NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The FBI and a lawyer representing Gabby Petito's family confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the human remains recovered in Wyoming last weekend are indeed those of 22-year-old the Long Island native.
"I can confirm the body found in Wyoming is Gabby Petito," family's attorney, Richard Stafford, told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall.
The FBI's Denver field office announced the results of the autopsy on the remains shortly after, with the coroner ruling Petito's death a homicide.
"Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue’s initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results."
Petito's fiancé, Brian Laundrie, remains missing and a "person of interest" in her death. When asked by WCBS 880 if Laundrie's attorney, Steven Bertolino, had any additional comments, he said, "May Gabby Rest in Peace."
Here's the latest:
6:55 p.m., Sept. 21: FL AUTHORITIES CALL OFF TUESDAY'S SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE, WILL RETURN WEDNESDAY
Florida authorities wrapped up another day searching for Brian Laundrie in the vast Carlton Reserve, the North Port Police announced on Twitter shortly before 7 p.m.
The department plans to return to the roughly 25,000-acre reserve Wednesday and resume the search, which has involved some 50 officers, drones, bloodhounds and other tools.
Laundrie's parents told authorities they believe he had traveled to the area before he went missing last week.
5:00 p.m., Sept. 21: FBI CONCLUDES SEARCH OF WYOMING CAMPSITE, ASKS PUBLIC FOR INFORMATION
In addition to confirming the remains of Petito, the FBI announced Tuesday evening that it has ended its forensic search of the Spread Creek campsite inside Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, where Petito's remains were found.
"The forensic search has concluded of the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area & law enforcement has released the area," the FBI Denver field office tweeted.
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.
4:37 p.m., Sept. 21: PETITO FAMILY LAWYER CONFRIMS HUMAN REMAINS DISCOVERED BELONG TO GABBY PETITO
The lawyer representing Gabby Petito's family confirmed that the human remains discovered in Wyoming last weekend belong to Gabby Petito.
2:45 p.m., Sept. 21: FLORIDA SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE UNSUCCESSFUL, PETITO FAMILY PLANS STATEMENT
A search for Brian Laundrie after a potential sighting on the Florida panhandle turned out unsuccessful, according to local authorities.
The Okaloosa Sheriff's Office concluded its search for Laundrie empty-handed Tuesday afternoon after a man bearing his likeness was spotted on a trail camera in Baker, Florida, the agency wrote on Facebook.
"The OCSO is wrapping up an extensive search that took place in this area to include nearby farmlands," the agency posted. "No one - and nothing - of note was located. The individual referenced in the [trail camera footage] has no known ties to our area."
Authorities in Wyoming were continuing their autopsy on the remains they believe to belong to Gabby Petito. A reporter spotted officials leaving the Teton County Coroner’s Office Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Richard Stafford, the lawyer representing Petito's parents, issued a statement that the family will be making a statement soon.
"I want to personally thank the press and news media for giving the Petito and Schmidt family time to grieve," Stafford said. "We will be making a statement when Gabby is home. I will contact you to arrange a time and location."
2:15 p.m., Sept. 21: 'WE NEED JUSTICE FOR GABBY PETITO': FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS DIRECTS AGENCIES TO ASSIST IN BRIAN LAUNDRIE SEARCH
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted Tuesday evening that he has directed all state agencies to assist in the search for Brian Laundrie as needed to bring "justice for Gabby Petito."
"At the request of @NorthPortPolice, @MyFWC law enforcement has been assisting in the search for Brian Laundrie," DeSantis tweeted. "I have directed all state agencies under my purview to continue to assist federal & local law enforcement as they continue to search - we need justice for Gabby Petito."
2:00 p.m., Sept. 21: NO SIGN OF BRIAN LAUNDRIE AS SEARCH OF FLORIDA RESERVE CONTINUES
North Port Police said Brian Laundrie's whereabouts are still unknown Tuesday afternoon as a search of Florida's Carlton Reserve continues.
Police told Fox News that the search still hasn't turned up any signs of Laundrie, whose family reported him missing Friday after they say he went to the reserve last Tuesday.
News Nation Now correspondent Brian Entin tweeted video with police Commander Joe Fussell, who said "multiple drone operators have been sent out in numerous teams."
"So we'll mix the resources and deploy them out, so that if they encounter flooded areas or terrain that they can't access with these wheeled vehicles, we'll deploy our drones directly out to the wooded areas," Fussell said.
Fussell said other drones operating at a higher altitude can zoom in and see areas that are difficult to access on foot.
"The terrain is very difficult—essentially 75% of it's underwater. And other areas that are dry, we're trying to clear. So we're expecting to get wet by the end of the day and check the entire area for Brian Laundrie," Fussell said.
12:45 p.m., Sept. 21: MORE DETAILS OF WITNESS’ 911 CALL IN UTAH REVEALED... 'SOMETHING DEFINITELY SEEMED OFF'
Fox News obtained a witness statement from the Moab Police Department in Utah that reveals more details of the 911 call that led to Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie getting pulled over near Arches National Park on Aug. 12.
In the call, a man named Christopher who witnessed a couple, believed to be Petito and Laundrie, fighting outside the Moonflower co-op told police that “something definitely seemed off” and “it appeared that he didn’t want her in the white van.”
The witness recalled: “I heard her say, ‘Why do you have to be so mean?’”
He also described Petito as allegedly “punching him in the arm” while trying to get into the van.
“It was as if the guy was trying to leave her, and maybe take her phone? Not sure but wanted to help out,” he told police.
Some of the audio from the 911 call was released Monday, while full bodycam footage of the police stop involving Petito and Laundrie was released last week.
In the audio, the witness describes a man believed to be Laundrie as “slapping” Petito, adding that “he proceeded to hit her.” Police who pulled over their van ultimately determined Petito was the aggressor but declined to charge her, instead separating the couple for the night. Petito was left with the van, which was registered to her, while Laundrie was taken to a motel.
11:45 a.m., Sept. 21: FLORIDA SHERIFF'S OFFICE INVESTIGATING POTENTIAL BRIAN LAUNDRIE SIGHTING
A sheriff's office on the Florida panhandle said it was "aware" of footage showing a man on a trail in Baker, Florida, early Monday morning as authorities continue to search for Brian Laundrie.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook that it is "actively checking out" the footage, which was posted by a resident.
"I’m not saying this is the guy but whoever was on my trail camera this morning in Baker, Fl strongly fits the description of Brian Laundrie," resident Sam Bass captioned an image from the footage.
The image appears to show a bald man with a backpack in a wooded area in Baker just after 6:15 a.m. Monday. Baker is about 500 miles from North Port, where Laundrie was seen last Tuesday before disappearing, according to his parents.
"There is no confirmation of this information," the sheriff's office said of the trail cam footage. "Obviously we will keep everyone in the loop if and when there is anything to report."
10:45 a.m., Sept. 21: BODYCAM FOOTAGE OF UTAH STOP ‘TERRIFIED’ JOHN WALSH
Bodycam footage released last week showing an Aug. 12 domestic incident between Gabby Petito and fiancé Brian Laundrie “terrified” John Walsh, the former host of the TV show “America’s Most Wanted.”
Speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday night, Walsh said that he watched the video with an FBI agent friend and that it left him “terrified.”
“We looked at it and I said, ‘This girl’s terrorized.’ This is classic domestic abuse,” Walsh said. “He’s terrorized her not to tell the cops that he was the aggressor, he was the slapper and the puncher.”
The hour-long bodycam video shows police pulling the couple over near Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah, after a witness called 911 to report that he saw them fighting outside the town’s Moonflower co-op.
Responding police ultimately determined that Petito was the aggressor but decided not to charge her with domestic violence. In a police report, an officer described the situation as a “mental health crisis.”
While police determined Petito was the aggressor, audio of the 911 call—released on Monday—shed new light on the incident outside the Moab co-op. A witness describes Laundrie as “slapping” Petito. “We drove by them, the gentleman was slapping the girl,” the witness told a dispatcher. “And then we stopped, they ran up and down the sidewalk, he proceeded to hit her, hop into the car, and they drove off.”
“It’s so sad because she might be alive today,” Walsh told Cooper. “Because that wasn’t translated to the two deputy sheriffs who pulled them over. They let them go, and in his report, (the officer) said that she was the aggressor. She was terrified. And it just was chilling to see that those cops didn’t get the information, that the person who called in was so concerned that he pulled over and called 911 because he saw this guy beating the heck out of Gabby.”
Walsh also predicted that “creep” Laundrie, and possibly his parents, would be arrested.
“They’re going to catch him, he’s going to get the book thrown at him, and maybe the parents are going to get charged too,” Walsh said.
10:00 a.m., Sept. 21: POLICE RELEASE MORE PHOTOS OF SEARCH AT FLORIDA RESERVE
Photos released by the North Port Police Department show authorities searching for Brian Laundrie by land and air at the Carlton Reserve. Police can be seen driving through a swamp and using a drone in their search of the park.
8:00 a.m., Sept. 21: POLICE RESUME SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE AT FLORIDA RESERVE, FBI NOW LEADS 'CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION'
Police in North Port, Florida, said they're resuming a search for Brian Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve, a sprawling, swampy park north of his family's home.
"Search for Brian Laundrie will resume Tuesday in the Carlton Reserve, Venice side," the department tweeted.
It comes a day after police said they had "no plans to conduct a major search" of the reserve on Monday. "At this time, we currently believe we have exhausted all avenues in searching of the grounds there," police had said.
Police said Tuesday that the FBI is now the lead agency in the "criminal investigation," with North Port Police joining state and local law enforcement partners in assisting them.
“Tuesday, we will once again continue our search efforts in the Carlton Reserve, where Brian reportedly visited a week ago today to go hiking,” said Josh Taylor, the public information officer for North Port Police. “This time, moving in from the Venice side of the area, along with adjoining lands.”
Taylor said a weekend ground search and Monday aerial search of the preserve “has yet to yield any answers, but we must press on.”
“Please be aware, the Carlton Reserve is a vast and unforgiving location at times,” Taylor said. “It is currently waste deep in water in many areas. This is dangerous work for the search crews as they are wading through gator and snake infested swamps and flooded hiking and biking trails.”
Taylor said there were currently no plans for a press conference.
The reserve is closed to the public until further notice.
7:00 a.m., Sept. 21: AUTOPSY SCHEDULED IN WYOMING
Unidentified remains believed to be those of Gabby Petito will undergo an autopsy on Tuesday, the Teton County Coroner's Office said. The remains were discovered Sunday at the Spread Creek dispersed campsite in Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Grand Teton National Park.
A forensic pathologist from Sheridan, Wyoming, will assist the Teton County Coroner’s Office as it conducts an autopsy. All information related to the autopsy and other findings will be released by the public information officer from the Denver FBI office, officials said.
At a press conference Sunday, FBI agent Charles Jones said, “human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito.” While a full forensic identification had not been completed, authorities and Petito's family indicated they believe the remains to be hers.
The remains were found not far from where travel bloggers recorded what they believe to be Petito’s Ford Transit van at the Spread Creek camp area around Aug. 27. Petito’s family said on Facebook that the FBI is aware of the video.
6:00 a.m., Sept. 21: PHOTOS SHOW APPARENT MAKESHIFT MEMORIAL AT WYOMING SITE WHERE REMAINS WERE FOUND
A cross made of stones was found in the area of Spread Creek where human remains were discovered on Sunday. "There are obvious signs that this area was extensively surveyed by crime scene techs," KUTV 2 reporter Jeremy Harris tweeted along with photos of the cross.
10:00 p.m., Sept. 20: LAUNDRIE FAMILY ATTORNEY CANCELS TUESDAY NEWS CONFERENCE
The lawyer representing Gabby Petito's fiancé, Brian Laundrie, has canceled his news conference scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Hauppauge, Long Island, after speaking with the FBI on Monday night.
"As per my conversation with the FBI this evening there will be no press conference tomorrow," attorney Steven Bertolino said in a statement.
8:30 p.m., Sept. 20: SEARCH WARRANT REVEALS DETAILS OF GABBY PETITO'S LAST MESSAGE TO MOTHER
A newly released search warrant has revealed previously unknown details about the final messages sent from Gabby Petito's phone to her mother.
The warrant, approved by Florida's 12th Judicial Circuit court in Sarasota County, allows police to search an external hard drive recovered from the white Ford Transit Petito and her fiancé used for their cross-country trip this summer.
Authorities requesting the warrant including new information the last message from Petito's phone on Aug. 27 — a message Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, said included "odd" language about her grandfather.
"Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls," read the message to Schmidt from Petito's phone.
"Stan" was a reference to Petito's grandfather, but Schmidt told police Petito never calls him by that name, according to the warrant.
That message led Schmidt to believe there was something wrong with her daughter. Petito's phone was turned off for the last time that same day, according to the warrant.
The warrant also revealed that a license plate reader installed at the Sumter Boulevard exit of Interstate 75 captured the couple’s Ford Transit van entering North Port, Florida, at 10:26 a.m. on Sept. 1.
Related
Related
