The family of slain woman Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, 22, is going to have a press conference on Tuesday. This happens as authorities in Florida continue to search for her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, who was a person of interest in her disappearance and is wanted for allegedly using her debit card for more than $1000.
From Petito-family attorney Richard B. Stafford:
The Petito and Schmidt family will be conducting a press conference on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 1pm. The press conference will be located at my law office which is located at One Corporate Drive, Suite 103, Bohemia, New York.
Petito’s family reported her missing Sept. 11 and she was last believed to be in Grand Teton National Park, police have said. But cops in North Port, Florida said that this was 10 days after Laundrie returned there without Petito to his parents’ home.
Gabrielle Petito
The couple had been on a cross-country trip, which they chronicled on social media with a serene YouTube video and scenic photographs. That apparently copaceptic vibe clashed with a Aug. 12 call in Moab, Utah, in which a witness told 911 that Laundrie slapped Petito. Cops determined the couple had been in a fight and Petito struck first, but they considered this a mental health issue instead of a domestic incident (Laundrie said he only pushed her). Officers had the couple split up for the night, but experts who saw the body cam video voiced concern that Petito could have been the victim of abuse.
An attorney for Laundrie’s parents said on Friday, Sept. 17 that the family had not seen him since the previous Tuesday, cops said. This set off an ongoing search for him in the nearby Carlton Reserve.
Investigators found Petito dead in Wyoming on Sept. 19. Cause of death is pending, but authorities believe she was killed. This was a homicide.
Gabrielle Petito and Brian Laundrie
Laundrie is currently only charged with the debit card allegation. Police have described him as standing 5’8″ and weighing 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, short brown hair, trimmed facial hair, and was last seen wearing a hiking bag with a waist strap.
[Screenshots via Nomadic Statik]