Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #4

[Ontario Mom]

Oh, he can. But he won’t.

Just jumping off your post as a sort of disturbing thought popped up.
He can, but he won't. Why?

<modsnip> what if, she went somewhere or was with someone or was doing something he knows she never would have wanted anyone to know anything about?

As kooky as it might sound, does he somehow think he's protecting her, in some way?
I don't know if I actually believe that, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[10ofRods]

Has anyone noticed, that all this time, we've never found out his exact age? I recall in the beginning when the story first broke, it was stated that he was between 23 and 30. I remember it, becuase it seemed odd; her age was given as 22, but his was given as a fairly broad approximate range. If I've missed an update, please fill me in. But if there's a significant age difference between them, this could be conducive to him playing the older, smarter authority figure, perhaps sometimes talking down to her. She might have looked up to him, until the relationship hit rocky patches.

We also don't know what her mother's statement, that they had a relationship in highschool, means exactly. Was she a freshman when he was a senior? We she a HS student though he was out of HS already, and they first met each other outside of the school context?

It would be nice to have more basic background info, so we don't have to guess.

I also feel, that her statement to Moab police, "I feel like I'm OCD" is very different from a confession that she's diagnosed as OCD "but unmedicated", as BL said. Why should she be medicated, if there's been no diagnosis? What did he say his mental health condition was, that he was also unmedicated for? If he's truly been diagnosed with something, maybe he's been trying to project onto her, that she has a condition, too, and has been trying to get her to believe it.

"Feeling like" you're OCD is very different from knowing you have OCD, because your doctor evaluated you. And yet, this went down in the police report as both of them having a mental health condition they don't take meds for.

Maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling of some sloppy police work happening here. it's good that the officer told them to separate until the next day to cool off, and didn't book Gabby for assault. But I have an uneasy feeling, that they were inattentive to other details, not really methodical in checking out facts (like car ownership), the basis of the altercation (he refused to give her the keys to her car, behaving as though he were going to abandon her), and recording a casual statement about "feeling like OCD" as if it were a diagnosed condition.

Moab police sent two officers to this incident. One stayed over an hour and did his best to get the couple into a better place (instead of arresting someone). They did run the plates, which is likely why it was clearcut that Gabby should be the one driving the van onward that night, while Brian (the "victim" - as he had visible marks on his body and Gabby was observed by the witness who called in...slapping and scratching Brian, which she did not deny and which two other witnesses said they saw, as well).

How is this sloppy police work? This type of community policing (they actually went after the van!) is what we all want. This is what most communities do not have. I'm actually amazed that Moab police took the amount of time they did on this minor incident. They couldn't have known that she was going to disappear, nor were there any grounds to do more (except possibly an arrest for DV - which some of you are saying they should have done, but really? a few scratches on a larger, stronger 23-year-old male who was clearly trying to drive away from his traveling partner - and the van owner - near the Co-op). No priors.

Bodycams record what they record - how can police change that??

 

[hey-Debbie]

This. Sometimes people underestimate just how irrational an otherwise extremely cautious person can be when they are under a lot of stress or feel “trapped.” Once I was in Thailand with my partner and we got into a massive argument over something really stupid (we’d both had a couple of drinks at the pool which didn’t help) and I stormed off. I’m one of the most cautious and anxious people when it comes to safety, but I was so angry that I walked all the way down the mountain along a dark, secluded road in a foreign country as woman. I didn’t realize how dangerous it was until later—a man on a motorbike came up behind me and tried to tell me to get on and he would give me a ride and was very persistent when I said no. Luckily he left when I threatened to call the police but it was still very risky. The difference between my experience and that of BL/GP is that my partner kept trying to contact me to make sure I was okay, which as far as we know, BL did not do. Point being, extreme stress and emotions running high can make a rational person do/look “crazy.”

Thanks for sharing. And to your last sentence, if they had been fighting so much and threats were constantly met maybe he said "fine go ahead and leave" because he was pissed and she did. People do very irrational things when they are upset even when they are the most rational person on earth.

 

[Rocky Mountain Hi]

He’s 23. Two months shy of 24.
Gabby was born in 1999
Brian was born in 1997

Thank you! It's refreshing to have some solid info on this case, even if somewhat peripheral!

 

[Ragnarok]

Fox News cable running this story multiple times today. Nothing new that we don't already know. Mentioning the deaths of those other two along with GP also.

 

[1127pilot]

Is BL on the spectrum? In the bodycam video his uncomfortable mannerisms and disaffected speech feel very much like an autistic person. It would also help to explain the friction around her social media aspirations, as many on the spectrum (myself included) can come across as cold or mean unintentionally. With so many young people trying to become a social media hit, I can imagine saying something like "the odds of this working out with so much competition are incredibly low; you'll get more value out of this trip if you spend your time enjoying it instead of trying to make it look like you are enjoying it" and that being taken as an insult. She seems to have some emotional issues of her own, so this combination could be highly volatile.

This of course is not to defend him. His actions seem impossible to justify at this point, and being autistic does not make one more or less likely to kill one's girlfriend, nor does it serve as an excuse for anything he may have done. However, I don't see a cold and manipulative psychopath in the bodycam video as much as I see an awkward and uncomfortable person.

 

[Misy]

Can someone pls direct me to the media thread. I’ve been searching but not finding it. Sorry to interrupt. Thank you!!

 

[Cloudydiamond]

I left an abusive relationship 2 yrs ago (the person was severely mentally ill but could "play act." He tried to keep my keys from me, or block me from leaving with his vehicle several times. Happens all the time in these domestic situations.

It stinks that some people are slamming Gabby for being "the assaulter" when she likely was reacting to his manipulations/various forms of abuse.

Yes, I agree, clearly there are people that have never been in or around this type of abuse and are not educated on reactive abuse.

 

[NuttMegg]

i think she said she wasnt comfortable driving it, like because of the size of it or being in a unfamiliar place, culd also have something to do with her anxiety.

She said "I don't usually drive the van", 1:04:10 So it sounds like he is in control of her whole trip. I see the signs. Can we stop here honey? From the person who is not allowed to, or prefers not to drive. Always asking the person in control if she can stop and do or see something.

This is not necessarily his fault, some couples prefer this. But I find it bizarre that it is her van, yet someone else is in charge of driving it, and can use it as a (psychological) cudgel.

 

[esayer]

sorry if people talked about this already. Looks like part of their argument was Brian's dirty feet. And then he goes and posts for Gabby about how cool barefoot hiking is

 

[Skigirl]

Notice how in the body cam video Gabby lies and says she was calling her parents, YET the Dad stated in an interview yesterday that he was not aware of the domestic dispute issue and that if Gabby had told him, he would’ve been on the first flight there to pick her up and bring her home. He was unaware of any problems, including mental health problems that Gabby told MOEB police she was suffering from according to that police report.

I don't think she lied about calling her parents. She had her mom and stepdad on the one hand, and her father on the other. I took it to mean that she called her mom/stepdad and they knew that there had been an incident, but that they didn't necessarily call her father to tell him. I suspect what she said to her parents made it sound like less of a big deal than it was -- that they'd been pulled over and that it seemed like everything was being blown out of proportion and she was just really scared and upset.

 

[JudgeJoe]

I know im in repeat mod but i can´t believe the fact that he can´t even tell LE the last known location of GP that he knows off. How would that incriminate him? It would save alot of time digging through phone data and they could ´rescue´ her faster that way.

Because this is likely a recovery, not a rescue. And if he tells a truthful location, he gets arrested. If he tells a false location, he will eventually be caught in a lie. If he hit her in the head with a rock or strangled her with his angry hands on a trail, there’d be no evidence in the van or on his/her things. Assuming he ditched his clothes. If he then dragged her off in the woods off trails, she may not be found for a long, long time. Or ever. No body, no evidence, no crime. I am very worried about finding Gabby in that vast, vast, rugged terrain. And soon the snow will be very thick, very brutal temps, high winds, road closures, etc. The window to find her in the near future is very short.

 

[pittie_mcclure]

yes you’re very right I’m sorry. I just picked up on things I recognised. But to be honest I might assume that in some circumstances but the problem is it’s always wrong.

Please don’t apologize. I respect all perspectives here. I see where you’re coming from, as well. And i know this is all in context of her missing.

Another way to look at it - how often do you hear a man admitting he hit a woman?
Admitting you hit someone to police isn't something physically abusive partners usually do.

You are definitely not wrong but when men hit women we NEVER blame the women and say she made him do it. Right? We don’t have any actual evidence that he was abusing her! She even says he didn’t hit her. He DID grab her face which is also not acceptable. Sounds like they were having issues and fighting a lot. Sounds like they might BOTH have a lot of issues containing their anger. Either way we know she put hands on him because she says so and he has marks on his body to back it up. That’s all.

 

[hey-Debbie]

Moab police sent two officers to this incident. One stayed over an hour and did his best to get the couple into a better place (instead of arresting someone). They did run the plates, which is likely why it was clearcut that Gabby should be the one driving the van onward that night, while Brian (the "victim" - as he had visible marks on his body and Gabby was observed by the witness who called in...slapping and scratching Brian, which she did not deny and which two other witnesses said they saw, as well).

How is this sloppy police work? This type of community policing (they actually went after the van!) is what we all want. This is what most communities do not have. I'm actually amazed that Moab police took the amount of time they did on this minor incident. They couldn't have known that she was going to disappear, nor were there any grounds to do more (except possibly an arrest for DV - which some of you are saying they should have done, but really? a few scratches on a larger, stronger 23-year-old male who was clearly trying to drive away from his traveling partner - and the van owner - near the Co-op). No priors.

Bodycams record what they record - how can police change that??

I agree. I think they did a great job especially really trying to be insightful as to what was going on. They could have easily just taking her in and been done with it. I'm sure they are kicking themselves that maybe if they would have been harder on her she might be alive today because maybe it would have created a bigger distance and obstacle to keep them apart.

 

[Rocky Mountain Hi]

Moab police sent two officers to this incident. One stayed over an hour and did his best to get the couple into a better place (instead of arresting someone). They did run the plates, which is likely why it was clearcut that Gabby should be the one driving the van onward that night, while Brian (the "victim" - as he had visible marks on his body and Gabby was observed by the witness who called in...slapping and scratching Brian, which she did not deny and which two other witnesses said they saw, as well).

How is this sloppy police work? This type of community policing (they actually went after the van!) is what we all want. This is what most communities do not have. I'm actually amazed that Moab police took the amount of time they did on this minor incident. They couldn't have known that she was going to disappear, nor were there any grounds to do more (except possibly an arrest for DV - which some of you are saying they should have done, but really? a few scratches on a larger, stronger 23-year-old male who was clearly trying to drive away from his traveling partner - and the van owner - near the Co-op). No priors.

Bodycams record what they record - how can police change that??

You're right. I didn't know they'd run the van plates. I feel like many of us have been stumbling around in the dark, trying to make sense of the details, scouring police cams and articles for clues, yet so much remains unknown. Thanks for adding this info!

 

[LietKynes]

Can someone pls direct me to the media thread. I’ve been searching but not finding it. Sorry to interrupt. Thank you!!

WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 8/25/21 *MEDIA MAPS TIMELINE No discussion*

 

[Deleted member 121463]

We know she was hustling to try to figure out how to make money during the trip. She was selling her belongings, she was trying to get a social media influencer thing launched, probably in hopes she'd get some sponsors. She bought the van, or at least it was in her name. What was he doing for money?

I'll get kicked off of here if I answer. imo

 

[SDFinColo]

I am many threads behind on this case. So sad for Gabby and her family. It sure seems like in the body cam video that Gabby was so upset and that BL was so chummy and amicable with the police officers. A month later, his girlfriend is missing and he has lawyered up and now refuses to do anything to help locate her. His actions are incredibly sketchy. I truly believe he harmed her in some way and left her somewhere in the dessert either dead or dying. IMO

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Bodycam: this cop - epic fail. Lets a distraught woman go off by herself in a van, takes boyfriend to a hotel. WTH?

 

[fred&edna]

Press conference with family