she was in tears and the manager came out (and sure enough, comped the meal...) A couple of other people were looking at each other like, "Should we do something?" But the manager was making calm-down gestures, so everybody stayed back and let her handle it.

 

[Cindizzi]

BBM
I agree, I thought it strange when this came out because she stated something like 'we noticed the Florida plates and thought about saying hello but didn't see anyone inside'

When watching the footage, IIRC there is audio, you can hear the van driving along the bumpy track and general clatter but there's no one speaking.

I don't think there's anything sinister in it!
Just finding the van in their footage itself was amazing! But why the need to embellish? It didn't need any addional chatty explanation about them making a friendly observation, seeing another van from the same state and wanting to say hello... when clearly they didn't.

IMO it was an odd statement to make when clearly no one speaks before, during or after passing Gabby's van in the footage.

JMO
Lots of things about this case are a bit odd imo

The wife was in a separate vehicle, I believe a Jeep, driving behind her husband. That’s why you don’t hear them talking to each other. Perhaps they talk by phone or walkie talkie while driving and it was edited out.
JMO

EBM Adding a link where she tells about this. @Tiff23fr please remove if not allowed and my apologies if so.

Around 7:44

 

[Sleuthine]

I thought that was a bizarre comment from them, but maybe it's just me. When I go on vacation, I'm not interested in connecting with others other than my family who I'm with. Why would they think it was abandoned? People park, and then go hiking. A van or car or RV would often be empty (abandoned is a strange term!). People nap! People sleep. People take walks.

It was dinner time. At that time, many campers prepare meals outside, and set up the table, maybe that was the case here. And the Bethunes noticed that this van didn't. It does look a little abandoned since there is nothing set up outside - chairs etc. MOO.

 

[MyBelle]

I disagree. When they got calls, texts from the Petitos, they likely would have asked BL what was going on. I have a number of adult children and I’m not one to get involved with their SO’s, break ups, problems, their parents. I’d go to my kid first. It would never occur to me that someone would just ditch a SO or kill someone. I’d think the calls about collecting belongings. Wouldn’t necessarily know whose name was on the van even.
But if texts show concern, of missing person, yes, I’d be on high alert snd insist my kid tell me what’s going on. And, yes, this would be more thsn I’d want to handle myself—there is no good answer to give to the Petitos here. I’d call and attorney or maybe LE.

LE would absolutely not want parents to be talking to each other in this case and would handle it. Even in minor situations, they do not want contact between two parties with conflict.

I don't get your point considering the parents called the Laundries before LE was involved. All they wanted to know was whether his parents had talked to BL or GP who resided with them for years. Simple question, really. Failure to respond was incredibly cruel. jmo

 

[NCWatcher]

Many people have given the opinion that had the jury not been sequestered, the CA verdict may have been different. Juries get sick of trials when they sequestered and just want it over with and to go home.

Jurors also bond with each other when sequestered and that can be bad. They don't want to argue during deliberations so they choose the "easiest" verdict.

Wonder if BL's jury will be sequestered, (assuming he goes to trial.)
JMO

 

[Krwiley60]

I would like to know that too!

She may have parked it in the hotel parking lot.
MO

 

[Balthazar]

It's possible he left a note and they didn't see him leave. So they don't know what he was wearing. But they do know that giant pack is gone as they looked in his room. Otherwise they wouldn't have known he didn't take his wallet and phone. If that had seen him leave they wouldn't have known if he was carrying those.
JMO

So, for this to work, I would think he would have had to rise before his parents and leave OR his parents went out and he left. Yet, it seems the cause of him leaving may have been his last phone call with the lawyer who probably told him something distressing. That would put him leaving between 8 or 9am and 5pm.

 

[TL4S]

Interesting. When was the Jenny Lake sighting, anyone know? jmo

Tipster talks about spotting Gabby Petito's van in Grand Teton National Park

Baker said it was 5 p.m. on Aug. 25, when she and her husband spotted Petito’s van in the Jenny Lake parking area.

“I’m sure of it,” Baker said. “It had the black ladder on the back and the two black rooftops on top, the two bars, and we made the comment that would be the perfect little camper van to go around in.”

 

[TxJan1971]

FWIW - RE: the 2nd MOAB Body Cam Video:

This is transcribed verbatim what I heard. Others may have heard/transcribed differently. I believe Brian said he "didn't want to try to defend himself" vs he didn't have time to defend himself.

Beginning portion only

***

Officer Eric Pratt: (Exits his vehicle and approaches the driver’s side window of Gabby’s Van. Brian Laundrie is seen sitting in the driver’s seat):

Officer Eric Pratt: How’s it going?

Brian: How you doing?

Officer Eric Pratt: Hey, we got a call about a male hitting a female and the two of them getting into this vehicle and taking off.

Brian: (Brian turns his head and looks away from Officer Pratt while responding…)

Brian: Sorry I…. Err….

(Brian looks back to Officer Pratt and continues)

Brian: Uhhhh…uhh….uhhhh… I…. I… I just…

(Brian again looks away from Officer Pratt and responds to Officer Robbins standing outside the passenger side).

Brian: I don’t want to try to defend myself by saying anything here but…

(Brian looks back to Officer Pratt on the driver’s side and continues):

Brian: … I pushed her away. She gets really worked up and when she does she swings and she had her cell phone in her hand so I was just

(Brian looks to the passenger side – responding now to the Officer on the passenger side)

Brian: …trying to push her away… but um… but…

(Brian stops mid sentence, changes the subject and asks a question to Officer Robbins on the passenger side and questions):

Brian: Gabrielle… You’re talking to my fianceé, right?

Officer Robbins (on Passenger Side): What’s that?

Officer Eric Pratt (on Driver's side): (Walks away from the van and leaves Brian talking to the officer on the passenger side).

***

 

[CharlestonGal]

I don't believe that she was punching, scratching or pushing him except to stop him taking over her possessions. She is the one who is dead and he is hiding. Numerous experts who have seen that video had no problem seeing HER as a domestic abuse victim. MOO.

That's not what she told the police, though. When asked the direct question, "What was your intent when you were slapping him?", she stated she was slapping him to make him "stop telling me to calm down". She said nothing about trying to prevent him from taking her stuff.

 

[Shellinaya]

^^ ALL of this!

If I was on the jury, and with the evidence presented thus far, I would have a very difficult time finding him guilty of murder beyond any reasonable doubt.

We have to hope there's a LOT of evidence that hasn't been revealed to us and is being kept under wraps by LE, because as it stands, I feel the prosecution are going to have an uphill battle pinning anything on BL other than the unauthorised use of a bank card.

Then again, all it takes is a few man-haters on the jury and his fate would be sealed before the trial had even begun..

MOO

Man haters on the jury? I don't see that being a factor in any of this. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence that we know about that points to BL murdering Gabby already, and we only know a fraction of what LE knows.

There is so much evidence. His own words, his own behavior. His fleeing, his stealing her van. There's even a photo of him (maybe two) that shows bruising and swelling on his arm after he returned home to Florida. (On the camping trip with his nephews). That's evidence his victim fought back. Everything is building up to quite a solid case against him, IMO.

People can be and are convicted of murder on circumstantial evidence alone, and in this case I think the evidence is pretty strong. BL certainly has no alibi despite his efforts at that. He's just been doing one mistake after another, IMO, and so have his parents - they have done him no favors. When he's eventually found the law will come down on him much harder than if he hadn't fled and disappeared. He's had some terrible advice.

JMO!

 

[LietKynes]

Brian allegedly left and returned to argue four separate times within the same incident. They didn't return on four separate occasions to continue the same argument from a previous visit. It sounds to me like at some point Gabby and Brian were dissatisfied enough to leave and then Brian went back in a few times to give them a piece of his mind... or maybe they were asked by management to leave and Brian was going back in and out trying to plead their case to the manager. Either way it seems they visited Merry Piglets that one time.

ETA: I think I mistook your point the first time I read it. I see it now as why return to argue within that visit more than once.

Yes, I meant within the same visit.

I do wonder what the staff thought, although they haven't said much ?

Some friends of mine had a difference of opinion with the tab and it was resolved amicably.
They neglected to read the smaller print at the last page of the menu.
Some eateries are fun and trendy but they don't explain how much they expect the gratuity to be, and any other additional expenses expected -- but explained only in the fine print.
Just pick a different restaurant and all will be well.
MOO.

 

[jamicat]

I don't get your point considering the parents called the Laundries before LE was involved. All they wanted to know was whether his parents had talked to BL or GP who resided with them for years. Simple question, really. Failure to respond was incredibly cruel. jmo

We do not know exactly what was in the voice mails or texts.

If my kid broke up with a SO, I’m not interested in talking to the parents. I stay out of it. I would not return such phone calls, until i talked to the kid and got some context.

The context here was very bad. It would have done no good to have called the Petitos and told them BL was gone with van and no Gabby snd he’s refusing to talk about it. The result would have been the same or worse. Better to call LE or you have a lawyer you know, ask for advice. That’s what Laundries did. There was no good news to give the Petitos. Their daughter was dead

 

[cady]

Tipster talks about spotting Gabby Petito's van in Grand Teton National Park

Baker said it was 5 p.m. on Aug. 25, when she and her husband spotted Petito’s van in the Jenny Lake parking area.

“I’m sure of it,” Baker said. “It had the black ladder on the back and the two black rooftops on top, the two bars, and we made the comment that would be the perfect little camper van to go around in.”

we may have 25th and 26th covered. Now the 24th? jmo

 

[SouthAussie]

It all comes down to the jury, judge’s instructions and the attorneys. If the jury feels there is reasonable doubt, that BL could have gone in a walk about. Maybe after a fight that got too heated —those Moab tapes can be used to his advantage, that Gabby gets physical, that she scratched. He has that One witness who states she picked him up. Maybe 2. He comes back and no Gabby finds her body later and panics, sure he will be blamed. Maybe other campers heard them fight. Maybe, maybe, but all possible, all reasonable. It’s not a Big Foot theory.
If it’s reasonable , and judge impresses upon jury that they must keep in mind, I can see without some piece of more solid evidence, that he gets off
I believe that the simplest and most likely thing that happened was that he killed her and took off in a panic home. How reasonable is it that a killer happened upon her alone and killed her? It will depend upon the jury to assess that

I wonder if those Moab tapes would be allowed into evidence. Or if BL's defense (if he ever gets to trial) will strenuously argue that they not be included.

Perhaps they may not be deemed to be evidence of murder, and can be considered inflammatory?

Or if the defense will want them to be included because "Gabby almost got arrested for DV". Which could assist them in any 'self defense' answer to the charge.

 

[acutename]

^^ ALL of this!

If I was on the jury, and with the evidence presented thus far, I would have a very difficult time finding him guilty of murder beyond any reasonable doubt.

We have to hope there's a LOT of evidence that hasn't been revealed to us and is being kept under wraps by LE, because as it stands, I feel the prosecution are going to have an uphill battle pinning anything on BL other than the unauthorised use of a bank card.

Then again, all it takes is a few man-haters on the jury and his fate would be sealed before the trial had even begun..

MOO

if you do not believe that BL killed GP, is there another killer menacing the Teton area camp sites? Other victims?