Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #12

[whitelilac]

Spread Creek area closed in search for Gabby Petito

The Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in the Bridger-Teton National Forest on the east boundary of Grand Teton National Park is closed until further notice in conjunction with the search for Gabby Petito.

The FBI's Denver Field Office issued the closure notice at 7 p.m. tonight, Saturday, in coordination with its Wyoming Resident Agencies, the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Teton County Sheriff's Office and the Jackson Police Department.

I think they are closing in. And I think that with their expertise and dogs they have a good chance of finding Gabby.

I also lean to BL not being the most careful and resourceful in concealing Gabby deep in some hidden wilderness, plus he probably didn't have equipment with him to bury her. He was probably in a panicked state too, which could lead to mistakes, not thinking clearly.

I believe, for now, that they had a serious blow up and he snapped. I don't think this was premeditated. He also may have put her into water, if there's water nearby, and he may not know that a body will surface after time.

 

[Mom24]

Thank you. Not sure why I don't give this tip any special credibility - perhaps because it's just another tip on social media that was picked up by FoxNews, it is not information from investigators.

It's interesting in that the tip nicely aligns with the location where her mother said she was when they last spoke.

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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."

Tiktok is in the same area at the same time. Tiktok and boyfriend picked up the hitchhiker, who smelled clean, travelled light, and had been hiking in the area for a couple of days. Was he a day hiker, or was he wild camping for days without food, sleeping bag or tent? Which makes more sense?

He was looking for a ride back to his vehicle, realized that he'd gone too far, asked to get out, or panicked and demanded that they stop the vehicle? Either way, he vanished into the wilderness.

It all happened very closes to where Gabby was when she last spoke to her mother.

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I think you're right. I also think Gabby was already gone by that point. She was supposed to meet with a friend at Yellowstone on the 27th and never made it. I really believe the searches are in the wrong area. I know they have eye witnesses that put the van at Spread Creek, but I think he had killed (and I do believe he killed her) on the 26th and she'll be found closer to the area her mother last heard from her.

 

[TKG]

I read Helter Skelter in 5th grade.

ETA: I'm so far behind...ugh.

Well that explains so much!

 

[sunrider]

What do you mean by "that got her nowhere?"

agreed. I thought LE felt it was a credible tip.

 

[otto]

I agree, so asked Otto to clarify "got her nowhere." AFAIK it actually DID get her somewhere, as someone linked earlier, that the FBI at least thought it *might* be credible.

BBM. Same question - do you have a link handy where the FBI say this tiktok tip "might be credible?"

 

[Skigirl]

I read Helter Skelter in 5th grade.

ETA: I'm so far behind...ugh.

OMG, if people think it's weird for Gabby to have read about Zodiac Killer at age 22, they'd have been absolutely gobsmacked by the pile of serial killer books I read at that age. I think that was the peak age for my interest in serial killers, actually. And if I ever went missing and anyone ever looked at my current browser history, they'd see a lot of "clues" that would suggest I was researching how to stage my own disappearance, given my long history of interest in missing person cases.

 

[Jurisprudence]

Exactly. A woman called in a tip to FBI. Then she made sure that everyone knew about her tip to the extent that it is reported in the news. There are pages of comments discussing the tip that she called in to FBI even though it is an uncorroborated tip. Should we discuss what must be thousands of other tips as well? What makes this tip different? The FBI certainly have not treated this tip as special.

It's a nice story that makes no sense regarding Gabby and Brian walking 10 miles or so to camp. Why would they do that when they have a perfectly good vanlife van for sleeping safely? Where was the van allegedly parked while Brian was freaking out about hitchhiking to Jackson after asking for a ride to Jackson?

Nothing for nothin, it was very specific, corroborated by texts that "someone" was in her car, and probably most importantly, it all fits. It fits with the mapping. It fits with the timeline. LE not corroborating this means nothing to me, personally. Because LE does not typically verify anything in an active investigation.

The FBI certainly have not treated this tip as special.

This is where we disagree. I think they have. Watch what they do, not what they [don't] say...

 

[curious mouse]

I wish I could read it but I don’t have a subscription.

just copy/paste/google the pertinent sentence and youʻll usually find it @ another news source (i found it several other places but am newbie lurker and canʻt remember the rules on posting links )

ETA well here, apologies if not allowed: A ‘Vanlife’ Couple Went On A Cross-Country Trip, But Only One Returned - WorldNewsEra

 

[Mom24]

I think they are closing in. And I think that with their expertise and dogs they have a good chance of finding Gabby.

I also lean to BL not being the most careful and resourceful in concealing Gabby deep in some hidden wilderness, plus he probably didn't have equipment with him to bury her. He was probably in a panicked state too, which could lead to mistakes, not thinking clearly.

I believe, for now, that they had a serious blow up and he snapped. I don't think this was premeditated. He also may have put her into water, if there's water nearby, and he may not know that a body will surface after time.

Given Rose's previous statements about BL, I'm guessing when BL found out GP was meeting with Rose, he blew up, there was a fight and he killed her.

 

[TKG]

She said he said "Fiancé" but she texted her Mom "wife"... prob if her mom was so worried, wife sounds better OR she just doesn't wanna spell finace... seems like many folks cannot. I think her videos are legit, but srsly pretty much everything is speculation at this point.

BAIBM

 

[Waddles]

The missing Long Island native Petito and her unaccounted-for boyfriend seemed to have recently started a profile on a website that bills itself as a “go-to resource for all campers.”

The account on The Dyrt is credited to “Gabby & Brian V.” Despite the unexplained use of Brian’s wrong initial, the profile appeared to have been started and operated by the couple in July.

There are photos and video of a white tent with orange trim that appeared to be the same tent in a YouTube video that Gabby posted on Aug. 19. There is also an image of a smiling couple next to a rock formation that appeared to be Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23.

The location of the profile was Colorado Springs, Colo., and the tag line read “traveling in our tiny van.” The account was created in July, and appeared to be last updated on the 29th of that month. The couple did visit Colorado Springs on July 8, according to a timeline of their known travels complied by The Post.

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie outlined road trip on camping site

Here's the Dyrt website referred to in the article.

Check out Gabby & Brian V.'s photos on The Dyrt

V for van? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[feralwriter]

Maybe there was something about that trip that was ticked some boxes. We don't know the whole thing. Maybe there is some gps corroboration /dash cam stuff or something. Or tips which match this story but hasn't been made public.

Yes, well I assume the public is only being let in on the specific info. LE wants made public, unless something slips out by accident. IMHO everything they do, every last word & move in any investigation is calculated for effect. It's just a matter of to what effect, & on which person(s). Either that, or I've been brainwashed by shows like NCIS

 

[otto]

They slept in a tent, the van was too small for sleeping with all of their stuff crammed in.

Would they leave all that crammed stuff in the van and hike miles into the forest for wild camping? Seems to me both of them were hyper insecure about being very far from the van in case the other had control of the van.

 

[TotusTuus]

BBM. Same question - do you have a link handy where the FBI say this tiktok tip "might be credible?"

"NPPD officials confirmed that they have been in contact with the TikTok user, Miranda Baker. They say her story is "possibly credible."

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local...-laundrie-hiking-in-grand-teton-national-park

 

[Gardenista]

Thank you for this. You must be very local. You are getting some key reports. Do you know if there is any factual basis to the report that 2 elk hunters spotted the van at Spread Creek on 8/29?

It was in a news story that was posted here, but I'm not sure which one it was.

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

If he was having a mental health crisis he may have needed to be seen in person. But, I think it would take some time to get an an in-person appointment. Maybe he went home because they broke up or were taking a break from each other and while home he deals with the storage unit, not that he went home to specifically deal with the storage unit. Either way, I think LE knows why he went home as both sets of parents knew about it. Whatever the reason, it does speak to the state of their relationship but is it directly related to her disappearance? Unless he wanted the van and went back to kill her for it. But dang, that’s shallow.

My guess is they were taking some time apart.

Do we know if BL had any significant health concerns? Like ones that he would need to have more than one check up per year for? Say, quarterly blood work or something like that that would have to be done in person? Only reason I bring this up is because my ex went on a similar trip (WI to NJ to FL) with some friends and had to fly back for a specialist appointment and insulin pump supplies. He could totally handle the trip but type one diabetes is something that doctors prefer to see you in person for, hence the flying back. BL could theoretically be in that type of situation where a doctor could drop everything to see him, etc if it was really needed.

 

[RickshawFan]

She was deliberately using The Dryt app to find free dispersed campsites. She was not looking to stay in regular park campgrounds. They had done this the entire trip, except for the SLC motel. And yes, Wednesday Aug 25th was a free entrance day so the park might have had more traffic and congestion than usual.

The number of people using free, dispersed campsites and the number of websites that are devoted to them has skyrocketed with the number of people traveling in RV's, trailers, vans, and tent camping. First of all, the demand for in-park campsites has overwhelmed most parks as everyone felt they had to finally bust out of COVID confinement and get into some space. And most people go to parks to find peace and beauty and the crowded and rather noisy in-park campgrounds don't afford the same experience as dispersed camping. And you save money.

IME there aren’t a lot of free campsites in the east part of the country.
I have never found the NPS developed campgrounds to be noisy or overrun (except Rocky Mountain, and I won’t go back there under any conditions.) They are staffed 24/7 by rangers or you can easily get hold of a ranger. There’s a curfew and you can’t make noise. You can’t drink boisterously. These rules don’t apply at dispersed sites although LE of some sort might check in on you.

 

[MyBelle]

​

That seems odd. First she's a nutritionist (at least a two-year degree) and now she's a pharmacy technician (requires certification.) But the only documented workplaces before they left on their trip are Publix, a juice bar, and (maybe) Taco Bell.

I don't find it odd at all. Publix have pharmacies in their stores, don't they? The certification could be online plus pharmacy experience and take a test. Ditto in-store "nutritionists" who help customers find foods to fit their dietary needs such as gluten-free diets.

GP was 22 years old. Today, farm-to-table and organic foods are very, very popular and grocery stores are competitive. GP looks the picture of health. The van life combined with healthy eating was clearly her dream that her parents were helping her bring to reality.

Nutritionist vs Dietitian: Degree and Careers Comparison

 

[zucchinibread]

There's no such job title as nutritionist, no certificate or credentials. Instead, there are registered dieticians.

There was a best-seller about a decade ago written by someone who called herself a nutritionist. It turned out that she got a certificate after a short stint at a massage school.

I wish the original posts weren't truncated, because now I'm wondering where the "pharmacy technician" came in.

Right now I work in a Clinical Nutrition office and the term nutritionist usually applies to an MD/DO who specializes in clinical nutrition, eating disorders, or TPN. It can also apply to PA’s who specialize in clinical nutrition.

We would call anyone with an RD a dietician but not a nutritionist.

I don’t understand Gabby’s use of the word nutritionist as she has no college degree (that we know of).

 

[LullabelleRosie]

It wouldn't be too small for many van-lifers - but they had a lot of stuff. Just think about all the different clothes she wore.

I car camp in a small station wagon. I would never think to bring that sort of clothing along - maybe a single outfit for dressing up.

I am about Gabby’s size. My husband is 6 ft and 200 lbs. I am amazed at how much more I can fit in my camping backpack than he can- she did bring a lot of clothes, but they were little summer clothes- I’m guessing it didn’t take up as much space as you’d think. I do think they likely slept in the van, there was a bed, but who knows after sweating and being however long without a shower, maybe they needed to camp in a tent to “air out!” I also think it made them feel like they were more “wilderness/survivalist” types, even though they really weren’t.