WY GABBY PETITO: Missing from Grand Teton National Park, WY - 25 August 2021 - Age 22 *Found Deceased*

• Gabby Petito was reported missing after she didn't return from a road trip with her fiancé.
• The police opened an investigation after her mother filed a missing-person report on Saturday.
• A news report said Petito's fiancé was not cooperating with authorities and had hired a lawyer.

​

Gabby Petito's family last heard from her when she arrived at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on August 25, her mother said. littleting/Shutterstock

• Gabby Petito was reported missing after she didn't return from a road trip with her fiancé.
• The police opened an investigation after her mother filed a missing-person report on Saturday.
• A news report said Petito's fiancé was not cooperating with authorities and had hired a lawyer.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

A 22-year-old New York woman who documented her cross-country van road trip on social media was reported missing by her mother on Saturday after her fiancé returned to their home in Florida without her, reports said.

Gabby Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, embarked on their road trip on July 2 from Blue Point, New York, Newsday reported.
The two were living in a 2012 Ford Transit van and documenting their travels on Instagram and YouTube, often using the hashtag #vanlife.
Petito was last seen checking out of a hotel with Laundrie on August 24. She last spoke to her family on the phone the next day, telling them she had arrived at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, her mother, Nicole Schmidt, said.

Her mother told reporters on Monday that she FaceTimed with Petito around August 23 or 24.
Petito's most recent Instagram post was shared on August 25.

Schmidt told Fox News on Sunday that she was unsure whether her daughter had left Grand Teton. She said she exchanged texts with Petito's number twice after August 25.
"I did receive a text from her on the 27th and the 30th, but I don't know if it was technically her or not, because it was just a text," Schmidt said. "I didn't verbally speak to her."
Laundrie eventually returned to the couple's home in North Port, Florida, without Petito, though it was not clear when he arrived, the Daily Mail reported.
The police in New York's Suffolk County said Schmidt filed a missing-person report on Saturday.

"Petito, 22, of Blue Point, is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 pounds," the press release said. "She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads 'let it be.'"

The press release said authorities had recovered the couple's van during their investigation.
Petito and Laundrie had been living in North Port together for two years before they set out on their road trip, the Daily Mail said. Petito announced their engagement on Instagram in July 2020.

(more at link)

A 22-year-old woman who documented her cross-country road trip on YouTube has been reported missing after her fiancé returned without her

Gabby Petito was last seen checking out of a hotel on August 24. The next day, she told her family she had arrived in Wyoming, her mother said.

news.yahoo.com

She could be anywhere as they were traveling cross-country. I put the location as the last place her family could verify that she was still in communication.


MEDIA - GABBY PETITO: Missing from Grand Teton National Park, WY since 25 August 2021 - Age 22

 

[Cousin Dupree]

Hmph. And I've been always given to understand they have to answer in depositions and on the stand in a civil trial. It's why many do them or even LE recommends they do to help get evidence for a criminal case sometimes. That was the deal in CO Frazee case it seems to me, the victim's family filed suit before the criminal thing. And a custody suit for victim's child.

I am not sure I knew they could plead the 5th in such a case. I mean we see the 5th invoked for many things by certain types (guilty ones generally I'd say) but there are rules for it.

Doesn't surprise me about the JT owner. But didn't know that. I couldn't dislike her any more I didn't think but yeah I can and that news makes me dislike her more. She is the epitome of everything I'd never want to be.

@Kimster told me that gambling on the internet in Utah is illegal. So that's why their council had her do that. The judge decided that questions about gambling couldn't be used for the deposition. "Jim Jones" took that as a victory and actually crowed about it on Jonestown's website. I and others were sure Sue would win. "Jim" is such a psycho, Sue's lawyer said: "Just get the intercourse away from this woman." Of course, "Jim" took a victory lap and seeing it as a win.

 

[GrandmaBear]

@Kimster told me that gambling on the internet in Utah is illegal. So that's why their council had her do that. The judge decided that questions about gambling couldn't be used for the deposition. "Jim Jones" took that as a victory and actually crowed about it on Jonestown's website. I and others were sure Sue would win. "Jim" is such a psycho, Sue's lawyer said: "Just get the intercourse away from this woman." Of course, "Jim" took a victory lap and seeing it as a win.

Curious who Jim is. Don't see why the judge would forbid it if it related. Doesn't seem right.

 

[Guess Who]

Curious who Jim is. Don't see why the judge would forbid it if it related. Doesn't seem right.

Jim jones analogy

 

[GrandmaBear]

Jim jones analogy

I get that but to who? The big T?

 

[Guess Who]

I get that but to who? The big T?

yes. That's how I understand it.

 

[Kimster]

@Kimster told me that gambling on the internet in Utah is illegal. So that's why their council had her do that. The judge decided that questions about gambling couldn't be used for the deposition. "Jim Jones" took that as a victory and actually crowed about it on Jonestown's website. I and others were sure Sue would win. "Jim" is such a psycho, Sue's lawyer said: "Just get the intercourse away from this woman." Of course, "Jim" took a victory lap and seeing it as a win.

“Was” illegal. Might not be the case today.

 

[Kimster]

I get that but to who? The big T?

Yes, that’s what he’s saying.

From the way it was explained to me, if they ask you a question that could incriminate you in a criminal case, you can plead the fifth.

 

[Kimster]

I saw this coming from a mile away.....

CNN —

The parents of Gabby Petito filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department on Thursday alleging its officers were negligent in their interactions with the 22-year-old and her fiancé Brian Laundrie two weeks before her death last summer.


“The purpose of this lawsuit is to honor Gabby’s legacy by demanding accountability and working toward systemic changes to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future,” attorney James W. McConkie said in a statement.


The lawsuit accuses the department and its officers of failing to follow the law and failing to protect Petito during an investigation into a domestic disturbance in August – just weeks before Laundrie killed her. The lawsuit states that officers improperly determined Petito was the primary aggressor in the interaction and misapplied Utah’s laws related to domestic abuse. It also accuses the police department of failing to properly train its officers in these issues.


In a news conference Thursday, her parents said they filed the suit to ensure that police make these changes to help other abuse victims.

Gabby Petito's parents file suit against Moab Police alleging they could have saved her life | CNN

The parents of Gabby Petito filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department on Thursday alleging its officers were negligent in their interactions with the 22-year-old and her fiancé Brian Laundrie two weeks before her death last summer.

www.cnn.com

 

[daisy7]

Moab officer was ‘biased’ against Gabby Petito because of his past, her parents claim in new lawsuit

One of the police officers who questioned Gabby Petito in Moab was “fundamentally biased” against her, claims a new lawsuit filed by Petito's parents.

www.sltrib.com

 

[Kimster]

Moab officer was ‘biased’ against Gabby Petito because of his past, her parents claim in new lawsuit

One of the police officers who questioned Gabby Petito in Moab was “fundamentally biased” against her, claims a new lawsuit filed by Petito's parents.

www.sltrib.com

"The attorneys representing Petito’s parents in the case are basing that claim on an allegation from a woman who says the officer, Eric Pratt, had threatened to kill her after their relationship ended, while he was the police chief in another rural Utah town."

Whoa! He was a police CHIEF?

 

[GrandmaBear]

I saw this coming from a mile away.....

CNN —

The parents of Gabby Petito filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department on Thursday alleging its officers were negligent in their interactions with the 22-year-old and her fiancé Brian Laundrie two weeks before her death last summer.


“The purpose of this lawsuit is to honor Gabby’s legacy by demanding accountability and working toward systemic changes to protect victims of domestic abuse and violence and prevent such tragedies in the future,” attorney James W. McConkie said in a statement.


The lawsuit accuses the department and its officers of failing to follow the law and failing to protect Petito during an investigation into a domestic disturbance in August – just weeks before Laundrie killed her. The lawsuit states that officers improperly determined Petito was the primary aggressor in the interaction and misapplied Utah’s laws related to domestic abuse. It also accuses the police department of failing to properly train its officers in these issues.


In a news conference Thursday, her parents said they filed the suit to ensure that police make these changes to help other abuse victims.

Gabby Petito's parents file suit against Moab Police alleging they could have saved her life | CNN

The parents of Gabby Petito filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department on Thursday alleging its officers were negligent in their interactions with the 22-year-old and her fiancé Brian Laundrie two weeks before her death last summer.

www.cnn.com

Yeah, no surprise at all. I hope this brings out the female officer's body cam. I see NO reason some were provided but not that one. I can only see one reason for that and that is that Gabby shared more with the female officer and likely did say Brian was abusive and yet they still didn't safeguard her.

These suits may garner the Petitos more information which I do think they want. The one against the Laundries isn't going to change anything though although it may garner money. This one MAY change Moab's way of doing things BUT Moab already went against their own rules of not arresting both and so they do have those rules in place. I also do not think it would have saved Gabby. He didn't kill her then and we all know abusers who feel their gf or wife got them thrown in jail as often or more so come out of jail and THEN kill the wife or gf. Putting him in jail for a night would have angered him more. And then what would they say now had it been that way? These two also were not minors. No law is going to be changed to where LE would call the parents of an adult. They could suggest it to a victim or ask if they can call someone for them that can come get them but more than that, I can't see it.

I feel nothing but sympathy for them and for Gabby but it is a hard fact that she didn't help herself by claiming to be the aggressor and playing things down and I'm sure she did to avoid angering him more later but this is what she told them. She also up to that point had made the choice to stay with Brian and hadn't called for anyone to come get her, etc. nor head home herself. Even while saying this, I know she may have been trapped or felt trapped and couldn't do that for some reason, fear of him most likely but I am just pointing out the hard facts that they have a daughter that got herself into a relation that turned abusive and that she stayed and had not been able to nor chose to get herself out of it.

There is a lot I didn't like in what I saw of the Moab police encounter and I felt the officers were too buddy buddy with Brian and he played to it and that Gabby saw all of that had she wanted to tell or ask for help, didn't feel she could perhaps BUT again she quickly took the blame for being the aggressor.

The bad person in this case is Brian. Gabby is the victim but placed herself and stayed with him. The Laundries are not admirable people for putting their son over helping a family find their missing daughter and the cops weren't perfect but imo neither of those things caused her death. I don't think Moab's or the Laundries' actions in any way led to her death. And these are wrongful death lawsuits. Will they probably or maybe get some money out of it from the parties to make it go away? Yes. Does it really apply by the letter of the law as to wrongful death? I don't think these things fit that but I'm no lawyer.

It's a big leap to think had Moab kept Brian in jail for ONE night that weeks later Gabby would be alive. And the Laundries well, they weren't on the trip at all.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Moab officer was ‘biased’ against Gabby Petito because of his past, her parents claim in new lawsuit

One of the police officers who questioned Gabby Petito in Moab was “fundamentally biased” against her, claims a new lawsuit filed by Petito's parents.

www.sltrib.com

Yeah I didn't like that officer either and all the personal chatter and way he was and how he saw things but he didn't cause her death. I was disgusted actually with the officers handling it.

I do wonder if the woman found he abused Gabby, if Gabby confided at all.

Moab was on August 12, TWO WEEKS later on August 27th was the Merry Pigs bill incident. And she was still alive. The Moab incident was long before her death no matter what the cops did or didn't do.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Gabby Petito’s family awarded $3M in wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents

Petito, 22-year-old, was killed in August 2021 after she disappeared on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

www.nbcnews.com

Nov. 17, 2022, 10:56 AM EST
By Minyvonne Burke and Juliette Arcodia

A Florida judge awarded Gabby Petito’s family $3 million after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the parents of Brian Laundrie, who they believe killed the 22-year-old last year.

A settlement was announced Thursday, months after Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed a civil suit in Sarasota County, where Christopher and Roberta Laundrie live. The suit alleges that the Laundries hindered the search for Petito and knew that she "had been murdered by their son," who later died by suicide.

"The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer. No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie," said Patrick Reilly, an attorney for Petito's family.

He said Brian Laundrie did not have $3 million at the time of his death and the settlement amount is "an arbitrary number." The money will go toward the Gabby Petito Foundation, which was established after her August 2021 death.

 

[Guess Who]

Gabby Petito’s family awarded $3M in wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents

Petito, 22-year-old, was killed in August 2021 after she disappeared on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

www.nbcnews.com

Nov. 17, 2022, 10:56 AM EST
By Minyvonne Burke and Juliette Arcodia

A Florida judge awarded Gabby Petito’s family $3 million after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the parents of Brian Laundrie, who they believe killed the 22-year-old last year.

A settlement was announced Thursday, months after Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed a civil suit in Sarasota County, where Christopher and Roberta Laundrie live. The suit alleges that the Laundries hindered the search for Petito and knew that she "had been murdered by their son," who later died by suicide.

"The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer. No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie," said Patrick Reilly, an attorney for Petito's family.

He said Brian Laundrie did not have $3 million at the time of his death and the settlement amount is "an arbitrary number." The money will go toward the Gabby Petito Foundation, which was established after her August 2021 death.

An amount they will never collect, but at least his parents won't benefit from the situation.

 

[Cousin Dupree]

I think I missed the HLN special on this!

 

[GrandmaBear]

Gabby Petito’s family awarded $3M in wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents

Petito, 22-year-old, was killed in August 2021 after she disappeared on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

www.nbcnews.com

Nov. 17, 2022, 10:56 AM EST
By Minyvonne Burke and Juliette Arcodia

A Florida judge awarded Gabby Petito’s family $3 million after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the parents of Brian Laundrie, who they believe killed the 22-year-old last year.

A settlement was announced Thursday, months after Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed a civil suit in Sarasota County, where Christopher and Roberta Laundrie live. The suit alleges that the Laundries hindered the search for Petito and knew that she "had been murdered by their son," who later died by suicide.

"The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer. No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie," said Patrick Reilly, an attorney for Petito's family.

He said Brian Laundrie did not have $3 million at the time of his death and the settlement amount is "an arbitrary number." The money will go toward the Gabby Petito Foundation, which was established after her August 2021 death.

This is all well and good but I thought the point was not about money but about them having to answer the questions they have never had to.

So his parents are penalized for what was apparently legal and for a murder they didn't commit? I'm not sure how I feel about that. My sympathy lies with the Petitos of course but there are laws. So this settled and never went to trial?

I honestly don't know that his parents should be left at this age in life without a pot to pee in due to something their ADULT son did. Now if there was actual evidence they lied to authorities or something that would be different but no charges came for anything like that.

 

[GrandmaBear]

So is the same thing going to occur with Moab? Nuisance settlement for nothing more than money?

I realize it is going to the foundation but I think they know there it was a crap shoot whether it would proceed far without probably much legal basis. That's what the experts were saying when the case was filed against the Laundries.

 

[Kimster]

Gabby Petito’s family awarded $3M in wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents

Petito, 22-year-old, was killed in August 2021 after she disappeared on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend.

www.nbcnews.com

Nov. 17, 2022, 10:56 AM EST
By Minyvonne Burke and Juliette Arcodia

A Florida judge awarded Gabby Petito’s family $3 million after they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the parents of Brian Laundrie, who they believe killed the 22-year-old last year.

A settlement was announced Thursday, months after Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt filed a civil suit in Sarasota County, where Christopher and Roberta Laundrie live. The suit alleges that the Laundries hindered the search for Petito and knew that she "had been murdered by their son," who later died by suicide.

"The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer. No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie," said Patrick Reilly, an attorney for Petito's family.

He said Brian Laundrie did not have $3 million at the time of his death and the settlement amount is "an arbitrary number." The money will go toward the Gabby Petito Foundation, which was established after her August 2021 death.

Oh! I didn’t think this would go, but it did! And I’m glad. I hope it sent a message to other family members who hide the wrongdoings of their loved ones. They need to step up to the plate and do the right thing. Might cost them a pretty penny if they don’t.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Oh! I didn’t think this would go, but it did! And I’m glad. I hope it sent a message to other family members who hide the wrongdoings of their loved ones. They need to step up to the plate and do the right thing. Might cost them a pretty penny if they don’t.

I would agree normally but if there isn't a legal basis for the case then this is what they call a nuisance settlement which really keeps attorneys in the money and bogs down our courts. People or insurance companies settle simply because even though no basis, it costs more to defend it and prove that, etc.

I am no Laundrie fan but trying to look at it from such a POV instead of just emotionally. I don't agree with them but what they did was apparently legal and they used an attorney every step of the way. What more could a family do IF the type that wouldn't urge their child to do the right thing and instead hoped to keep it where silence is maintained and a good defense could be mounted?

Added to this is there is no evidence that we are aware of or LE apparently that they even did anything wrong or could be charged as they weren't.

In the Florida case where the mother washed her son's jeans when cops were looking at him, I see that entirely differently. It is KNOWN she obstructed justice to save her son. In this case it isn't known.

It is unusual for me to take such a stance, I am usually gung ho the other way against the perp, etc. BUT Brian was the perp. Not his parents. If he was a minor even as in the FL case or even in the MI school shooting case, that would be very different. Brian Laundrie wasn't.

I don't know that this is a good thing. The LAWS need to be changed to require people to provide info and answer questions then BUT they can't do that, you have a RIGHT to not say anything.

Maybe if these lawsuits brought some reform of something I'd feel differently. Change the way DV cases are handled, etc.

I was not impressed with Moab PD either BUT that incident was far from like immediately before Brian killed Gabby. She stayed with him after for some time at her choice. They were both adults. LE can't start calling family members over an adult if not asked to and the PD cannot be blamed for that and in the case of the Laundries, they can't be blamed for what Brian did unless there is some evidence they hid evidence or something and there isn't to my knowledge.

I think anger and grief is driving much of this and I DO understand that. And maybe the money is better than nothing and filing something leaves a family who had no justice against the perp with some feeling of vindication as does the foundation. TOTALLY understand that.

We can condemn the Laundries for not doing the decent thing but you can't go making people speak or incriminate themselves which was basically what they did was stay silent all with the advice of an attorney.

Maybe the foundation can take the money and do great things but they aren't the first to care about DV and LE too can only do so much unless the victim comes to them and wants out. I do think Moab could have made it easier and safer for Gabby to tell about what was really going on but they were all chatty with Brian. I do wonder if she came clean with the female officer in the car BUT for some reason that is being held.

If that suit doesn't result in that camcorder video coming out, then again it will probably just settle for $$.

And that video should be able to be obtained with a FOIA request anyhow one would think...?

I don't know. I entirely get the foundation, the anger, the grief and these stages of it and that anything you can throw at the perp, etc. you want to and should. The parents however are not Brian. And Moab had two adult children and a female who claimed she was the aggressor.

Can the Laundries be ridiculed over raising such a son? Yes. Do we say the Petitos should have made sure their daughter would never stay in an abusive relationship and would call them if in one? Of course not. Should Moab on a one time incident have seen the signs? Maybe. Should the Petitos have seen the signs of an abusive relationship being around them more? Should the Laundries have? If Moab should have, then the families most certainly one would think would have seen the signs...

Brian is the perp. Gabby is the victim. For some reason she stayed in the relationship, fixed up a van with him and went on a trip. She never turned to anyone for help apparently. Not her folks. Not his. Not Moab. Just a young girl unfortunately caught up with an evil emotionally unstable man named Brian Laundrie.

Brian is to blame and if any others beyond that are to blame, I think a little lies in every direction most likely as to not seeing it or stepping in or in getting out.

There is a LOT more than just changing laws which this didn't do when it comes to DV. They can change the laws, they can charge an offender and some go back. Sad.

And I have been a victim of it. And not talking of my ex-husband. I got out the first time (no knowledge of such before) and I did all I could to see him put away for the little bit of time he was. It isn't taken seriously in some cases because the women drop charges or go back. I pretty much was told that.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I was due for a vent and long post somewhere I guess. Been awhile. Sorry.