Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #58

[SMK777]

There is a Fox video where an LE source said her remains were not disturbed by wildlife and that is good news if true.

SBM.
I’m just wondering why this would be if she were left in the open for nearly 3 weeks? You’d think at night wildlife would have discovered a body in the open.

 

[BeanieBod]

Yes, but this was a couple of weeks ago. Wondering if they will keep this up. Hard to tell since they never leave the house. I can’t imagine LE resources would allow for them to do it to this extent for an extended period of time IMO.

IMHO, the FBI will keep an eye on the L’s until no longer needed. They could have asked NPPD to do that but probably not since they have already botched up. The agent may not be clear to any of us. See that person with a camera or the one just wondering round - could be an agent who jumps in an unmarked car when needed. We don’t need to know that they are doing their job. JMOO

 

[Cinna]

Believe me when I say, I'm not trying to condemn them. I'm just having a hard time with their initial decision not to talk with the Petito's and try as I might nothing about their silence in the beginning makes sense.

The only conclusion I can draw from it is that perhaps they knew Gabby was no longer alive and their son was possibly responsible.

I'm curious though, why would Brian's parents call him to ask about Gabby, when he was supposedly home already? Do you believe he never came back with them from the DeSoto trip?

Maybe my timeline is faulty? I thought the Petito’s were calling his parents before he came home with the van.

 

[Bordeaux]

I’m just wondering why this would be if she were left in the open for nearly 3 weeks? You’d think at night wildlife would have discovered a body in the open.

“Wildlife” is a relative term. It is likely that the speaker was only referring to larger predators such as bears. MOO What about birds and smaller animals?

 

[Thinker22]

IMHO, the FBI will keep an eye on the L’s until no longer needed. They could have asked NPPD to do that but probably not since they have already botched up. The agent may not be clear to any of us. See that person with a camera or the one just wondering round - could be an agent who jumps in an unmarked car when needed. We don’t need to know that they are doing their job. JMOO

Yep, any one of the protesters, leisurely walkers, or anyone else could be doing surveillance, IMOO. All that person would need to do is send a quick text and a car several blocks away could start tailing them. That would be the old-fashioned way. In this day and age, as I noted before, a GPS tracker would simplify that tremendously. An agent could be parked blocks away and receive an auto-notification that one of the L's vehicles was moving and be ready to follow.

Simply my amateur option and supposition.

 

[lxmx]

Mom & step-dad stated during their Dr. Phil interview, part 2, that the sweatshirt was one of Gabby’s favorites & had a logo from one of her favorite local places. They did not state which “local” place- just that they knew for sure FBI had found Gabby- and not another missing young female from the area. Iirc

I heard something about Zion, but NY makes much more sense, as Schmidt seemed to be familiar with it. I wondered how he knew it was her "favorite". Especially since she had been away from NY for several years. jmo

I live on Long Island, New York about 30 minutes from where BL and Gabby went to HS. I noticed in one of the photos from their trip that he was wearing a Bunger t-shirt. That’s a local surf shop that’s very popular with outdoorsy young people, it has a cool vibe. They sell surf, skateboard, snowboard gear and my stepson used to wear their clothes in his 20s. Not sure if they have stores in FL but if ours is their only store then it could show that BL and/or Gabby had possibly shopped for clothes on a more recent visit to NY and it might not have been a shirt she took with her to FL 2 years ago. Not saying that her shirt was from that store but just pointing out that they may have shopped locally during a visit and she may have shown her step father the shirt she got and said it was a favorite. JMO.

 

[PatLaurel]

Is it safe to say the orange spray painted trees at the crime scene were bullet holes? If so, it begs the question as to whether he had his firearm front the start of the trip or that’s what he went to retrieve at the storage unit. It makes sense to fly home to get it because it would be expensive to purchase and more difficult to buy on the road.

Welcome to WS.

I think the orange spray marks are used for 3D laser scanning.

How 3D Laser Scanning Systems are Changing Crime Scene Documentation

MOO JMO

 

[ctmom]

MOO

I think the Laundries got a voice mail from Gabby's parents. They immediately called Brian to find out what was going on. Based on that call, they then called their lawyer who told them to stay silent.

This makes more sense to me than Brian calling them to fess up.

BBM
I think it's the reverse.

"got a voicemail" indicates, to me, the Laundries did not pick up & answer that 1st call from the Petito's.

This was the starting point of the Laundries stay silent - non cooperative pattern, imo.

I don't think Brian called to "fess up" per se ...

I think after Brian arrived back at the van & Gabby's dead body from hitchhiking, before Petito's started calling the Laundries...
Brian made a frantic ya gotta help me call...
And yes, based on Brian's call, his parents called their lawyer who told them to stay silent.

 

[Allabouttrial]

I'm thinking her favorite sweatshirt (I too believe it was from NY) as well as her long blonde hair must've been identifying factors for LE in assuming the remains belonged to Gabby. There is a Fox video where an LE source said her remains were not disturbed by wildlife and that is good news if true. However, I've not heard or read anything confirming how far into decomposition her remains were... only guesses and assumptions. IMO, if her remains were decomposed beyond an ability to be recognized so that LE used the sweatshirt, I don't see authorities making a family member view unidentifiable remains unless family specifically requested and... knowing that will be JS's final & lasting image of Gabby, authorities agreed to. jmo

IMO from someone far more knowledgeable than myself. I quote.

I believe Gabby was found about 23 days after she died. Her fingernails should still have been intact. The. side of the body touching the ground will have more skin, and it will be "protected" by mold. Different insects than the early ones will begin to appear - and the smell of the body changes and is much less odorous. Muscle tissue is likely still intact, at least in part.

A recent set of findings show that during this process shows that limbs will move during decomp (especially arms, but also legs). And in dry climates (thanks, Australian researchers!) bodies may begin to self-preserve (mummify) at many points along the decomp process (cold and dry is pretty good and in Australia all of the bodies they were studying were in a process of mummification at 3 years out). That means that some of the skin was preserved.

So those who think there will be little forensic evidence after 21-23 days, for Gabby, are pretty much not quoting recent science. I'm very optimistic that they have a lot of forensic evidence.

Human body farm research uncovers 'astounding' movement of dead arms

Stages of decomposition

 

[Bordeaux]

I don't think that is safe to say at all. To my knowledge there has been nothing reported that confirmed they are bullet holes. It is just speculation. MOO

It’s pretty clear that they could very possibly be bullet holes. The FBI knows if they are in fact bullet holes. The bigger questions are, “How old are these bullet holes? …and are the bullet holes relevant to this case?” The answers to which we probably will not know for some time.

 

[Loveallmyhorsesdogsandcats]

Is it safe to say the orange spray painted trees at the crime scene were bullet holes? If so, it begs the question as to whether he had his firearm front the start of the trip or that’s what he went to retrieve at the storage unit. It makes sense to fly home to get it because it would be expensive to purchase and more difficult to buy on the road.

My husband is a competitive sporting clays shooter, travels all over the USA and some international travel. To travel with a firearm you must declare it and it must be carried in your checked luggage. All luggage is screened for fire arms. There have been a few instances when his fellow competitors have also brought a handgun in their checked luggage, forgot to declare it, it was discovered every single time, they were not allowed to board the plane. If he flew with a gun in his checked luggage LE knows about it.

 

[Loveallmyhorsesdogsandcats]

Maybe my timeline is faulty? I thought the Petito’s were calling his parents before he came home with the van.

No, he returned home Sept 1, they called, text on the 10th, when they did not get any response they then called LE. Their initial calls/text on the 10th they thought both Gabby and Brian could be missing, they were concerned for both of them.

 

[TheGardener]

My husband is a competitive sporting clays shooter, travels all over the USA and some international travel. To travel with a firearm you must declare it and it must be carried in your checked luggage. All luggage is screened for fire arms. There have been a few instances when his fellow competitors have also brought a handgun in their checked luggage, forgot to declare it, it was discovered every single time, they were not allowed to board the plane. If he flew with a gun in his checked luggage LE knows about it.

Thank you. Very useful information.

 

[Allabouttrial]

Maybe my timeline is faulty? I thought the Petito’s were calling his parents before he came home with the van.

No they started to call and text on the 10th. Gabby's dad spoke about it on his Dr. Phil interview.

ETA: Link

 

[FindingJoLee]

Very much so. The parents let their children be adults in making this trip. GP’s parents respected a long period of silence before getting concerned. BL’s parents likely just did not press their son on what happened that he came back early and alone. It’s not at all unusual to refrain from questions when you adult child has a break up with SO. Who would have suspected even an inkling of what BL did? It would not have entered my mind.

When BL’s parents got the calls, emails and texts, they likely insisted on info. The texts would have made it clear that there had been nothing from Gabby in all of that time. Whatever BL said or not, the parents immediately knew they were over their heads and called an attorney they knew. At that point, they followed professional advice.
There really was no good news to give Gabby’s parents. They would not have felt one iota better to have heard the Laundtues say they had no idea where Gabby was. It would have been deceptive to make it sound like BL was also missing and made things worse to say he returned alone. The attorney likely told them that there was nothing good to be said and a lot of harm. So they did as told.
I do not blame the parents. BL, MOO is the crud. The instant he heard that Gabby was missing, he should have given info on where he last saw her, where the camper was, if he truly left her alive , had nothing to do with her death. That he didn’t give any such info is telling as to what likely happened

My responses were in the context that Brian asked/told them not to speak to the Petito family, not in the context of parents meddling in a relationship breakup between adults.

As to whether it would have made things worse to reply that he returned alone. Made things worse...for who?

 

[Which_pancake]

It’s pretty clear that they could very possibly be bullet holes. The FBI knows if they are in fact bullet holes. The bigger questions are, “How old are these bullet holes? …and are the bullet holes relevant to this case?” The answers to which we probably will not know for some time.

Sure they could be. I was just saying that we have no idea that they are, and if so that they have anything to do with this case. It seems like speculation quickly turns into "fact" so I was saying no, I don't think it's 'safe to say'

MOO

 

[ThoughtFox]

Thank you - I was looking for this quote

You're so welcome. Someone else posted that link yesterday and I had never seen it before.

 

[Tealgrove]

I've always heard Alaska is a good place to run and hide forever. Wonder if perhaps with his background, well....it would fit perfectly if he's ok with being a loner.

He can fly to Alaska no problem but if doing a land crossing he would have to go through Canada. Lots of Covid measures required to cross the border. Not sure he could drive to Alaska right now.

Not saying it’s not doable but your ID, test results and vaccination info all needs to line up.

I don't think that is safe to say at all. To my knowledge there has been nothing reported that confirmed they are bullet holes. It is just speculation. MOO

If they were bullet holes all of that would have been taken for further analysis.

 

[carlsbadsean]

Does anyone clearly know the day they left Moab and what they did between Moab and BL’S flight from SLC? SLC airport is <4 hours from Moab but there’s a 4 day gap between 8/13 to 8/17. Where did they stay nights of 13,14,15,16?

 

[Loveallmyhorsesdogsandcats]

Thank you. Very useful information.

Also you are not allowed to bring any ammo of any kind, that must be purchased at your destination. If Brian brought a gun back he would have to buy the ammo in Utah.