NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The search for Gabby Petito has apparently come to a tragic end. The FBI said they believe Petito’s body was found Sunday in Grand Teton National Park.
The 22-year-old Blue Point, N.Y. native went missing after going on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. He mysteriously returned to the home they shared in Florida in the van they were traveling in, but without Petito. Police have wanted to question Laundrie about Petito’s disappearance, but he declined – and then apparently disappeared himself.
Here are notable dates in the search for Petito:
LATE JUNE: According to North Port, Florida Police, Petito and Laundrie depart on a cross-country trip, planning to reach the West Coast, traveling in her White Ford Transit van. The two were documenting their trip on YouTube and social media. Throughout the trip, Petito maintained regular contact with her family, according to authorities.
WATCH: Police In Florida Provide Update On Missing Woman Gabby Petito
JULY: According to her family and as documented in her Instagram account, Petito and Laundrie visit numerous national parks and locations, including:
- July 5, Monument Rocks
- July 8, Colorado Springs
- July 10, Great Sand Dunes National Park
- July 16, Zion National Park
- July 20, Cedar Breaks
- July 21, Bryce Canyon National Park
- July 26, Mystic Hot Springs
- July 28, Canyonlands National Park, Arch Mesa
AUGUST: The two continue their trip, with stops at Arches National Park.
August 12th is the same day Petito and Laundrie had an encounter with police in Moab, Utah.
Watch: Full Video Of Police Encounter Between Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie and Moab, Utah Police
A witness reported a physical altercation between the couple. Police stopped their van for a wellness check. The two told police they pushed and shoved one another outside a grocery store.
Petito scratched Laundrie, but told police they were in love and didn’t want to press charges. According to the police report, Laundrie told officers that traveling for the last four or five months created an “emotional strain between them.”
Police concluded it was not a “domestic assault,” but a “mental health crisis.”
- Aug. 18: Police in Moab, Utah, find the bodies of newlyweds, Kylen Schulte, 24, and Crystal Turner, 38, at a campsite. Schulte and Turner reportedly told friends they feared a “creepy man” they had seen nearby might harm them. Authorities looked into any possible connection between their deaths and Petito’s disappearance, but they later determined the double homicide was not related to the Petito investigation.
- Aug. 19: A video depicting Petito and Laundrie’s trip together is uploaded to YouTube.
- Aug. 24: According to a timeline posted on the Petito family’s “Find Gabby” Facebook page, Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie check out of a hotel in Salt Lake City
- Aug. 29: According to the same timeline, Gabby Petito makes her final call to the family, saying she was in Grand Teton National Park
SEPTEMBER:
- Sept. 1: According to North Port, Florida police, Brian Laundrie returns to Florida in the van they shared without Gabby Petito.
- Sept. 11: Gabby Petito is reported missing by her family in Blue Point, N.Y. That same day, police in North Port, Florida locate the van they were traveling in.
- Sept. 14: Gabby Petito’s parents continue their pleas for information on her whereabouts, and say Laundrie is not speaking with authorities. Police in Florida say Laundrie’s silence is hindering the investigation.
Latest on Petito case Wednesday September 15, 11:30am. Please use 1-800 CALLFBI pic.twitter.com/NpkUEjoME5
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 15, 2021
Many people are wondering why Mr. Laundrie would not make a statement or speak with law enforcement in the face of Ms. Petito’s absence. In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this and the warning that ‘any statement made will be used against you’ is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito’s disappearance. As such, on the advice of counsel Mr. Laundrie is not speaking on this matter.
I have been informed that the North Port, Florida police have named Brian Laundrie as a ‘person of interest’ in this matter. This formality has not really changed the circumstances of Mr. Laundrie being the focus and attention of law enforcement and Mr. Laundrie will continue to remain silent on the advice of counsel.
- Sept. 16: Full body camera video of the encounter between Moab, Utah police, Petito, and Laundrie is obtained.
- Sept. 17: North Port, Florida Police speak to Laundrie’s family at their request but do not speak to Brian. Later in the evening, Laundrie’s attorney releases a statement saying Laundrie’s current whereabouts are unknown and the FBI is looking for both Petito and Laundrie.
- Sept. 18: Authorities search the 24,500-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County for Laundrie after a tip from his family. The search is called off in the evening due to darkness. At the same time, multiple agencies search for Petito in the Wyoming wilderness.
Our search of the Carlton is being called this evening due to darkness. Nothing found. Efforts will begin again Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/l7L8B9hHrM
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 18, 2021
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