Gabby Petito disappeared last autumn during a car holiday with her boyfriend Laundrie. Her sudden disappearance made headlines around the world, and Dagbladet followed the case closely.
On September 19, a body was found in Spread Creek that turned out to be Petito. Laundrie was confirmed dead on October 21, 2021.
Near the body, police found a number of personal belongings, including Laundrie’s diary and a picture of himself, wrapped in a dry bag.
FBI revealed on January 21 that Laundrie had written that he took responsibility for Petito’s death in a notebook.
Authorities say they used Laudrie’s dental record, as well as DNA from his parents, to identify him.
It is believed that the body was initially in water for a long time, which also contributed to the identification being demanding.
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Disappeared on vacation
Petito was on a trip through the United States with Laundrie when she disappeared. On September 19, she was found dead in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. According to the forensic pathologist, she had been killed three weeks earlier.
Ever since the disappearance, Laundrie was considered the main suspect. In late January, the FBI released information that he admitted that he committed the murder in a diary entry.
The couple was last observed together in Grand Teton during the trip together by car across the United States. Then suddenly Laundrie appeared home alone.
The couple documented the trip on Instagram, and the disappearance made headlines.
On August 12, they were stopped by police near Moab in Utah after a loud quarrel. The policevideo from the incident shows how Petito is upset and tells how the quarrel has escalated.
Police concluded that Petito had been the aggressive one. They also decided to separate the couple for one night, but no one was reviewed.
At the same time, it appears that Petito was probably the real victim in the relationship.
Investigators were also criticized for not receiving a testimony from a caller to police who reported that he saw the couple outside their car, and that he saw a man beating a woman.
– We’re really grateful for the FBI’s thorough and painstaking efforts in the extremely complicated case. The quality and quantity of facts and information, collected by the FBI, leaves no doubt that Brian killed Gabby, the Petito family’s lawyer said in a statement, according to CNN.