Photo Credit: A photo of Gabby Petito taken from her Instagram account.
Idaho Falls, IDAHO– Tuesday afternoon, the FBI Denver Division confirmed on Twitter that the remains that were discovered at Grand Teton’s Spread Creek camping area Sunday evening are 21 year old Gabby Petito. Teton County Coroner, Dr. Brent Blue, said that his initial confirmation is the cause of death was a homicide, however, this can not be confirmed until after the final autopsy.
This news comes following Pettio being reported missing by her mother after not returning from a months-long cross-country road trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. The couple left on their trip in late June in a white 2021 Ford Transit Connect van that was fixed up for the occasion and planned to be on the road for four months visiting national parks across the country. The nomad “Van Life” couple recorded their travel on Instagram and Youtube.
Her fiance’, Laundrie still remains the person of interest in the case and has not at this time been located by authorities. Brian was last seen on September 14 by his family member in Flordia. The family told authorities that he went for a hike in Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre park in Venice, FL.
Below is the timeline of events for the Gabby Petito case:
June-July 2021: Petito posts first pictures of her road trip from New York to Kanas
Petitio and Laundrie left New York in a white 2021 Ford Transit Connect van. The couple decided to make their first big stop on July 4 at Monument Rocks in western Kanas.
July 8-11, 2021: Colorado Spring and Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado
According to Gabby’s Instagram, the couple made it to Colorado the second week of July. They first stopped at colorado springs. From there they went to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
July 16, 2021: Petito posts photos to Instagram from Zion National Park in Utah
Petito stayed at the Zions National Park for a few days before heading to her next location according to a post she shared on Instagram.
July 21 -22, 2021: Petito posts photos from Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Gabby and her Fiance’ stopped in Bryce Canyon National Park. From Zions, the couple reportedly drove the park through Cedar Breaks to reach Bryce Canyon National Park.
July 26, 2021: Petito shares images from Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe, Utah
Peittio shares a post on Instagram at Mystic Hot Springs stating that she “took a relaxing nap here”. Another photo shows her kissing Laundrie.
August 12, 2021: Laundrie and Petito encounter the Police outside Arches National Park, Utah
Moab police said they responded to an incident involving the couple outside Arches National Park. According to Fox News, an individual called 911on the couple reporting a “domestic dispute” between Brian and Gabby. The individual was heard telling a dispatcher that “the gentleman was slapping the girl” and hitting her. According to Deseret News, a Park Ranger that was responded to the incident, along with Moab police. told Gabby her relationship was toxic.
The couple was pulled over by Moab police. In Police bodycam video, the cop stated that the couple was going 45 MPH in a 15 MPH zone and eventually hit the curb. The footage then shows Petito leaving the vehicle in tears and explaining that the couple had been fighting. Laundrie said she’d hit him with her phone and grabbed the van’s steering wheel to make him pull over. Laundrie’s story in the bodycam footage and the dispatch call from 911 were not matching up and it is not clear what happened previously. The couple did not file charges.
August 19, 2021: “Van Life’ journey video uploaded to Youtube.
Gabby shared a YouTube video showing herself and Laundrie enjoying themselves on a series of adventures in their white van.
The channel’s description reads.”A glimpse into our van adventures! After our first cross country trip in a little Nissan Sentra, we both decided we to wanted to todownsize our lives and travel full time, but trying to fit everything for two people into the tiny little trunk of the car, also spending way too much on gas, food, and Airbnb, was not the road to take. We quickly realized we had to come up with a solution if we wanted to continue traveling and living nomadically, so that’s why we handcrafted our own tiny van, a simple 2012 Ford transit connect, utilizing space with unique designs and features. Creating a space for both artistic expression and distance hiking. Thank you so much for watching, and we hope you tag along on our journey wherever the van takes us!”
August 25, 2021: Last Instagram photo and phone call to family
Petito posted her last photo on Instagram in Utah. Gabby called her mom, Nicole Schmidt, from Grand Teton National Park.
August 27, 2021: Yellowstone
It is possible that the couple decided to make a stop in Yellowstone National Park. Petito reportedly told a friend over Snapchat that she was heading to Yellowstone National Parl. The unnamed friend told The Sun that she was expecting a call from Petito on August 29 about possibly meeting up. This friend told the sun she never heard from Gabby “She was supposed to call on my birthday and we were going to figure it all out then because her trip wasn’t on schedule.”
August 30, 2031: Gabby’s Mother received a suspicious text message.
Nicole said she receive a text from Gabby that read “No signal in Yosemite”. Authorities are looking to see if this text message was sent from her or Laundrie.
September 1, 2021: Laundrie returns to Florida without Gabby Petito
Police said the Brain returned to his parents in their van with no signs of Gabby. The couple had been living with his parents for the last couple of months.
September 11, 2021: Petito’s Mother reports her missing to New York Authorities
Nicole Schmidt reported her daughter missing to the Suffolk County Police department in New York after not being able to get in touch with Gabby.
September 19, 2021: FBI says body found near Grand Teton National Park that matched Petito’s description
The FBI announced they discovered a body consistent with 21 year old Gabby Petito at Grand Teton’s Spread Creek camping area. The investigation is still ongoing as they have not 100% positively identified the body or the cause of death. The autopsy is scheduled for this coming Tuesday.
September 20, 2021: The Laundrie’s home is declared a crime scene
Monday, FBI executes warrant at Brian Laundrie’s parents’ home, mother and father put into an unmarked vehicle according to Fox News.
September 21, 2021: Remains discovered near Grand Teton National Park confirmed to be ‘Van Life’ Youtuber and Fiance’ is named the person of interest in the case.
FBI Denver confirmed on Twitter that the remains that were discovered at Grand Teton’s Spread Creek camping area are 21 year old Gabby Petito. Teton County Coroner, Dr. Brent Blue, said that his initial confirmation is the cause of death was a homicide, however, this can not be confirmed until after the final autopsy.
Florida Police resumed their search Tuesday for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve near Venice, FL. Brian has been named the person of interest in this case.