Gabby Petito homicide: Fiancé Brian Laundrie’s parents express sympathy to her family

The disappearance of a 22-year-old Gabby Petito sparked national interest after she was reported missing on September 1.

In July, Gabby Petito embarked from New York on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. The couple shared multiple pictures and clips from their trip on Instagram and YouTube. Then, on Sept. 1, Mr. Laundrie returned from the trip alone. Ten days later, Ms. Petito’s family reported her missing.

However, after the matter received massive attention, the family of Brian Laundrie has broken their silence about her death.

His parents issued a statement through their lawyer after the FBI and police confirmed that a body they found in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming was the missing 22-year-old travel blogger. Her death has initially been ruled a crime.

“May Gabby Rest In Peace,” Roberta and Christopher Laundrie said in a statement.

They made no further comment, including any remarks about their 23-year-old son, who is also missing, less than a week after Gabby’s parents reported her disappearance.

Before disappearing himself, Brian refused to speak with authorities about Gabby’s whereabouts. Despite being a person of interest in the case, he is not suspected of a tragic story as it remained unfold, police have said.

Who is Gabby Petito?

Gabby Petito, 22, is a social media influencer and blogger who began his road trip in July 2021 with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie to explore national parks and preserves. It all seemed picture-perfect, especially on social media where the two documented their journey.

However, upon Laundrie’s return home to Florida on September 1, 2021—without Petito—no one has been able to contact the influencer.

Her mother, Nichole Schmidt, filed her as a missing person on September 11. On September 14, Laundrie left for a hike in his hometown of North Port, and no one has heard from him since.

On September 19, the story became even more heartbreaking. Officials found human remains in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park that appeared to match Petito’s description. Upon the news, Petito’s father, Joseph, tweeted a photo of his daughter saying, “#GABBYPETITO she touched the world.”

💔#GABBYPETITO she touched the world. pic.twitter.com/DukH7UCTPo

— joseph petito (@josephpetito) September 19, 2021