Gabby Petito news - latest Search for Brian Laundrie stretches on as funeral arrangements revealed in NY

Police continue search for Brian Laundrie

Police resumed their search of the Carlton Reserve on Saturday morning, marking the eighth straight day in the hunt Brian Laundrie, a spokesperson said. Although the major part of the search ended on Friday evening, over the weekend investigative crews will focus on “areas of more likelihood”.

On Thursday night, the FBI announced that a federal arrest warrant had been issued in relation to the death of Ms Petito.

“While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms Petito’s homicide,” said Special Agent in charge Michael Schneider.

“We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr Laundrie’s role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.”

Authorities have not said why they are convinced Mr Laundrie, who police call a “person of interest” in the case, may still be somewhere inside the more than 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve near his home in North Port, Florida, more than a week after he told family members he was headed there to hike alone. The Carlton Reserve has more than 80 miles (128 km) of hiking trails but is dominated by swampy water.

Meanwhile, Gabby Petito’s family announced that a memorial visitation open to the public would be held at a funeral home in Holbrook, New York this Sunday.

Earilier this week, a witness came forward to describe a stand-up argument between Laundrie and a waitress at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, around the time Ms Petito is believed to have sent her final text to her mother.

If confirmed, it would be one of the last sightings of Ms Petito alive.

Show latest update 1631636100Fiance breaks silence, says he “hopes the search for Miss Petito is successful"

Brian Laundrie, the fiance of Garielle Petito, broke his silence, speaking through his lawyer to say he hoped the search for Ms Petito was “successful” and that she would be reunited with her family soon.

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley delves deeper into the statement in the story below...

Graig Graziosi14 September 2021 17:151631637300Gabrielle Petito’s father issues urgent plea to find his daughter

Joe Pepito, Gabrielle Petito’s father, said “we’ve got to bring her home,” pleading for the safe return of his daughter.

“It’s a feeling you can’t describe. That’s the thing. You can empathise, I am sure you can sympathise, I am sure you can understand how it feels, but you can’t describe how it feels unless you’re in it, unless you’re the parent,” Mr Pepito said.

The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe shares more perspective from the desperate father below...

Graig Graziosi14 September 2021 17:351631718149Welcome to the live blog

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the search for YouTuber Gabrielle Petito.

Ms Petito left her home in North Port, Florida, to embark on a cross country road trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie.

When Mr Laundrie returned home early - and without Ms Petito - the 22-year-old woman’s family became worried and alerted the police. Ms Petito’s fiance, Mr Laundrie, has refused to cooperate with police inquiries into her location.

The North Port Police Department announced on Wednesday it would provide updates on the search today at 11:30 am.

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 16:021631719003Police called to incident involving Petito in Utah

Police in Moab, Utah reported that they responded to an incident involving Gabrielle Petito and her fiance, Brian Laundrie, on 12 August.

The police did not go into detail regarding the circumstances of the call.

“Our officers did respond to an incident involving Brian Laundrie and Gabrielle Petito on 12 August 2021 however, neither Brian or Gabrielle were the reporting party. Officers conducted an investigation and determined that insufficient evidence existed to justify criminal charges,” Moab Police said in a statement.

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 16:161631719672Timeline of Gabrielle Petito’s disappearance

2 July, 2021: Gabrielle Petito and her fiance, Brian Laundrie, leave New York on a cross-country trip in a camper van.

5 July, 2021: The couple stops at Monument Rocks in Kansas.

24 August, 2021: Ms Petito is last seen with checking out of a Salt Lake City hotel with Mr Laundrie

25 August, 2021: Ms Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, video chats with her daughter for the last time via phone. Ms Petito reveals she is in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

30 August, 2021: Ms Schmidt receives a text purportedly from Ms Petito. Ms Smith says she is unsure if the text was actually from her daughter.

11 September, 2021: Ms Petito’s parents report her missing.

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 16:271631720263Gabrielle Petito’s Instagram account is mysteriously deactivated and then reactivated

Gabrielle Petito’s Instagram account mysteriously went dark before it was reactivated on Wednesday. The family’s attorney told WABC-TV they had “no idea who deleted Gabby’s Instagram account.” “We contacted Instagram and the FBI to let them know that it was deleted,” they said.

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 16:371631720743North Port police name Gabrielle Petito’s fiance, Brian Laundrie, as person of interest

Brian Laundrie, Gabrielle Petito’s fiance and the last known person to see her in person, is now being considered a person of interest in the case.

The North Port Police Department held a press conference on Wednesday to announce that they were considering the fiance a person of interest in their search for Ms Petito.

“We know Brian returned here to North Port on 1 September - ten days before her family reported her missing on 11 September,” the department said in a statement before declaring Mr Laundrie a person of interest.

Police said Mr Laundrie has not made himself available to investigators.

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 16:451631721392Police release photos of Gabrielle Petito’s van

The North Port police released photos of the van Gabrielle Petito drove during their cross-country road trip.

Stickers on the back of the van used by Gabrielle Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie. Mr Laundrie returned from the trip without Ms Petito, prompting a police search.

(North Point Police Department)

North Port Police released photographs of the van they seized from Mr Laundrie’s home

(North Port Police)Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 16:561631721745Police reveal their latest findings

The North Port Police Department released a press statement with the latest updates regarding the ongoing search for Gabrielle Petito.

The Independent’s Bevan Hurley examines the department’s latest information below...

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 17:021631723576Gabrielle Petito’s father slams fiance’s statement

Joe Petito, Gabrielle Petito’s father, appeared on Fox News to discuss his daughter’s disappearance and react to the statement put out by her fiance, Brian Laundrie.

“That wasn’t a statement. I’m sorry. That’s not a statement,” Mr Petito told Fox News host Bill Hemmer.

“Forget Brian, Brian’s home safe. His parents, yeah it’s hard for them. Bulls***. You know what? My daughter is not here. Our daughter is not here. We don’t even know what state she’s in.”

He said he was largely unconcerned with the statement.

“You know, we’re shooting from the hip here and trying to do what we can. So I don’t care about the statement. I care about finding Gabby,” he said.

Graig Graziosi15 September 2021 17:32

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