Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #11

[Nah]

I'm new here and created an account so I can share my thoughts on Brian. Both he and Gabby seem like genuinely kind and good people. I'm especially focused on Brian right now because I feel very attuned to his energy and how he lives his life.

Brian seems gentle and grounded. He loves camping, painting and reading. He was sad to leave the plants at his parents' homes and told them they're his best friends. He was happy to bring some small succulents with them in their van. He does yoga and is handy with tools. He did considerable work preparing the van for their travels.

The comments about him here and especially on social media are disheartening. I've read everything you've read and understand things aren't looking good for Brian, but my heart is breaking for both of them.

Brian left his parents' home for one of two reason: It was made known to them the police were going to obtain a search or an arrest warrant, based on evidence that hasn't been disclosed to the public yet; or Brian was needing the comfort of what he loves the most: the trees and plants, fresh air and open space. To see all of those law enforcement officers pursing him in a search is terrifying. It just seems so contrary to who he is and how he thinks and sees the world around him.

The couple that picked up Brian when he was hitching a ride presumably back to Gabby and the van, didn't mention bruises or bloodied knuckles. That's because there wasn't anything to note about his physical appearance, other than his clothing. She did say it was odd how clean he was, but I've done extensive backpacking and never looked muddy. My gear was always clean and tidy, and I didn't smell. Also, Brian loves going barefoot, and he loves minimalism. As an experienced camper, it makes sense to me that he'd only bring a tarp and nothing hefty for a few days of camping along a river. This isn't at all a concern for me.

As for his confusion about the direction they were heading, he's not from that area. I think he got north and south mixed up and didn't realize Jackson Hole was in the wrong direction. He was experiencing some stress from whatever it was that happened that had him doing a solo trip away from Gabby for a few days. They were still telling people they're engaged, and the police introduced the idea of spending some time apart, and that's what he was doing. It's possible there's nothing of interest with any of this sighting other than the date for the sake of the timeline and his location.

The police camera footage did not leave me feeling as if Brian was cocky, as so many people have said. His body language was reflective of his personality. He's quiet and gentle in his mannerisms, shy and uncomfortable around people. He was shaking and scared. Gabby was experiencing a full breakdown from her anxiety. I suffer from anxiety and that's exactly how it can be. She was asked what she does for a living, and she said she's a nutritionist. She hesitated, probably because she was looking for something to describe her lifestyle and goals. I doubt she's a certified nutritionist. Her friend Rose said Gabby was working at Taco Bell last year and then a smoothie place. Taco Bell really surprised me. It's completely at odds with what she portrays on her social media accounts and in the video.

All this tells me is that Gabby is young and finding herself. It's not that she was being dishonest; it's more that 'nutritionist' is what made the most sense to her. It characterized maybe her goals and also her lifestyle. She also said they don't drink, but she met Rose at a bar once. I tend to say I don't drink, but a few times a year I'll buy a bottle of wine. So I don't feel she was being dishonest with this either. It's again more of a response that speaks to the overall picture of who she feels she is and how they're living their lives.

Brian has been described as controlling. I have a lot to say about that and feel I'm understanding him and what motivates the decisions he makes. But for now I'd just like to bring some compassion and concern to this young man, who I think is frequently misunderstood. Regardless of the outcome of this case, I am genuinely heartbroken for both Gabby and Brian. He just doesn't resonate with me as someone who harmed Gabby. Please note that I didn't say or imply he's incapable of harming her. I think we are all capable of doing something sudden and unexpected.

But what I'm sensing here is something very dark that is turning against Brian and strengthening. I think his silence was his only hope of protection, and his legal right, and it seems it's all beginning to fall apart. I am praying for Gabby's safe return, and I'm also praying for Brian. Thank you for reading this.

I really like this post. Even though the cop stop did make him seem too calm for the situation and her too frazzled…. My initial thoughts that don’t fit the scenario were that they managed to stay out for a LONG time without either of them missing or being murdered, so definitely this wasn’t anyone’s intent. Second, usually a spouse (etc) tries to make up an alibi—they usually do not flee. If they do flee, it’s after the alibi was knocked down. So I feel like there’s a unique element to this case that we have yet to find out.

 

[Veronica Sawyer]

Actually, Moab LE explained to him-before they decided not to charge her with DV- that all he had to do was come in the next day & basically sign something that he wasn't pressing charges. There still would have been fallout, but she would have been free to keep on traveling with him.

IMO, the not charging her gave him leverage over her, if she had been charged would have given him even more.

The officer also explained that while he could do that (not press charges against her himself) the state could choose to charge her regardless.

 

[SaranWrapPetunia]

The biggest red flag to me is why he would fly home and then back? Does that not seem very suspicious. As if something else was going on prior.

I was thinking he told his parents about the fight and police incident. His parents were understandably concerned and might've sprung for the airfare. Maybe it was just intended for a break, or maybe they had broken up. Later, he agreed to give it another try, so he flew back. MOO.

 

[Nah]

And I've seen headlines that say "Couple Missing" and "Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie Both Missing."

I was appalled.

So…guilty before proven innocent?

 

[I wonder]

I think it’s fairly clear the cases are linked?

Actually, I've just realised I got confused with threads. The appearance of the 'Active Search' bit made me think this is a new thread solely about the search for Gabby, which is why I made the comment about being confused.

I've just realised this is just a new thread of the Gabby missing discussion. Stupid me, I do apologise. Like many of us, I've been staying up really late to try to keep up with the comments and my head has essentially crashed!

I'm really tired, so am going to head to bed.

Once again, huge apologies.

 

[LullabelleRosie]

I was a part of a missing person’s search several years ago- a family friend’s daughter got a 2nd DUI, felt her life was over and disappeared. The thing that stands out to me about this case is that Brian left for the woods with a backpack- this girl we were searching for (who sadly had commit suicide and was found roughly a mile from her house) left EVERYTHING important to her- her purse, her phone, her money. The fact that he brought a hiking backpack makes me speculate that he didn’t just go to that park to “end it,” he went to that park to hide, or at least to throw off LE. I do think his parents have not heard from him and are afraid he might be dead. Lastly, did anyone anywhere- neighbors, strangers, anyone?-see him in the first part of September? How is it that he has been home since September 1st and no one saw him taking stuff out of the van after he got home? Entering or exiting his house? You would think the neighbors would notice this huge camper van in the driveway and at least think- oh, they are back from their trip!

 

[JerseyGirl]

Adding
Thanks

Parents of Gabby Petito's boyfriend return home after rebuffing cops

video Tuesday prior to their arrival on Tuesday when officer delivers pink notice. There are no cars except the camper in the driveway.

Missing Gabby Petito's dad linked to Laundrie home incident report evening before daughter reported missing

Picture yesterday shows mustang where the red truck parked on Tuesday and the red truck parked behind the camper.

 

[Sheila Terranova]

Could Brian have made it to Mexico? (Not sure I trust mom and dad to give police his correct location)

 

[thebedbug]

Still ZERO information about BL - prior to his IG posts starting about a year into his relationship with GP? No arrests? No older social media? No friends? No random appearances on the internet?

I wonder when he assumed his kind of hardcore environmentalist/deep thinker (or whatever you'd call it) personality. Maybe 2 years ago he was into K-pop and the NFL?

 

[SMK777]

I could go a bunch of different directions with this. I'd need more information to feel confident about any scenario.

The amount of resources they have dedicated to searching that area, tells me that they probably have good reason to believe he is in fact there.

My hope is that he's just hiding out, and isn't sure what his next move is.

Thanks, yes, I understand what you’re saying.

I’m just wondering if a place that’s been recently badly flooded, has alligators and panthers, would really be a place to hide out?

 

[Alethea]

Of course. But I don’t want him to control the whole narrative. And am personally getting caught up with each latest detail on *him* and I want to focus more on the search for *her*. I appreciated the reminder.

NPPD said FBI are on the ground in Wyoming searching for her. Unfortunately I think they are left searching wide swaths of mountain and desert looking for a needle in a haystack. It is a very difficult search without knowing Gabby's last seen location.

 

[Nah]

What about BL's behavior and body language makes you think "Narcissist"? Truly curious how people see this disorder and why people are seeing it in this case. What about her behavior tells you that he's a narcissist?

I wasn’t trying to be authoritative. But he just seemed very calm, and was being friendly and “folksy” with the officers, while she was completely hysterical. At minimum, however he was treating her wasn’t helping whatever mental illness she struggled with. Worst case scenario, he was causing it. And the fighting isn’t a good sign… I know if a girl is lashing out physically at a guy, it often (not always of course) is the result of the guy slyly needling her and provoking her in ways he knows best.

 

[omgtain]

re: BL's parents and why they took the car and waited so long to report anything--

My guess is that there was a "plan". They'd drop BL off in at the swamp, he would meet them / family / friend at a specific place on a specific day/time. He didn't show up to this meeting point and he stopped communicating. They waited awhile to see if he would show up, maybe he got turned around or wasn't moving as fast as they were planning, he still never showed up. Now they're like "oh ".

He was probably supposed to meet up with whomever on Thursday, thats why when LE released the statement that they knew where he was (relayed by his parents) it was true at the time.... But then he didn't show up when they went to grab him. And yesterday they panicked and called LE to help.

 

[ArmChairDet]

Maybe the fact that they waited until Fri. evening to tell police he was gone tells us that he needed 3 days to get to here he was going. I don't think the parents would wait 3 days if they thought he might kill himself. Of course this is if the parents are being honest.

You would think B.L. would stay in touch with his lawyer because any conversations are completely protected.

I get the feeling that BL is not doing the lawyer talking - its the parents. I would imagine that he is in a state of mind that he really isn't organizing a defense. If there was a crime, it was a crime of passion by an amateur.

BL's parents are not really talking to police. Don't know the reason why they finally told them he wasn't there.

The drivers could be:
- Protesters having an effect (get them to leave).
- providing cover for BL to escape. (I think this may be likely)
- worried about his well being

Because there has been no crime established, they wouldn't be obligated to tell the police anything. Not a lawyer, however, I assume that since there is no crime established and if they didn't know of a crime, they could drive him anywhere. I would imagine that their interest is more on Bl than their criminal liability.

 

[gitana1]

@gitana1


Or, something good could happen when a person is let go.
Or something bad could happen to a person in jail.
Anything can happen to a person once police let them go.
They could get in a car accident, or fall and hit their head.
And then we could all say, "If he'd been arrested, he wouldn't have hit his head."

Very true. But I have this sense that when it comes to DV, there are greater ramifications to upholding bias, and/or failing to treat it seriously. Including unforeseen ones. A greater predictability of future harm.

These two were in an unstable relationship. I do believe she was the likely victim of a controlling gaslighter who probably used at the least, reactive physical force/violence against her before she went missing. But she didn’t appear emotionally stable and/or secure enough to escape the relationship. Instead of leaving and protecting herself, she reacted with physical violence and was intent on remaining with that guy and continuing the illusion of happiness.

And now she may be dead.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I'm new here and created an account so I can share my thoughts on Brian. Both he and Gabby seem like genuinely kind and good people. I'm especially focused on Brian right now because I feel very attuned to his energy and how he lives his life.

Brian seems gentle and grounded. He loves camping, painting and reading. He was sad to leave the plants at his parents' homes and told them they're his best friends. He was happy to bring some small succulents with them in their van. He does yoga and is handy with tools. He did considerable work preparing the van for their travels.

The comments about him here and especially on social media are disheartening. I've read everything you've read and understand things aren't looking good for Brian, but my heart is breaking for both of them.

Brian left his parents' home for one of two reason: It was made known to them the police were going to obtain a search or an arrest warrant, based on evidence that hasn't been disclosed to the public yet; or Brian was needing the comfort of what he loves the most: the trees and plants, fresh air and open space. To see all of those law enforcement officers pursing him in a search is terrifying. It just seems so contrary to who he is and how he thinks and sees the world around him.

The couple that picked up Brian when he was hitching a ride presumably back to Gabby and the van, didn't mention bruises or bloodied knuckles. That's because there wasn't anything to note about his physical appearance, other than his clothing. She did say it was odd how clean he was, but I've done extensive backpacking and never looked muddy. My gear was always clean and tidy, and I didn't smell. Also, Brian loves going barefoot, and he loves minimalism. As an experienced camper, it makes sense to me that he'd only bring a tarp and nothing hefty for a few days of camping along a river. This isn't at all a concern for me.

As for his confusion about the direction they were heading, he's not from that area. I think he got north and south mixed up and didn't realize Jackson Hole was in the wrong direction. He was experiencing some stress from whatever it was that happened that had him doing a solo trip away from Gabby for a few days. They were still telling people they're engaged, and the police introduced the idea of spending some time apart, and that's what he was doing. It's possible there's nothing of interest with any of this sighting other than the date for the sake of the timeline and his location.

The police camera footage did not leave me feeling as if Brian was cocky, as so many people have said. His body language was reflective of his personality. He's quiet and gentle in his mannerisms, shy and uncomfortable around people. He was shaking and scared. Gabby was experiencing a full breakdown from her anxiety. I suffer from anxiety and that's exactly how it can be. She was asked what she does for a living, and she said she's a nutritionist. She hesitated, probably because she was looking for something to describe her lifestyle and goals. I doubt she's a certified nutritionist. Her friend Rose said Gabby was working at Taco Bell last year and then a smoothie place. Taco Bell really surprised me. It's completely at odds with what she portrays on her social media accounts and in the video.

All this tells me is that Gabby is young and finding herself. It's not that she was being dishonest; it's more that 'nutritionist' is what made the most sense to her. It characterized maybe her goals and also her lifestyle. She also said they don't drink, but she met Rose at a bar once. I tend to say I don't drink, but a few times a year I'll buy a bottle of wine. So I don't feel she was being dishonest with this either. It's again more of a response that speaks to the overall picture of who she feels she is and how they're living their lives.

Brian has been described as controlling. I have a lot to say about that and feel I'm understanding him and what motivates the decisions he makes. But for now I'd just like to bring some compassion and concern to this young man, who I think is frequently misunderstood. Regardless of the outcome of this case, I am genuinely heartbroken for both Gabby and Brian. He just doesn't resonate with me as someone who harmed Gabby. Please note that I didn't say or imply he's incapable of harming her. I think we are all capable of doing something sudden and unexpected.

But what I'm sensing here is something very dark that is turning against Brian and strengthening. I think his silence was his only hope of protection, and his legal right, and it seems it's all beginning to fall apart. I am praying for Gabby's safe return, and I'm also praying for Brian. Thank you for reading this.

Thank you for your post. It's very hard to understand why someone who, on the one hand seems like a kind and good person, may have, on the other hand, killed their fiance. Brian wouldn't be the first person to do this. Time will tell what the truth is, but your compassion is a beautiful thing and I'm touched by it.

 

[rleigh123]

I tend to see some commonalities among the families of killers, (if that’s what has happened here). Scott Peterson. Neil Entwhistle. Chris Coleman. Chris Watts. Casey Anthony.

Tons of enabling. Aggressive denial. Victim-blaming if the victim isn’t their own blood relative. Stubborn acceptance of bizarre, illogical stories. Etc.

Yep. Those family dynamics have had me wondering what it must have been like for poor Gabby to live there.

 

[aim4thestars]

A barefooted OCD person. Now I've heard everything.

OCD is generally a genetically-linked condition, quite distinct from OCP. I see no signs that either of them is an untreated OCD (and I've interacted with many untreated OCD people - they typically have rituals they must do several times a day, to the point that most daily activities are organized around that). It's not a mild illness.

But it's also not to be confused with OCP. Someone with OCD usually has no choice but to eventually interact with a psychiatrist, or simply never leave their house (they have a hard time holding down a job). Frankly, I don't think BL has either - but Gabby may have OCP.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) - Psychiatric Disorders - Merck Manuals Professional Edition

My view right now is that since Gabby was not with BL on the day he was picked up at Coulter Bay, either he lied about them being in Idaho (odd if he would have hitchhiked from the Snake River area - with just that small backpack) or he never left Grand Teton NP after whatever happened to Gabby...happened. This last possibility seems more likely to me.

But Gabby's orderly and somewhat intense planning of the roadtrip, the amount of time it took to set up all those Insta-ready camera shots (many of them obviously needing use of tripod and timer and several trips back and forth between the dramatic scenery - probably with Brian being the 'placeholder' while she framed it perfectly. the amount of time she put into designing and decorating the van (it's perfection, from a VanLivers POV)...to me, it makes sense that's she OCP. Most people who become aware of their OCP (usually by trying to have a relationship with a romantic partner) don't really want to be treated. Deep inside, they know they are right. Everything neat and tidy and perfect. What's not to like about that? Everyone should be that way!

But most people aren't. (I know several OCP people - with actual diagnoses from a psychiatrist and it sure isn't an easy row to hoe, to live with one, unless you're also somewhat on that spectrum; one of those people was my mom...my dad struggled with it but they worked out their "rules of the house" and managed to stay together for 60 years).

I'm a medical student, and it's a common misconception that OCD solely revolves around cleanliness. Compulsions may vary from certain behaviors to intrusive thoughts. Like many mental illnesses, it can present in mild through severe forms (with a severe form being most impactful on daily living and functioning). OCPD is much more difficult to diagnose, along with most other kinds of personality disorders. That said, it simply isn't possible to diagnose either of them via a recorded interaction and without a thorough medical and psychiatric history.

 

[Batgirl77]

Yesterday someone here wrote that the text about Yosemite was a red herring because they were nowhere near that park or California at that time. I totally agree. But I'm not sure it was intentional on BL's part. I think he made a big mistake.

Assuming her mother's intuition is right and Gabby didn't write that message, the fact is that the van was close to Yellowstone, not Yosemite. Something had happened to Gabby and she was not there anymore, and BL was in a panic. He knew Gabby spoke to her mom all the time and he wanted to avoid questions after "whatever" happened to Gabby happened.

So in my opinion, he sent the message "No signal in Yosemite" to throw off her mother, but he screwed up and wrote the wrong park name. A blip of a frantic mind or a guilty conscience? I think it's a clue to his state of mind.

I haven’t read through all the posts, but watched the police cam video in it’s entirety from the domestic violence incident in Moab on 8/12/21.

During the ride to his free hotel room, Officer Robbins highly recommended to Brian that they travel to Yosemite then Sequoia National Park, as though everything was going to be just peachy. I can’t get that out of my head.

Officer Robbins must be disturbed seeing how things really played out.

 

[pittie_mcclure]

Is it normal to not classify something like this as a criminal investigation, at this late stage in a missing persons case? Genuine question.... Does it only become a criminal investigation if they find direct evidence of a crime? Until then, just stays a missing persons case? When can they admit probability of foul play?

Or does LE have reason to believe this is *not* a criminal case? Because they keep emphasizing it is not a criminal investigation.

They absolutely do keep emphasizing that - both when they knew where he was and now. Maybe it’s a lie, maybe it’s the truth, but they keep saying that and we know LE knows WAY more than we do. It’s why I’m staying confused and generally quiet (because I’m just not the quiet type) on this case until we know more