Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #16

[Jscre]

The body cam footage and police reports regarding that traffic stop 8/12 should be training videos in the future for how not to handle a mental health crisis. RIP Gabby

I’m sorry. I can’t disagree more. I keep seeing posts blaming the police.
The police met these strangers for 1 hour. I know people like to find blame….but IMO it is not the police.

Family and friends knew gabby and Brian much more then these police officers. Why didn’t they stop anything from happening?

It is a sad outcome….that is probably the responsibility of one person.

 

[BigTexas]

Hindsight 20/20

 

[Shellinaya]

Except for him fleeing across the country in her van.

Except for him not reporting an event in Wyoming, and not reporting her missing when he arrived home.

Except for him and his family callously ignoring communication from her parents, wondering where she was.

Except for him refusing to tell law enforcement when and where he last saw her.

Except for him taking off, and hiding like a coward.

Except for her body being left to rot where they were camping.

So let me ask you this:

Are you kidding me?

I couldn't agree more. He had motive and opportunity and the all kinds of entitled thinking. And she didn't bury herself.

These two should not have traveled together for another day after that traffic stop. This was a tragedy waiting to happen. But there was no one around to tell them that.

Unfortunately it's going to be very hard for him to get a completely unbiased jury trial anywhere in the country at this point. I'm sure his lawyers are building his defense around that already.

 

[Lawnguylander1964]

She did, though. She had marks where he grabbed her by the face.

What she indicated on the video was that he grabbed her face, she indicated how he grabbed her, and she said it hurts when she touches her face there and indicated where it hurt. I don't think there were any marks or bruising at that time as it had just happened.

The redacted police report states in the section by Officer Pratt that he grabbed her face, but does not indicate he saw marks on her face. Officer Robbins section does not talk about her telling him he grabbed her face.

 

[Loveallmyhorsesdogsandcats]

Not sure how anyone can view BL as the victim. He returned home with Gabby's van alive.
Must be the same folks who are diehard Chris Watt fans that view the giant baby man as the true victim.

Lol, exactly

 

[Periwinkl3]

So much of what I'm feeling has already been so well expressed by this extraordinary community.

I just want to add: his "self-consumption" was symbolic of his depraved indifference toward her survivors. In addition to criminal penalties for murder/manslaughter, depriving the grief-stricken of a proper ritual burial for a loved one should be a felony.

 

[SuziQ]

I'm catching up as WS crashed and I left for dinner.

<modsnip>

So does anyone still think Brian is a "nice" guy?

 

[Jmoose]

Sorry but I think most of you folks are missing it. Perhaps it's me. I don't think Brian killed her. Maybe I'm wrong. I think she killed herself. We will soon know the truth. But it does bother me how folks have so little compassion for the grief of Brian. It is sad. Everyone has an agenda. But sometimes life doesn't follow the agenda. Regardless, pray for Gabby, Brian and all parents.

Did she bury herself too?

 

[Love Never Fails]

Isnt it interesting that the people who preach about never talking to the police are the ones who are outraged that the suspect in this case didn’t immediately talk to the police upon his arrival in Florida. The Constitution is convenient when you want it to be.

Please don't lump us all together. Our Constitution is the best, for everyone. And I very much appreciate LE.

 

[Gemmie]

Joseph Petito tweets: stay focused

https://twitter.com/josephpetito/status/1439089777345798149?s=20

That was 2 days before a body was found.

 

[shelbycat]

Yes, and there’s yellow string/tape nearby.

Did anyone watching the live feed see a larger tent that looks to be a full covered one too - not the white “top-only” one being set up during the feed. Can someone help me with what I saw, as I only was able to watch a short time? Thanks.

 

[Hope4More]

Rest in peace Gabby, this is so heartbreaking.

I fully believe that Gabby was a victim of reactive abuse. The body cam video is a clear indicator imo of having Gabby retaliated to her abuser, standing up for herself, and BL managing to successfully convince the responding officers and Gabby herself that she was in the wrong. Emotional abuse and gaslighting by BL could have caused Gabby to become convinced that she had ocd, anxiety, and was mentally unstable. Emotional abusers are very manipulative to not only their victims but those around them, they can convince anyone even LE in cases like this that the victim is infact the aggressor.

This type of gaslighting can be devesating as the victim feels like no one will believe her because look what a ‘nice guy’ he appears as on that footage. When you look closer and are looking for red flags though they are all there. BL took on a Chris Watts like stance at some points, He downplayed his own actions and deflected the blame right onto Gabby, made it sound like she was ‘irritated by small things’ ‘nothing could be out of place’ when IMO in reality he probably purposely made a mess and irritated her on purpose to provoke a reaction, then he could turn around just like he did and say ‘she scratched me’. Meanwhile, Gabby is distraught because she feels guilt and shame for reacting to him, she is convinced that she is the aggressive one who overreacts.

It is hard to put into words just how debilitating emotional abuse can be for a victim, the abuser strips away your identity and sense of self, until you feel like you are going mad. They convince you that you’re neurotic and that you need some sort of psychological help, abusers disguise their abuse as caring about you, especially in situations where the police get involved.

BL saying he tried to ‘calm her down’ by locking her out of the vehicle is an example. Locking someone out of their own van (and probably threatening to drive off and leave her there), would not calm anyone down, especially someone who is already upset, in a place she doesn’t know well and who’s only travelling companion is her abuser who is getting enjoyment out of how far he can warp her sense of identity and well being.

All MOO and JMO..

I think whether or not LE handled the situation appropriately is a really important conversation to have.

My postings over the years here are evidence enough that I am no reflexive defender of LE, but in this instance I genuinely don't understand the sometimes ferocious criticism of how they handled things.

They are LE, not social workers, and they don't make up the rules. Did they take the situation seriously? From what I saw, yes, they did. They took their time. They spoke to Gabby & Brian separately. They listened. They didn't downplay that whatever was going on between the two of them was serious enough that they really did need to be separated for the night. Imo they tried to make Brian comfortable because he *was* as a clearcut matter of law, the victim in the only situation they were being asked to apply the law to. In that, what he said and what she said did not diverge.

Did they do the wrong thing by not charging her? If so, from what I saw, it was in spite of them trying to do what they thought was the right thing, for both Gabby & Brian. IMO, it is in any case grossly unfair to lay any responsibility for her death on MOAB LE. From what I saw of LE at that scene, my guess is they're all likely second guessing themselves and feeling horrible.

 

[Tigerlily75]

You assume the info you hear is what the families heard. I assume you heard what I heard and that's what they felt they could tell you. But I think they all knew what happened. From the bodycam video, their you tube video, and the call from Christopher. They all knew. And they also knew why Brian wasn't talking. That's why they didn't arrest him. I've said before, I could be wrong. We shall see. But I believe he is actually the #1 victim in this. And he is paying the price.

Folks have shared here their pain from past experiences that affect their perpective of current events. Let me share. My brother committed suicide. Suicide has victims. Suicide is never pretty. Maybe she didn't kill herself but suicide is 2.5 times as likely as homicide from a statistical point of view. (I have posted a reference to this statistic from the national institute of mental health). I withhold judgment on Brian as I wish others on here would too.

But yet you’ve been judging Gabby - the victim - and her desperate family who didn’t know where their daughter was. from the beginning.

If you want to go by statistics, maybe look up how many women are killed by their partners.

 

[Lillymac]

Because they know that she was alive at some point on Aug 27 to snapchat with a friend.

I didn't know she snap chatted with a friend. Do you have that info handy so I can take a look at it..?

 

[milkshakedonkey]

If there is any fault with Moab LE, it comes down to lack of education. I think they did the best they could with the education and experience they had. Could that education be better? Absolutely. These folks deal with so much though, I dont know how they can know everything about everything. A systemic change to how domestic violence or suspected domestic violence is handled is what is really needed here. I'm sure nearly everyone wished this has ended differently. Even if GP had ended up booked in jail (which I dont think she deserved at all), she maybe could have avoided this sad end.

 

[bellyup]

Well hell, it's been hot and she's been missing for over 19 days. Horrific.

I have to say, Sasha Krause was in the desert of Flagstaff AZ for a month with much higher temps and they were still able to get stomach contents. She wasn't buried, she was left in some brush and immediately visible when a camper happened upon her. There's a good chance that GP's remains are more intact than one would think. Especially if partly buried.

 

[cuffem]

So much of what I'm feeling has already been so well expressed by this extraordinary community.

I just want to add: his "self-consumption" playlist was symbolic of his depraved indifference toward her survivors. In addition to criminal penalties for murder/manslaughter, depriving the griefstricken of a proper ritual burial for a loved one should be a felony.

Again his choice in music has nothing to do with it, only his actions.

 

[Woodberry]

Isnt it interesting that the people who preach about never talking to the police are the ones who are outraged that the suspect in this case didn’t immediately talk to the police upon his arrival in Florida. The Constitution is convenient when you want it to be.


Domestic violence laws work both ways. He was the one who had scars and marks on him. She didn’t. The officers handled that incident very professionally.

Although the official police report did not indicate that Gabby had injuries, it was evident in the body cam video that was released that she did and you can hear at least one officer ask her about them.

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Isnt it interesting that the people who preach about never talking to the police are the ones who are outraged that the suspect in this case didn’t immediately talk to the police upon his arrival in Florida. The Constitution is convenient when you want it to be.


Domestic violence laws work both ways. He was the one who had scars and marks on him. She didn’t. The officers handled that incident very professionally.

Actually she did. She had a cut on her left cheek. It was even discussed on the cam footage itself. I have provided screenshots and timestamps previously of the evidence of her being also injured.

Unfortunately, this was not really documented in the written report. I believe that one of the officers was biased and was pushing for Gabby to be the aggressor. However, I do think they did their best, but they needed to spend more time getting her side of the story and investigating what happened. Even on camera there are places where BL lies or contradicts himself. They were not followed up on. His claim to not have a phone, for example, as an excuse for why he took her keys to her van away from her.

 

[kyraz]

Can we please keep this thread constructive?

I’m curious if anyone was able to figure out the relative area in which the body was discovered? And in relation to when the YouTube video shows the van?