Is Gabby Petito Dead? Body Matching Description Of The Missing YouTuber Found

Gabby Petito Dead? On Sunday, United States law enforcement said that a body was found in a forest in Wyoming which matches the description of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito. The social media star had been missing since last month, while on a road trip with her partner.

In July, YouTuber Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito went on a cross country trip with her fiancé  Brian Laundrie. Her parents heard from her in the final week of August for the last time. She was visiting the very national forest in the western state of Wyoming, where her alleged remains have been found now, when she last contacted her family. Her parents registered a missing case on September 11. Since then, American authorities have been conducting a massive search to find her.

The case has stirred greater public and social media interest after Laundrie, named as a "person of interest" by police investigating Petito's disappearance, reportedly went missing too last week. His parents said they last saw him on Tuesday when he said he was leaving for a hiking trip in the whereabouts of the Carlton Reserve in Florida. Read latest updates in the case here. Petito's family in a statement has alleged Laundrie isn't missing but is "hiding." Search teams from the FBI have been deployed to look for Laundrie. He is 23 years old.

Police on Petito's missing case said Laundrie refused to speak to them when probed. A police spokesperson, following his disappearance, says there is an "enormous amount of pressure" on Laundrie to answer certain questions in the disappearance and now, possibly death, of his girlfriend.

Is Gabby Petito dead? Here's what we know

The search for Patito was being carried out based on details received on her last known location. After a body was found in the main search area in Wyoming on September 19, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Charles Jones announced at a press conference that the remains coincided with Petito's description. He further elaborated that full forensic identification had not been completed to confirm that the body was Gabby's. However, they had informed her family about the discovery. He then added that the cause of death was uncertain.

Jones extended his sincere and heartfelt condolences to her family. He also asked everyone to respect their privacy as they mourned the loss of their daughter. The North Port Police tweeted on Sunday that they were "saddened and heartbroken" to learn about Petito's death. They added that they will continue to work with the FBI in search of more answers.

Saddened and heartbroken to learn that Gabby has been found deceased. Our focus from the start, along with the FBI, and national partners, has been to bring her home. We will continue to work with the FBI in the search for more answers.

— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 19, 2021

Is Brian Laundrie involved in Petito's disappearance?

A few weeks ago, Laundrie, who was declared as the "person of interest" in the case, had returned to his home in North Port, Florida and declined to cooperate with the police. On Friday, September 17, his parents reported that they had not seen their son in several days. The police underscored in a statement that while he was a person of interest, "he is not wanted for a crime."

The couple documented their trip and uploaded it on YouTube. They seemed to be enjoying their journey. However, last month, the police in the United State's Utah responded to a domestic violence report which involved Petito and Laundrie. The US media published footage from police bodycam which showed the woman confessing that she had an argument with her partner.

Petito said that she struggled with mental health problems. Petito said that she struggled with mental health problems. She added that they fought over some personal issues. According to Laundrie, she tried to get the van keys from him and even hit him with her phone.

After the woman went missing, her father, Joe Petito, appealed that anyone who knew about her whereabouts must contact the authorities.  He also said that an anonymous tip line had been set up. On Sunday, Jones said that public response for a request for tips had been "remarkable." He then said that investigators continued to seek information related to Petito and Laundrie.

Petito was famous on social media for her vlogging channel ‘Nomadic Statik.' She was reported missing while on a cross-country trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. They hadleft New York in July on a four-month trip around the US and were documenting their journey online. Reports suggest she had last reached Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming before her whereabouts became unknown to her parents in late August.

Image Credit: CNN

Suggested reading

Long Island Native Gabby Petito's Missing Case: 10 Things To Know

Youtuber Gabby Petito Still Missing: All About The Case

Who is Gabby Petito? Here's Everything We Know About The Missing YouTuber