Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 *road trip w/bf*

[thebedbug]

For me the relevance is why would she abandon the van if it was in her name. If she voluntarily walked away that is. Which I don't believe happened.

I guess you've never had an angry girlfriend get out of the (her) car you (the bf) are driving and state she is walking home!

My experience in life and in following stories on websleuths is that we often have this expectation that people always behave clear-headed and logically (and make our judgements based on that)... when in reality people do a lot of illogical things... and I'd say that is especially true for younger "madly in love" people.

The boyfriend's story is going to be the #1 clue.

I think the mother speaking to Gabby on the 24th is also pretty important. It seems to me some of the 'sleuthing' of social media posts made before then, etc.. is probably not going to turn out to be particularly relevant.

 

[klind55]

Thanks for your reply @klind55. Since there's no video on page 26 and this is such an important subject, can you help by providing the post number of the video? Much appreciated.

Page 26, post #515. It's still there.

 

[10ofRods]

Find it eerie on their Nomadic Statik Spotify account under the playlist "Mtntop" 13 days ago 4 songs were added (Aug 31?) All from the same artist named Matt Berry his album "Witchhazel". The four songs off his tracks: Take My Hand, The Pheasant, Woman, & The Badgers Wake. I'm posting this link to the lyrics of the last one which I find eerie. (I didn't check lyrics on the other 3)
Matt Berry – The Badger's Wake Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

It is eerie. Wow.

 

[10ofRods]

Wondering if she used cash, debit or credit and if there has been any activity on her banking accounts. She would need resources if she was without the van.

I doubt she'd still be listed as missing if any of this had happened.

And yes, she would need resources.

Maybe she couldn't afford gas. Fifty bucks to fill a tank.

What would she have put the gas in? Her BF had the van and was driving across country!

This is a. young woman who was on a joint van camping trip when her camping partner took the van and headed home - without her.

 

[Peppery]

I think the fact that the van was taken in confirms it was in her name, if not her family’s name. His parents won’t even let the police speak to him so I doubt they’d let the van he drove back to town in be taken in to no doubt be sweeped for evidence had it actually been in his name.

If the police have a warrant for the van, they don’t need anyone’s permission to seize it and it wouldn’t matter who is the registered owner. Right now it might be considered evidence in a missing persons case and that could be enough.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

@Shane00

Welcome to websleuths!!

 

[Veronica Sawyer]

I would bet good money that he killed her—but you may be right about the argument part.

I hope that LE can use his cell phone data to zone in on some areas to search for remains.

I think it's highly, highly likely that he buried her, so they'd better search with cadaver dogs.

To do this they’d need to have a roundabout idea of where she last was though. And since the boyfriend isn’t cooperating I imagine it would be difficult for investigators to allocate the time and resources to do searches like this right now. I imagine pinging her cellphone could work though towers are spotty in wooded areas. Also, wasn’t the last known sighting of her leaving a hotel with him? Hopefully someone either comes across something of hers or the boyfriend starts speaking soon.

 

[fred&edna]

Missing Gabrielle Petito’s Boyfriend Has Not Spoken To Police: ‘We Would Love to Talk to Him’

Any speculation on how far along investigators might be with tracking her phone/communication (and/or tracking bf's movements in the van - possibly caught on camera when traveling back to FL)??

 

[Shane00]

Welcome to websleuths!!

hi, thank you.

 

[wary]

Is there any relevance to whom the van was registered? They were engaged, would it really matter if it was in one or both of their names?

MOO

Well, if the van is in HER name, then there’s a solid presumption of auto theft on his part. It would be different if they were a loving couple, of course, but I can’t think of any scenario that has them as still a loving couple.

And, consider the scenario where they have a fight, he yells: “Find your own way home!” and drives off. If he’s driving off in a vehicle that’s in her name—<modsnip>

All this MOO

 

[Veronica Sawyer]

If the police have a warrant for the van, they don’t need anyone’s permission to seize it and it wouldn’t matter who is the registered owner. Right now it might be considered evidence in a missing persons case and that could be enough.

True, but they’d need cause for a warrant. I haven’t seen any official reference to it being a missing person case yet let alone any mentions of POI. But obviously all those things could be true as of now just being kept from the media.

 

[MassGuy]

Any speculation on how far along investigators might be with tracking her phone/communication (and/or tracking bf's movements in the van - possibly caught on camera when traveling back to FL)??

I imagine they are poring over her phone records now, and using those to track down surveillance footage (from following a lot of cases like this, it doesn’t seem to take long).

As far as his phone goes, I imagine they’ve executed a search warrant to download it. That data is far more specific than anything that can be obtained from the phone company itself (which they would have to do for her phone, and would also do for his).

 

[wary]

This is what's concerned me about the publicity in this case, and the appeals for info on her whereabouts. Anyone could pick up on those please, someone with nefarious intent, and go out searching for a vulnerable young woman, possibly lost, and pretend to be a saviour. It could be alerting potential predators in those parks, that there may be an easy mark in the vicinity.

I believe that she disappeared more than two weeks ago. (Her mother spoke to her on August 26.) I think she’s either in a reasonably safe situation, (and unfortunately that seems unlikely,) or the worst has already happened.

So, I seriously doubt that publicity will harm her.

MOO

 

[EphemerallyAya]

Given she’s 22… I wonder if she was communicating with anyone else (friends, extended relatives, etc) since the time she got off the phone and the time she sent her last texts to her mother. If he did do something to her, I highly doubt random apps she might use to chat would be checked on and responded to (Like Snapchat or Instagram?)

Moo, might not be applicable.

I’m a bit behind on messages, has her phone been found or pinged yet?

Also wondering if any people who were around Grand Teton remember seeing anyone like them around that time.

 

[oviedo]

MOO

Well, if the van is in HER name, then there’s a solid presumption of auto theft on his part. It would be different if they were a loving couple, of course, but I can’t think of any scenario that has them as still a loving couple.

And, consider the scenario where they have a fight, he yells: “Find your own way home!” and drives off. If he’s driving off in a vehicle that’s in her name—<modsnip>

All this MOO

one may be arrested for auto theft, correct? I need to look up the FL statute. That may be one way to pull him in since he isn't cooperating. To the poster who mentioned he helped with the vehicle maintenance etc. - they were not married so it is not a joint asset. Title to the vehicle rests solely with the owner - whoever that may be. off to do some research...
JMO

 

[oviedo]

He has a community interest in it though, he took care of any maintenance, and helped fix it up to make it road trip worthy. And plenty of couples will put things in just one person’s name on a title or deed, even a house. He put plenty of time and money into it, the paperwork ownership of the vehicle seems moot since everyone knows it was something they did together.

They were not married. Whoever holds title to the vehicle is the owner. I know this because we handle transfer of title upon death of an owner if the title is not held jointly. Florida even has an interesting and/or provision for vehicles.
JMO
ETA: What is a community interest? We don't recognize that in FL. Is it a NY thing?

 

[Seattle1]

Authorities searching for missing 22-year-old woman last seen in SLC

Timeline and more at the Utah news link.

 

[Whiteorchids]

For me the relevance is why would she abandon the van if it was in her name. If she voluntarily walked away that is. Which I don't believe happened.

I agree in the YouTube video she said “I love the van” why would she let him take it unless it was to be dropped off at her parents. I wonder if BL’s parents let LE know it was in their possession or if LE found it upon investigating the missing report hmm. I would think BL would have taken his personal belongings out upon returning. I wonder if her things are still inside or perhaps thrown out? Does anyone know when her van got back to parents residence ?

 

[oviedo]

Completely agree. Personally I would have had the exact time and what was said permanently burned into my mind but I suppose given the heat of the moment and it being a live interview and all the questions being peppered on her she couldn't remember exactly. I've noticed the MSM reporting varying dates on the things as well and I've always been a person that approximate dates and times are critically important. Even when they say things like: "She was last heard from on the 24th or 25th of August..." Like okay, but which one is it, because that's very important.

I do wonder if the vagueness was on purpose? Not to tip anyone off on the timeline?

 

[Veronica Sawyer]

Given she’s 22… I wonder if she was communicating with anyone else (friends, extended relatives, etc) since the time she got off the phone and the time she sent her last texts to her mother. If he did do something to her, I highly doubt random apps she might use to chat would be checked on and responded to (Like Snapchat or Instagram?)

Moo, might not be applicable.

I’m a bit behind on messages, has her phone been found or pinged yet?

Also wondering if any people who were around Grand Teton remember seeing anyone like them around that time.

Her dad said she was snapchatting cousins quite a bit throughout the trip so we know she was using the app to communicate. What we don’t know is if the snaps suddenly stopped and if they did when the last one came through.

there is an article that was posted on here with quotes from a couple who saw and spoke to them This ‘Van-Life’ Couple Went on a Cross-Country Trip Out West. Only He Came Back.