Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #83

[NCWatcher]

I know it's been inferred (based on the changed camping arrangements at Ft DeSoto from 2 persons to 3) that Brian communicated that he would be returning to Florida rather than arriving unannounced. But is it known when he communicated that (before he left Wyoming, somewhere along the way)...and whose phone he used to contact them?

Nobody knows any of that. But the camping stuff can easily be explained without B calling. The first trip for 2 on Sept 1-3 was cancelled on Aug 31. The weather forecast for Ft DeSoto was for torrential rain and wind all day Sept 1 and part of Sept 2. Yuck. Not camping weather.

The second trip for Sept 6-8 for 3 wasn't booked until Sept 3. Brian got home Sept 1. So no calls were needed to be made on the road to the L's by BL
JMO

 

[TL4S]

So NJJ (second hitchhiking ride) said she dropped off BL at the Spread Creek gate at 6:40pm on Aug. 29th (People article). The next known (although unconfirmed, asaik) sighting was ~ 11pm that same night at a gas station in Jackson. It takes ~ 1/2 hour to walk from the gate to the van, and ~ 1/2 hour to drive from Spread Creek to Jackson (these according to google maps). That leaves ~ 3 hours BL was at Spread Creek or elsewhere before the sighting at Jackson.

If we are assuming these times are accurate, and that GP was dead before he went hiking, then what on earth was BL doing in those 3 hours? Showering? Going out to eat? Driving around? Sitting at the campground? For THREE hours? He didn't use her credit cards until Aug. 30th. What was he doing? After 2 days time, I really don't think he needed 3 hours to come to terms with things. After 2 days and acting mostly normal, telling stories about hiking Snake River, GP in the van, and bison to his hitchhiking rides, he suddenly is angry and cussing at himself at the gas station in Jackson, 3 hours later? None of this makes sense to me.

 

[Mom24]

But didn't he end up living 3 hours away from North Port? Or have I got that wrong?

And why does Gabby need his eye on her? Protection? Is she incompetent in some way? Still a child in his view? Acting out? It's a strange thing to say, really. "I wanted to be closer to my oldest daughter," would not be so strange. But this "keep eyes on" thing doesn't sit right with me.

It's Italian. "keep an eye on" has a variety of meanings. This may have been part of the ethnic Italian la famiglia e tutto. It's very ingrained in Italians, even after they've been here for generations.

 

[Newsjunkiejen]

I wonder when the Laundrie parents realized that Brian had murdered Gabby and what that moment was like when they realized they hadn't been tuned in to the fact that he had been lying for {insert however many days there were between her murder and their understanding that he murdered her.}

They might not have realised that BL murdered GP, and we also do not know that he did.

That is purely speculation and not based on fact.

 

[FindingJoLee]

They might not have realised that BL murdered GP, and we also do not know that he did.

That is purely speculation and not based on fact.

If it wasn't Brian....then someone else murdered Gabby. And while Gabby was missing, Brian also lost his life.

That would be such a terrible coincidence, potentially leaving up to two murderers on the loose. Who are the suspects?

 

[Gemmie]

I'll probably never know who knew what when, but when a couple calls off an engagement vs postpones a wedding, something is wrong. As a parent, I'd want to know why are you calling off the engagement. Being young as a reason to call off vs postpone doesn't work for me. Some signs of trouble had to be present before this van trip.

MOO

The parents knew why they called off the wedding. I've seen it discussed by several of them. Here's one such:

The late 22-year-old vlogger's stepfather, Jim Schmidt, told Fox News that Gabby and Brian's plans changed after they were forced to postpone their dream beach wedding due to Covid-19.

Gabby Petito & Brian Laundrie Almost Canceled Fatal Cross-Country Trip For Intimate Beach Wedding But Were Forced To Push Date Because Of Pandemic

and...

“Covid happened so they put it (the wedding) on hold," Jim revealed. "They said they were going to live life.” Her mom, Nicole Schmidt, also added that the wedding was no longer their focus once they began planning their trip.

Gabby announced their engagement in July 2020. The couple started their road trip in July, one year later.

Gabby Petito & Brian Laundrie Almost Canceled Fatal Cross-Country Trip For Intimate Beach Wedding But Were Forced To Push Date Because Of Pandemic

 

[Sassafrass]

Because he wanted to move to FL? It's probably a basic reason why he moved - Gabby being there is an additional reason, but I'm guessing that like many NYers, he simply wanted to move to FL, where he thought, at least, he wouldn't be completely without family.



I think so too. In fact, it's one reason I'm so interested in "Van Life." Its very nature is ambiguous and if practiced full time, is actually classified in most places as "homelessness." I'm pretty sure that Gabby and BL did not think of themselves as permanently on the road, they knew they had some places they could come back to roost. I think that's true of many Van Lifers - they may want to spend most of the year on the road, but in the winter, they drift south if they can, and park at some family member's house or a friend's. People are constantly allowing Van Life friends to park in their driveway on reddit (especially in big cities).

Near Yosemite, where the park actively limits the number of nights a van can stay, Van Lifers leave the park and there are several known houses with fairly large acreage where they can park (these are the climbers and hikers). There are also several other campgrounds (also with time limitations, but they can be combined in various ways to get a Van Lifer several months of low cost "rent." Many of these will leave the area in the coldest part of the year and go to Baja for a couple of months. Fishing is good, it's warm, food and beer are cheap.

Gabby and BL would have had 3 places in FL to rotate their winter stay if they wished and family allowed it (I believe they would have). And a place in New York, too, for part of the year. I do think this is the basic pattern for Van Lifers - not completely on the road all the year, but trying to avoid permanent living anywhere.

They had a hard stop-date, one which was fewer than 6 months from the start-date. They were on an extended lark-ish adventure, not some kind of principled rejection of societal norms and/or embrace of counter-culture. Basically, it was their best opportunity, and a good time in life to trek around without having to hold down a regular job. Call it a gap half-year (though gap between what and what is unclear).

 

[Sassafrass]

It's Italian. "keep an eye on" has a variety of meanings. This may have been part of the ethnic Italian la famiglia e tutto. It's very ingrained in Italians, even after they've been here for generations.

That's not (particularly) Italian. It's just a basic idiom, certainly common in English and and most possibly in any number of other language.

 

[SkidRogue]

They might not have realised that BL murdered GP, and we also do not know that he did.
That is purely speculation and not based on fact.

I admire your open mind. And, yes, it's speculation, but it's not completely groundless. Whenever I don't have enough facts, I look to statistics for help, and statistically speaking Brian is the most likely person. When we add those statistics to the circumstances surrounding Gabby's death, the 911 call, the method of her murder, and the eventual (possible) suicide by Brian it's enough for me. Granted, it might not be enough to convict him in a court of law. (We'll will never know the answer to that.) However, I would like to see additional/forensic evidence. If that evidence points in the direction of another suspect, I'll happily change my mind.

 

[Newsjunkiejen]

I admire your open mind. And, yes, it's speculation, but it's not completely groundless. Whenever I don't have enough facts, I look to statistics for help, and statistically speaking Brian is the most likely person. When we add those statistics to the circumstances surrounding Gabby's death, the 911 call, the method of her murder, and the eventual (possible) suicide by Brian it's enough for me. Granted, it might not be enough to convict him in a court of law. (We'll will never know the answer to that.) However, I would like to see additional/forensic evidence. If that evidence points in the direction of another suspect, I'll happily change my mind.

BBM

Oh, I totally appreciate that. I'm just conscious about the potential for speculation to be misinterpreted as fact.

MOO

 

[borndem]

It's Italian. "keep an eye on" has a variety of meanings. This may have been part of the ethnic Italian la famiglia e tutto. It's very ingrained in Italians, even after they've been here for generations.

Wow -- thanks, @Mom24! You could be right. Based on my Latin studies, it means "The family is everything." Perhaps Gabby was raised that way -- as all of us should have been!
Maybe she did rely on that selfish good-for-nothing to look after her. He surely let her down, probably more than once a day. He was immature, spoiled and selfish, IMO. Perhaps she finally saw it, and was done with it.

I do wonder if she had reached a breaking point after what had happened in the last several days. Maybe she decided she didn't want to rely on him for anything at all any longer. Did she read him the riot act about his laziness and/or his putting down all the work online she had been planning and doing -- and BL just lost it in a Big Way that awful day?

 

[SkidRogue]

Oh, I totally appreciate that. I'm just conscious about the potential for speculation to be misinterpreted as fact.

True that. It's good to have people here to remind us all of the speculative nature of this message board. It's easy to get carried away with our emotions and imagination and forget that the real facts are a bit slim on the ground.

 

[Newsjunkiejen]

Wow -- thanks, @Mom24! You could be right. Based on my Latin studies, it means "The family is everything." Perhaps Gabby was raised that way -- as all of us should have been!
Maybe she did rely on that you-know-what to look after her. He surely let her down, probably more than once a day. SMH. Bless her sweet heart.
I do wonder if she had reached a breaking point after what had happened in the last several days. Maybe she decided she didn't want to rely on him for anything at all any longer. Did she read him the riot act about his laziness and/or his putting down all the work online she had been planning and doing -- and BL just lost it in a Big Way that awful day?

BBM

It's nice that Roberta Laundrie was also following this. She has Italian blood, and was also putting family first, as all of us should do

* * * * *

What makes you think BL was lazy?

MOO

 

[LinneaE]

This has always puzzled me. It seems that GP and BL had been planning and saving for their road trip for months. Why would JP have relocated to FL if his daughter was going to be spending months or longer traveling across the country?

Joe Petito said Gabby had planning for this trip for a year. She probably started planning it after their return from their 2019 road trip.

 

[Newsjunkiejen]

True that. It's good to have people here to remind us all of the speculative nature of this message board. It's easy to get carried away with our emotions and imagination and forget that the real facts are a bit slim on the ground.

Agreed. There is so little we know about this case, and sadly so much we will probably never know.

 

[I'm Nobody]

So NJJ (second hitchhiking ride) said she dropped off BL at the Spread Creek gate at 6:40pm on Aug. 29th (People article). The next known (although unconfirmed, asaik) sighting was ~ 11pm that same night at a gas station in Jackson. It takes ~ 1/2 hour to walk from the gate to the van, and ~ 1/2 hour to drive from Spread Creek to Jackson (these according to google maps). That leaves ~ 3 hours BL was at Spread Creek or elsewhere before the sighting at Jackson.

If we are assuming these times are accurate, and that GP was dead before he went hiking, then what on earth was BL doing in those 3 hours? Showering? Going out to eat? Driving around? Sitting at the campground? For THREE hours? He didn't use her credit cards until Aug. 30th. What was he doing? After 2 days time, I really don't think he needed 3 hours to come to terms with things. After 2 days and acting mostly normal, telling stories about hiking Snake River, GP in the van, and bison to his hitchhiking rides, he suddenly is angry and cussing at himself at the gas station in Jackson, 3 hours later? None of this makes sense to me.

3 hours? I think Brian was taking a nap.. The adrenaline rush after killing Gabby tired him out.
Agree, not much makes sense.
Speculation only. MOO

 

[NCWatcher]

The parents knew why they called off the wedding. I've seen it discussed by several of them. Here's one such:

The late 22-year-old vlogger's stepfather, Jim Schmidt, told Fox News that Gabby and Brian's plans changed after they were forced to postpone their dream beach wedding due to Covid-19.

Gabby Petito & Brian Laundrie Almost Canceled Fatal Cross-Country Trip For Intimate Beach Wedding But Were Forced To Push Date Because Of Pandemic

and...

“Covid happened so they put it (the wedding) on hold," Jim revealed. "They said they were going to live life.” Her mom, Nicole Schmidt, also added that the wedding was no longer their focus once they began planning their trip.

Gabby announced their engagement in July 2020. The couple started their road trip in July, one year later.

Gabby Petito & Brian Laundrie Almost Canceled Fatal Cross-Country Trip For Intimate Beach Wedding But Were Forced To Push Date Because Of Pandemic

Yes but GP's mother said they called it off because they realized they were too young. So lots of different stories.

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

The stories could all be true or at least partly true. But Jim S's "COVID happened so they put the wedding on hold" doesn't make sense to me. According to GP's IG they didn't get engaged until July 2020. By then COVID had already "happened" and was in full swing as a deadly pandemic. It was a big deal in both NY & FL. But less than a year after they got engaged they had planned a dream beach wedding, had given that idea up because of COVID, found a van & bought it, converted it to a camper, planned the trip, and left on the trip? Hmmm. They were busy!

 

[Cinna]

So NJJ (second hitchhiking ride) said she dropped off BL at the Spread Creek gate at 6:40pm on Aug. 29th (People article). The next known (although unconfirmed, asaik) sighting was ~ 11pm that same night at a gas station in Jackson. It takes ~ 1/2 hour to walk from the gate to the van, and ~ 1/2 hour to drive from Spread Creek to Jackson (these according to google maps). That leaves ~ 3 hours BL was at Spread Creek or elsewhere before the sighting at Jackson.

If we are assuming these times are accurate, and that GP was dead before he went hiking, then what on earth was BL doing in those 3 hours? Showering? Going out to eat? Driving around? Sitting at the campground? For THREE hours? He didn't use her credit cards until Aug. 30th. What was he doing? After 2 days time, I really don't think he needed 3 hours to come to terms with things. After 2 days and acting mostly normal, telling stories about hiking Snake River, GP in the van, and bison to his hitchhiking rides, he suddenly is angry and cussing at himself at the gas station in Jackson, 3 hours later? None of this makes sense to me.

This is a bit macabre, but perhaps he went back to say goodbye to Gabby and sat with her for a time. He may even have convinced himself it didn't happen, and needed that verification. MOO

 

[I'm Nobody]

I'm where everything makes a little sense and then nothing makes any sense. What the dickens? Circle back, rethink..............
So what if Brian killed Gabby bc he was done with her (not that she was done with him); Brian no longer cared about Gabby at this final point. He may have even fantasized about killing her. His romance was not with Gabby but the outdoor lifestyle. And it turned out Gabby was NOT as he imagined. Bickering, too much indoor time, dirty feet scoldings, blah blah blah. He wanted peace and quiet, to clear his head, alone time, to be the great outdoorsman he was. Beats on chest. This was not Tarzan and Jane. This relationship with a blonde-haired, blue eyed beauty who no longer laughed at his put-downs had to end. So he ended her. I believe he thought he got away with it for a bit. 10 days living normal life until JP is going to call the police. He knows he'll be suspect #1 and cannot spend life behind bars so he goes where he most likes to be, alone, and ends his life, not out of remorse or guilt but fear of spending life in prison.
Pure speculation. MOO. Not sure what I believe.

 

[borndem]

True that. It's good to have people here to remind us all of the speculative nature of this message board. It's easy to get carried away with our emotions and imagination and forget that the real facts are a bit slim on the ground.

WRT this case, we will never know what happened to make BL do what he did (if he did it).
All we really know is that we have lost a bright spirit who was creating something that may well have been a wonderful thing to see. She was artistic, and she had a spark that many people saw and loved.
A person of brightness, gone in a time when we need so many more like her.