Found Deceased WY - Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, Grand Teton National Park, 25 Aug 2021 #13

[Hyway]

id guess not at this early point in the search. Cadaver dogs are waay more expensive than scent dogs and not that easy to get on short notice.

If the FBI can't get you a cadaver dog then what the heck use are they?

 

[jtfolden]

I can’t imagine the battery she’d need for 3 days working on editing videos.

They could barely keep their phones charged.

People living this lifestyle, usually have ways to deal with charging/power concerns. Also, even if he wasn’t near the van - we have no idea how close she was to it.

 

[vanlifelady]

People living this lifestyle, usually have ways to deal with charging/power concerns. Also, even if he wasn’t near the van - we have no idea how close she was to it.

We manage on a Yeti 200 with a solar panel. They could have made it work with a similar setup.

 

[Elana619]

I cant believe people are out there in nowhere picking people up and hitching rides. Is there a time warp they drive though to get to these awful decisions?

I’ve hitched rides in the backcountry before. Usually just people passing through pick you up.

 

[cuffem]

Could be, or over a cliff.
SAR in these rugged parts are experts though....there might be signs, broken twigs, pushed over shrubs or whatnot. This guy had no equipment with him. He's not an experienced outdoorsman or mountain man. Nor hunter likely. He's a kid. I have confidence that SAR will find her, if the can determine the general area.
At least I hope so.

Websleuths used to have some Search and Rescue members, I hope they join the thread soon.

 

[shelbycat]

I can’t imagine the battery she’d need for 3 days working on editing videos.

They could barely keep their phones charged.

I think it’s been posted here before that they did have some solar power set up in the van.

 

[ABCDiana]

I am thinking they planned an early morning hike up the Snake River. Somewhere along the way, he either ditches her or kills her, he continues up the Snake River to the showers, and hitchhikes back to the van.

This is possible, but I don't know why they'd be hiking up the Snake. It's not exactly easy hiking, with creeks and cobbles and marshy bits and vegetation bound to get in your way. And if they're trying to be influencers, there's so many more scenic, iconic glacial lakes and mountain views that would make for better photos and easier hiking.

 

[feralwriter]

"Still hidden" - do you mean something could have changed in the interim? I'm trying to think of what outside force in the area could have altered her.... maybe animal scavengers. Or maybe some part of him wasn't really sure she was dead.

I'm not discounting a push or a drowning or any other method for that matter. Nor am I making any judgement about an accidental or premeditated death.

That said, as hard as it to hide a body, it's harder to carry or move one.

I really believe he was just checking to make sure she was still hidden before he left town, knowing that he would not be able to do that again. I believe that what had transpired between them, happened earlier.

 

[bambibones]

I cant believe people are out there in nowhere picking people up and hitching rides. Is there a time warp they drive though to get to these awful decisions?

I think it's not uncommon in those crowds. It's a cool, mellow, laid-back, nothing bothers you attitude. And if you have a Jeep (also cool) with a cab and an open back, it wouldn't be as dangerous as a completely-enclosed car.

 

[Kano]

We manage on a Yeti 200 with a solar panel. They could have made it work with a similar setup.

they would need a jackery or something like it with a folding panel since they didn't have one on their van. Just fine for lap tops, cell phones etc. Going to need some real solar or generator for cooking, climate control, ice box and things like that. They clearly not that far into the van life.

People should look up van builds on youtube just for kicks if they get bored. Some neat little things going on

 

[ninvestigate]

I find it hard to believe that he would grab a ride for an alibi. It's so random that he'd just hope someone would pick him up and remember him. I doubt he was doing that much planning ahead. MOO of course

Kind of reminds me of the Phoenix police officer who was hiking with Angela Tremonte (without water, just a few weeks ago, very very hot). She was later found dead (waiting on autopsy results personally) -- and he continued the hike to later take an Uber (???) back to the vehicle after he claims he became lost. Contradictory stories also came out whether he'd hiked this route before (incl. a claim the fire department later rescinded about how he hiked the trail all the time). The Uber ride seemed like such a weird thing to do (just turn around and hike exactly back? There was a bachelor party all on vacation that managed back just fine and saw you several times...) So, IMO, a quick ride with strangers COULD be a decent attempt at an alibi all things considered.

 

[thebedbug]

Just an FYI - the TikTok videos are linked on the first page of this thread (and presumably will be in future threads). They aren't long. A lot of the questions about them can be answered by watching them.

 

[distracted]

If the FBI can't get you a cadaver dog then what the heck use are they?

Seriously, though - manpower, helicopters, superior technology, etc.

 

[GoldfishMango]

True. True. I was thinking more along the lines of move her to bury her.

If she’s deceased, her body wasn’t in the van, otherwise her scent would’ve been picked up and he would’ve been in an interrogation room already.

I don’t think he had to hide her body at all. If you recall the post GP made about climbing out on a dangerous ledge behind the famous arch in Moab they took risks. IMO they were hiking and did something beyond their skill level. Either he pushed her off a mountain ridge during an argument or she fell.

If she fell he panicked because of the prior LE encounter and feared being blamed or at the least being held accountable by her family for endangering her by doing something stupid ( see above r/t The Arches).

If he pushed her/she fell he panicked and fled the scene frightened and possibly got lost. I’ll be generous here, maybe even looking for help. Walking alone in the wilderness his mind started plotting a way out of this and he did what was normal to his character. He decided to run. I think the rest, hitchhiking, showering etc is just noise.

He got back to the van and headed home. I do believe he called his parents on that trip and they helped him devise a plan to escape. Someone met him between WY and FL and drove that van back. BL is hiding but will be found eventually. Gabby may or may not be located.

 

[Hyway]

Could be, or over a cliff.
SAR in these rugged parts are experts though....there might be signs, broken twigs, pushed over shrubs or whatnot. This guy had no equipment with him. He's not an experienced outdoorsman or mountain man. Nor hunter likely. He's a kid. I have confidence that SAR will find her, if the can determine the general area.
At least I hope so.

I'm not saying he was rational. In fact, I am suspecting the opposite. He killed her in a rage of passion and the rationality didn't return until after he had dumped the body down a crevice/cliff like a child hiding food under his napkin.

 

[shelbycat]

If the FBI can't get you a cadaver dog then what the heck use are they?

didn’t say I agreed with it.

If the FBI can't get you a cadaver dog then what the heck use are they?

IKR?!

 

[JayWill]

I forget how to reply to a post in a closed thread. can someone help please?

@PommyMommy said to go to the post number, click on it and select copy all. I hope that I have that right.

 

[MysteryMama]

I can’t imagine the battery she’d need for 3 days working on editing videos.

They could barely keep their phones charged.

One of their (I think his) early instagrams showed a solar panel, I'm assuming they had that and an inverter for charging.

 

[bambibones]

My supposition starts with the idea that they went off some distance to get a perfect Instagram sunset picture, not to close to be around a bunch of people but not so far that they couldn't get back before full dark. And then stuff went down hill fast. By the time he has carried her away from the spot and ditched her he has gotten himself lost. Might not have to go very far to get caught out after full dark and not be able to find your way back. Or heck maybe he just ran out into the wilderness after he realized what he did.

I don't see any evidence that he was ever in the wilderness at all - other than his story to Miranda TikTok - it it was full of other lies.

 

[RyanCV]

power banks, most of these van people like the jackery though i don't know what kinda van build they really had.

I can’t imagine the battery she’d need for 3 days working on editing videos.

They could barely keep their phones charged.

It looks like they have a couple battery banks per 7:22 video here. At least a 24owh Jackery per here