News September 19, 2021
Authorities Find Human Remains Matching Description of Gabby Petito
It looks like the search for missing blogger Gabby Petito, 22, has come to an end.
In a press conference, Chris Jones, the supervisory senior resident agent for FBI Denver, confirmed that human remains consistent with that of Petito have been found near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Full forensic identification has not been completed yet, but Petito’s family has been notified.
Jones said, “First and foremost, on behalf of the FBI personnel and our partners, I would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby's family. Joe and Tara Petito, and Jim and Nicole Schmidt, as every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We ask that you all respect the privacy as they mourn the loss of their daughter,” Jones added.
In a statement, the FBI said, “This is an active and ongoing investigation, so we ask the public to maintain distance from any law enforcement personnel, equipment, vehicles, and their related activity for the safety of the public in these remote areas, to respect the privacy of Gabby's family, and to protect the integrity of our work."
Petito’s cause of death is currently unknown, but an autopsy will be performed on Tuesday.
Petito was on a road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie when she was reported missing on September 11.
It was reported that Laundrie refused to cooperate with investigators looking into Petito’s whereabouts. He has since gone missing.
According to Laundrie’s family, he left home with a backpack on Tuesday, telling them that he was going to the reserve.
Police have been unable to locate Laundrie, who has not been named a suspect in this case.
Richard Stafford, a lawyer for the Petito family, told CNN when Laundrie’s whereabouts came into question, “All of Gabby's family want the world to know that Brian is not missing, he is hiding. Gabby is missing."