NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Information about a memorial service for Long Island native Gabby Petito emerged Wednesday evening after law enforcement officials sent divers into a Florida reserve in the extensive search for Petito’s fiancé Brian Laundrie.
Authorities continued to scour the nature reserve by land and air a day after a coroner confirmed remains recovered in Wyoming were Petito and ruled her death a homicide. Petito, 22, went missing in late August while on a cross-country van trip with Laundrie, 23, who returned to his parents’ home in Florida and declined to speak with police. Laundrie, a person of interest in the case, went missing last Tuesday and is still being sought.
Here’s the latest:
9 p.m., Sept. 22: PETITO MEMORIAL SERVICE DETAILS UNVEILED
A memorial service for Petito has been tentatively scheduled for Sunday afternoon at a funeral home in Holbrook.
The lawyer for the Petito Family, though, told ABC7's Kristin Thorne: “As of now, there is no set plans until Gabby’s father brings her home. I will let you know when that decision is made.”
7:15 p.m., Sept. 22: FL AUTHORITIES CALL OFF WEDNESDAY'S SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE
Authorities have called off Wednesday's search for Brian Laundrie in Florida with nothing of note recovered, the North Port Police Department announced.
"The ground search for Brian Laundrie has been halted for the evening," the department tweeted. "Nothing found. We will be back out Thursday, similar operation."
The department and other agencies have been involved in a days-long search for Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve, a swampy 25,000-acre site nearby his family's home.
Laundrie remains a "person of interest" in Gabby Petito's death.
6:25 p.m., Sept. 22: LAUNDRIE NEIGHBORS SAW BRIAN LEAVE WITH FAMILY AND ‘SMALL CAMPER’ FOR APPARENT WEEKEND TRIP EARLIER IN SEPTEMBER
Neighbors of the Laundrie family say they saw Gabby Petito’s then-fiancé Brian Laundrie leave with his parents for what they believed was a weekend trip — about seven days after Laundrie returned to their Florida home without Petito from their cross-country journey.
Charlene and William Guthrie told Fox News they noticed the family doing some work on a “small camper,” which attaches to the family’s truck, and take off “for the weekend.”
"I saw them doing some work. And then when they prepared for their trip, I saw them loading the camper,” William Guthrie said.
“The parents going on a trip, I can see that— but taking their 23-year-old son in a small camper that’s on the back of the truck struck us as odd,” he added.
Laundrie returned alone to his parent’s home in North Port on Sept. 1 with the white van the couple had been traveling in across the country, police say. His parents reported him missing on Sept. 17, telling authorities they believe he left for the vast, swampy Carlton Reserve nearby.
Authorities have been searching the reserve for days without any luck.
4:00 p.m., Sept. 22: GABBY PETITO, BRIAN LAUNDRIE ALLEGEDLY HAD 'BLOWOUT' FIGHT AT RESTAURANT ON LAST DAY SHE WAS HEARD FROM: WITNESS
A woman claims to have spotted Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie having a "blowout" fight at a Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming, on Aug. 27 — the last day Petito was heard from.
Petito and Laundrie were allegedly at Merry Piglets around 1 p.m. or 2 p.m., when Laundrie was seen screaming at staff as Petito was "hysterically crying," according to Nina Celie Angelo, who posted about the incident on her Instagram stories Wednesday.
The couple left the restaurant abruptly and Petito “was hysterically crying” out on the sidewalk, according to Angelo, who added that she has contacted the authorities about the incident.
“He walked back in and was like screaming at the hostess”… returned “like four more times” to talk with the manager “and tell the hostess off," said Angelo, who added that she and her boyfriend were dining right next to the couple.
Angelo added: “It was like a f---ing scene, like something that doesn’t happen every day at a restaurant— the way he was acting," she said.
"[Laundrie's] more angry; you can tell it’s more sadness for her," said Angelo, saying it appeared that Petito was embarrassed by Laundrie's behavior.
Jackson is about 30 miles from Spread Creek campsite where Petito's remains were found.
A manager at the restaurant told Fox News that the business is "super busy during summer" and didn't remember the incident.
2:30 p.m., Sept. 22: POLICE ‘HUNGRY’ TO FIND BRIAN LAUNDRIE, HOPE TO COVER ‘EVERY ACRE’ OF RESERVE
As the search for Brian Laundrie continued at the Carlton Reserve in Florida, North Port Police Commander Joseph Fussell said law enforcement agencies “are trying to cover every acre.”
“These guys, our law enforcement partners, they’re motivated and they’re hungry to find Brian Laundrie,” Fussell said.
Of the conditions at the 25,000-acre park, Fussell said, “It’s rough out there. It’s hot, it’s wet.”
1:45 p.m., Sept. 22: LAWYERS FOR PETITO, LAUNDRIE FAMILIES IN DISPUTE OVER YELP PAGE
The Petito/Schmidt family’s attorney sent a letter to the Laundrie family’s lawyer threatening to take “action” if he failed to remove a photo of Gabby Petito that allegedly appeared on the Yelp page for his law firm.
“The family tried to remove their daughter’s picture from your page, and were informed that only the business owner can add or remove pictures,” attorney Richard Stafford wrote to Laundrie lawyer Steven Bertolino. “Furthermore, the Petito and Schmidt family demand that you cease and desist posting pictures of Gabby Petito to any and all of your social media pages, web pages or advertisements in an effort to gain business.”
“I am sure this will be taken care of by 2 p.m. or I will take further action on behalf of Gabby’s family,” Stafford added.
Bertolino fired back at Stafford in a statement soon after, calling the allegation that he posted photos of Petito to his page “disgusting”
“Just so you know my website and any review sites that I do not control have been overrun by John Q Public. Indeed Yelp actually shut the site down due to the inordinate amount of fake commenting on it,” Bertolino said. “I have not advertised or sought business in over 20 years and I would certainly not use this case to drum up any business.”
"I would certainly agree with Mr. Stafford that any such post he is referring to should be removed but advise him that I have no control over that Yelp site,” he added.
Bertolino’s Yelp page still appeared to be up as of around 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday, but Petito's photo no longer appeared on the page. Yelp issued an “Unusual Activity Alert” noting that the page had “recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news.”
1:30 p.m., Sept. 22: POLICE SAY PRESENCE OF DIVERS 'DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING HAS BEEN FOUND' IN LAUNDRIE SEARCH
North Port Police addressed questions about the presence of divers in the search for Brian Laundrie, saying, "Area resources are looking at large bodies of water, including dive teams, boats, and sonar equipment."
"At this time, this does not mean anything has been found. It’s a part of the overall search process," the police department said.
12:00 p.m., Sept. 22: DIVERS SENT TO FLORIDA RESERVE IN SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE
Dive teams from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office were sent to the Carlton Reserve in Florida as the search for Brian Laundrie continued.
“To confirm, yes, members of our Sheriff’s Underwater Recovery Force have responded to Carlton Reserve. This in addition to our Emergency Response Team, Air-1 and patrol,” the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “We continue to respond to requests for mutual aid from neighboring law enforcement agencies and federal partners.”
"SURF Team members are divers called upon to search bodies of water for evidence," the sheriff's office said. "These highly-trained deputies work in the most difficult and challenging environments imaginable. They are on call 24/7/365."
11:45 a.m., Sept. 22: BILLBOARD TRIBUTE TO GABBY PETITO GOES UP IN HER NY HOMETOWN
A billboard tribute to Gabby Petito has been put up on the border of Blue Point and Bayport in Suffolk County. Petito is originally from Blue Point, although she had most recently lived at the Florida home of fiancé Brian Laundrie’s parents.
The billboard tribute features a photo of Petito standing in front of an angel wings mural with the words “Gabby Petito – Forever in our hearts…”
Hundreds of teal-colored ribbons have been placed throughout Blue Point to honor the 22-year-old, whose remains were recovered at a dispersed camping area in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest on Sunday.
10:30 a.m., Sept. 22: GABBY PETITO’S UNCLE SAYS FAMILY TO RELEASE STATEMENT WHEN HER BODY RETURNS TO NY
Gabby Petito’s uncle, Steve Petito, told Fox News that the Petito/Schmidt family will issue a statement when her body is back in New York.
His comments echo a statement from Petito/Schmidt family attorney Richard Stafford, who said Tuesday: “We will be making a statement when Gabby is home. I will contact you to arrange a time and location.”
Petito’s body is still with the Teton County Coroner’s Office amid ongoing forensic testing, coroner Dr. Brent Blue told Fox News.
Blue said test results from microscopic and toxicology examinations are expected in the coming days or weeks.
The FBI has not yet permitted her body to be returned to her family, the coroner said.
10:15 a.m., Sept. 22: GABBY PETITO’S UNCLE CALLS LAW FIRM REPPING LAUNDRIES ‘DISGUSTING’
Gabby Petito’s uncle, Steve Petito, responded Wednesday to a statement Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino released Tuesday after remains found in Wyoming were confirmed to be his 22-year-old niece.
Bertolino told WCBS 880 and other outlets, “May Gabby Rest in Peace.”
Steve Petito took to Instagram, posting an image that included a statement responding to the lawyer’s comment, according to Fox News.
“As far as the law is concerned this law firm may be immune due to attorney/client privilege,” Steve Petito said. “But in the eyes of the public you are as guilty and complicit with this massive cover-up and stalling tactic. We don’t require nor want your empathy. By you trying to show compassion here at this moment is beyond disgusting.”
Authorities have not accused the Laundries or their lawyer of a cover-up or any other crime.
9:45 a.m., Sept. 22: POLICE RESUME SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE AT FLORIDA RESERVE
Law enforcement agencies have resumed their search for Brian Laundrie at the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Florida’s Sarasota County.
"Agencies back out in the Carlton Wednesday morning. Search continues," North Port Police tweeted, along with images of search teams, including K-9 units.
A nonprofit group, the Friends of the Carlton Reserve, told Fox News that they have eight to ten trail cameras in the park to "monitor wildlife."
"The locations of the cameras are kept secure and are not used for security purposes," the group said. It wouldn't say if any images captured by the cameras have been given to police.
7:45 a.m., Sept. 22: POLICE SAY BRIAN LAUNDRIE 'IS NOT IN CUSTODY' DESPITE RUMORS
Despite rumors overnight, the Sarasota Police Department in Florida said Brian Laundrie "is not in the custody of our agency at this time."
The department said it received "numerous inquiries" overnight and Wednesday morning as rumors that Laundrie had been found spread online.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office also confirmed it had "received reports of 'suspected sightings'" but that "none have been accurate."
"The audio transmission that someone captured and is sharing all over Twitter is just that, an audio transmission," the sheriff's office said. "Several callers have reported seeing him. This is not a new development. We can promise that if our agency captures him, we will notify the public accordingly."
Law enforcement agencies have been searching the swampy Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County for Laundrie since Saturday after his parents reported him missing Friday, three days after he was said to have traveled to the reserve.
North Port Police said they've also "received a significant amount of requests ... regarding the possible capture of Brian Laundrie."
"These reports are unfortunately false," police said. "Please rest assured that when Brian is found, we will be more than happy to let everyone know."
7:00 a.m., Sept. 22: POLICE TO RETURN TO FLORIDA RESERVE IN SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE
North Port Police said they and their law enforcement partners plan to return to the 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve in Florida’s Sarasota County on Wednesday as the search for Brian Laundrie continues.
“Search of the Carlton & nearby lands concluded for the evening. Nothing of note,” police said in a Tuesday evening update. “The current plan is to return Wednesday with a similar operation.”
The search has involved dozens of officers, drones, bloodhounds and other tools. Laundrie's parents told authorities they believe he had traveled to the area last Tuesday before they reported him missing on Friday.
5:00 p.m., Sept. 21: FBI CONCLUDES SEARCH OF WYOMING CAMPSITE, ASKS PUBLIC FOR INFORMATION
After confirming remains found at the Spread Creek campsite near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park were those of Gabby Petito, the FBI said it had ended its forensic search of the area.
The agency again asked for assistance from anyone who was in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area between Aug. 27 and Aug. 30 and who might have had contact with Petito or her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, or have spotted their vehicle.
Meanwhile on Long Island, hundreds of teal-colored ribbons were placed throughout Petito's hometown of Blue Point to honor her.
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