“Gabby Petito-Brian Laundrie case” On September 11, 2021, it was revealed that “Van Life” vlogger Gabby Petito had gone missing. What occurred in the days before her death between her and her fiance?
2021 July: On to Uncharted Waters
Petito and Laundrie set off from New York on a cross-country camping and sightseeing adventure in national parks that was scheduled to last four months. They’re going to live out of their van for a while and post updates on social media.
Stop all disruptive behavior as of August 12, 2021
Someone calls 911 to say they saw Gabby and Brian getting into it. Someone who called in reported they witnessed Laundrie punch Petito.The Moab, Utah, police are called and stop the vehicle. It’s not apparent if they were aware of what happened during the 911 call. Video from a police officer’s body camera shows a distraught Petito. Police say Petito struck Laundrie, but he was not taken into custody for it. Laundrie spends the night in a hotel, while Petito sleeps in the van.
2021-08-19: “Van Life”
To kick off their van life adventure, Petito and Laundrie made a YouTube video titled “Van Life: Beginning Our Van Life Journey.” Pictures of them make them look happy and passionate.
Sighted in Salt Lake City on August 24, 2021
Reports had Petito and Laundrie seen on their way out of a Salt Lake City hotel.
Last message from Gabby: August 25, 2021
At Grand Teton National Park, the vehicle has been sighted. As of today, no more Instagram posts will be published by Petito.
Weird text from August 27, 2021
“Gabby Petito-Brian Laundrie case” A search warrant states that Petito’s mom received a strange text from Gabby’s phone on August 27. The message asked for assistance, reading, “Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.” Her mother claims Gabby never called her grandfather Stan by his first name. The behavior was unexpected and alarming to Gabby’s mother.
Hitchhiker’s Claims, August 29, 2021
Miranda Baker claims on her TikTok that she picked up a lone hitchhiker named Brian Laundrie.
Another message for August 30, 2021
According to Petito’s mom, Gabby sends a text to her. The message reportedly stated “no service in yosemite,” but she refused to discuss it.
On September 1st, 2021, Brian will finally be able to call his childhood home again.
The authorities say that Laundrie went back to his old house in North Port, Florida, where he and Gabby formerly lived, but this time he was on his own.
Report of Gabby’s disappearance on September 11, 2021
When Gabby’s mother didn’t hear from her again in late August, she reported her missing to the Suffolk County Police in New York.
Where is Brian on September 13th, 2021?
Brian Laundrie was hiking at the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida, according to his parents.
Families are ripped apart on September 14, 2021.
Through their attorney, Brian Laundrie’s family publishes a statement claiming they would be discreet during the hunt for Gabby. In a public statement, Petito’s relatives accuse Laundrie of hiding the location of his last encounter with Gabby.
On September 15, 2021, we learn that a suspect
North Port Police have identified Laundrie as a person of interest in the disappearance of Petito and claim he is refusing to cooperate with them.
A call for assistance, September 16, 2021
The North Port Police Department holds a news conference. The father of missing Gabby has made an urgent plea for assistance.
Looking for Brian, September 18th, 2021
Carlton Reserve, a sprawling wilderness area, is where the hunt for Laundrie gets underway. That’s where he was supposed to be going the last time his parents saw him, according to them.
Unearthed bodies on September 19, 2021
Authorities report discovering human remains in the area of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park where the vehicle was last seen.
FBI raid on September 20th, 2021
Laundrie’s house is searched, and police take possession of his automobile and a hard drive that may hold “evidence that a felony has been committed.”
On September 21, 2021, Gabby is officially named.
The first cause of death was declared to be murder when a coroner concluded that the remains recovered in Wyoming belonged to Gabby Petito. Despite the FBI’s announcement that they will be taking up the criminal investigation, the hunt for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve continues.
An arrest warrant was issued on September 23, 2021.
Brian Laundrie has an arrest warrant issued for him by a federal court in Wyoming. He is accused of using Petito’s debit card to make fraudulent withdrawals totaling over $1,000 while she was gone.
Gabby’s Vigil, September 24, 2021
In Blue Point, New York, her hometown, residents are holding a candlelight memorial for Petito.
The 25th of September, 2021: Doing Good
To “help people in similar situations as Gabby” and give tools and support for parents seeking for missing children, Petito’s father has announced the foundation of the Gabby Petito Foundation.
Final Farewell: September 26, 2021
A public memorial service for Petito draws more than a thousand mourners to a funeral home on Long Island, New York. There was also a live webcast of the service.
It’s time to “turn yourself in” on September 28, 2021.
On Tuesday, the Petito family and their attorney applauded police officials and urged Laundrie to surrender.
August travels for Laundrie, October 6, 2021
The Laundrie family’s attorney, Steven Bertolini, claims that during Brian and Gabby Petito’s journey together, he took a plane to Florida to see his parents. The lawyer claims that four days before Petito disappeared, on August 23, Laundrie travelled home and then back to Utah. Bertolini told CBS News that Laundrie travelled to Florida in an effort to save money by purchasing supplies and emptying a storage unit. He claims that Laundrie and Petito considered extending their journey.
Coroner rules that Gabby Petito died of strangulation on October 12, 2021.
Teton County, Wyoming’s coroner has confirmed that Gabby Petito passed away from strangulation. Dr. Brent Blue confirmed last month’s original autopsy findings, saying the death was still being treated as a homicide. According to Blue, it took three to four weeks for Petito’s body to be found after being left in the open. He would not say if Petito was buried or whether her body was thought to have been recovered at the scene of her death.
Skeletal bones discovered at Carlton Reserve on October 20, 2021
The FBI has confirmed that “what appears to be human remains” were discovered by officials during their hunt for Brian Laundrie. Authorities think they located Laundrie’s personal belongings, including a bag and notepad, nearby, according to special agent Michael McPherson. The FBI claims that the area where the remains were discovered was formerly submerged in water. The remains may or may not be those of Brian Laundrie, and the authorities are looking into it.
The FBI announces the identification of Brian Laundrie’s remains on October 21, 2021.
The FBI has determined that the human remains discovered on a Florida preserve the day before belonged to Brian Laundrie. After weeks of searching for him after his fiancee, Gabby Petito, went missing and was later found dead, he has finally been located.
On November 23, 2020, Attorney Brian Laundrie took his own life.
Family attorney Steven Bertolino claims that Brian Laundrie committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
“Responsibility” for Gabby Petito’s death was claimed by Brian Laundrie in a notebook, the FBI said on January 21, 2022.
The FBI concluded in their report on the death of Gabby Petito that Brian Laundrie had confessed to killing his fiancee in a notebook that had been discovered near his body. The investigation was headed by the FBI in Denver, and they say they uncovered a notepad, a rucksack, and a pistol near the bodies that turned out to be Laundrie’s. The FBI claims that Laundrie’s written confession may be found in the notebook. The FBI also verifies that Laundrie was “attempting to deceive law enforcement by giving the impression that Ms. Petito was still alive” by maintaining a text chain between their two phones after her presumed death.
The parents of Brian Laundrie are being sued by Gabby Petito’s family on March 11, 2022.
According to the Florida lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito’s parents, Brian Laundrie admitted to killing Gabby before returning home alone after their disastrous cross-country road trip in the converted van. On August 28, Laundrie allegedly informed his parents that he had slain his girlfriend of almost a year, 22-year-old Petito, according to the complaint filed Thursday in Sarasota County Circuit Court. While authorities were looking for Gabby Petito, the complaint claims Christopher and Roberta Laundrie hid the fact that their son had confessed to the crime.
March 30, 2022: The case that Gabby Petito’s family filed against Brian Laundrie and his parents has been dismissed.
The complaint filed by Brian Laundrie’s fiancee’s family against him was met with a motion to dismiss from his parents, who characterized it as “baseless” and “frivolous.” After the corpse of Gabby Petito was discovered in a national park in Wyoming last autumn, the body of Laundrie was located in a natural preserve in Florida. The Petito family claims that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie knew their son had killed Petito before he came home alone from their disastrous road trip, and that they covered up their son’s purported confession.
Litigation to Proceed on June 30, 2022
The request to dismiss was refused by a Florida court, and the case continued.
On August 8, 2022, Petito’s family sues the Utah police department for $50 million for the officer’s wrongful death.
Moab Police Department, “Palmer,” “Pratt,” and Daniel Robbins, along with 10 other unnamed defendants, are named in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Joseph and Tara Petito and Nichole and Jim Schmidt, who allege “negligent failure” in the investigation of an alleged assault between Tara Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, weeks before Tara’s murder.
Petito’s “death was caused by their wrongful acts or neglect,” the plaintiffs claim, adding that all defendants are being sued for “wrongful death.”
According to a report dated January 12, 2021, “unintentional mistakes” were made by Moab police.
The City of Moab has released the results of its investigation into the Petito-Laundrie Incident that occurred on August 12, 2021. In it, the officers’ “unintentional mistakes” from that day are laid out and explained.
Release of Laundrie’s notebook contents is dated June 24th, 2022.
Attorney Steven Bertolino for the Laundrie family shares photos of Brian’s notepad pages.
On November 3, 2022, Gabby Petito’s parents filed a lawsuit against the city of Moab.
The Petito family has formally filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department in Utah over the murder of their daughter, Gabby. The complaint was filed, according to a news release, because of the department’s “failures and negligence” that contributed to the 22-year-old’s death in 2017. Family members of Petito are suing for $50 million.
On November 17, 2022, a jury awarded $3 million to Gabby Petito’s family in a wrongful death case.
Authorities determined that Brian Laundrie was responsible for the August 2021 death of Gabby Petito and a wrongful death lawsuit was launched on behalf of her family seeking $3 million. A lawyer for Petito’s parents said the funds will be sent to the Gabby Petito Foundation, which works to find missing persons and reduce domestic abuse.
