Gabby Petito's Disappearance: a Timeline

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The authorities are investigating the disappearance of Ms. Petito, 22, who had traveled to nationalist parks with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Their societal media accounts supply a glimpse into their trip.

Gabrielle Petito and Brian Laundrie near  New York successful  July for what was intended to beryllium  a four-month, cross-country trip.
Credit...Petito Family

Christine Hauser

Sept. 18, 2021, 9:46 a.m. ET

Go present for the latest connected Gabrielle Petito’s disappearance.

The authorities are investigating the disappearance of Gabrielle Petito, who near Long Island successful July connected a travel successful a van with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.

In September, Mr. Laundrie returned to his location successful Florida without Ms. Petito, 22, and the constabulary opened a missing persons lawsuit aft her household came to them.

The constabulary successful North Port, Fla., moving with national and section investigators, person described Mr. Laundrie, 23, arsenic a “person of interest,” a vague word often utilized by instrumentality enforcement agencies to place idiosyncratic they judge whitethorn person been progressive successful a crime. Mr. Laundrie has not been named arsenic a fishy oregon arrested. Through his lawyer, helium has declined to talk with investigators, the constabulary said.

Here is simply a timeline of the case.

The mates near New York for what was expected to beryllium a four-month, cross-country travel visiting and camping successful nationalist parks, said Ms. Petito’s stepfather, Jim Schmidt.

They documented their travels connected their Instagram accounts and connected YouTube.

Image

Credit...The Moab Police Department, via Associated Press

Ms. Petito published a photograph of herself connected Instagram, taken connected Aug. 9, sitting nether an arch successful Arches National Park successful Utah.

The aforesaid time that she posted the picture, the constabulary successful Moab, Utah, responded to a study of a “domestic problem” aft Mr. Laundrie had “some benignant of argument” with Ms. Petito, according to a constabulary report.

Mr. Laundrie and Ms. Petito told the constabulary that they were successful love, engaged to beryllium joined and “desperately didn’t privation to spot anyone charged with a crime.” According to the constabulary report, Mr. Laundrie told an serviceman that “issues betwixt the 2 had been gathering implicit the past fewer days.”

The mates published an eight-minute video connected YouTube titled “Van Life: Beginning Our Van Life Journey.” It showed them kissing, scaling rocks and laughing astir however the prima successful Utah had melted the cocoa successful Mr. Laundrie’s granola. “I emotion the van,” Ms. Petito said, smiling astatine Mr. Laundrie.

Mr. Schmidt said helium and Ms. Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, past spoke with Ms. Petito connected a FaceTime telephone astir this time. He said Ms. Petito told them that she and Mr. Laundrie were leaving Utah and driving to Grand Teton National Park successful Wyoming. Mr. Schmidt said Ms. Petito texted her parent a fewer times aft that.

The last station connected her Instagram account was published connected Aug. 25.

Nichole Schmidt said she received a substance from her daughter’s phone, according to The New York Post. The substance said, “No work successful Yosemite,” Ms. Schmidt told The Post.

Mr. Laundrie returned to his location successful North Port, Fla., successful the achromatic Ford van that the mates had utilized for the trip, and that had been registered to Ms. Petito. He was alone.

Ms. Petito’s household reported her missing, the North Port Police Department said.

Image

Credit...Petito Family

The constabulary described Mr. Laundrie arsenic a “person of interest,” saying helium was the past idiosyncratic known to person been with Ms. Petito earlier she went missing. Chief Todd Garrison of the North Port Police posted a plea connected Twitter addressed to Steven Bertolino, Mr. Laundrie’s lawyer, asking him to put a speech with Mr. Laundrie.

Mr. Bertolino said helium had advised Mr. Laundrie not to talk with the authorities.

Officials astatine Grand Teton National Park said rangers were moving with investigators from the National Park Service, the F.B.I. and different section authorities to find Ms. Petito.

Chief Garrison said astatine a quality league that Mr. Laundrie was exercising his law close not to talk with the authorities, and that investigators were inactive treating the hunt arsenic a missing persons case.

Joseph Petito, Ms. Petito’s father, appeared astatine the quality league and pleaded for tips and assistance from the assemblage successful uncovering his daughter. Ms. Petito’s parents and stepparents besides made a nationalist plea straight to Mr. Laundrie’s parents, begging them to uncover wherever “Brian near Gabby.”

“We inquire you to enactment yourselves successful our shoes,” they said successful the letter, which was work by their lawyer, Richard Stafford. “We haven’t been capable to slumber oregon eat. And our lives are falling apart.”

Mr. Laundrie’s parents summoned the constabulary to their location successful North Port and told them that they had not seen Mr. Laundrie since Sept. 14. Chief Garrison told CNN that the authorities did not cognize wherever Mr. Laundrie was.

“He could beryllium anywhere,” helium said.

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