Gabby Petito’s body has been recovered and identified according to her family’s attorney.
A body was found in a remote section of a Wyoming national forest on Sunday, September 19. At the time the body was discovered, it was neither clear nor confirmed if the body was that of 22-year-old Petito.
This tragic news comes weeks after her parents reported her missing on September 11.
Petito was traveling cross-country with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. The couple were visiting a number of national parks while simultaneously documenting it all for her van-life YouTube channel.
#VanLife
View this post on Instagram
According to Insider, the attorney for Petito’s family, Richard Stafford, told the outlet in a text message the remains — found near the border of Grand Teton National Park — belonged to Petito.
The FBI says her death has been ruled a homicide.
“Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999,” the FBI field office in Denver announced on Twitter.
The cause of her death still remains unknown.
Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue’s initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results. pic.twitter.com/JoHenMZ9UU
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) September 21, 2021
This horrific news comes on the heels of Laundrie’s parents reporting him. He is currently a person of interest; however, he went missing one week ago.
His family told police the last time they saw Laundrie was on September 14. He left with a backpack and told them he was going to the nearby Carlton Reserve.
The Carlton Reserve is reportedly infested with lethal reptiles such as alligators and snakes.
Officials began searching the reserve upon his family reporting him missing. The search was halted at nightfall on September 18. The search resumed on Tuesday, September 21 with the North Port Police department making an official statement via Twitter.
“Search for Brian Laundrie will resume Tuesday in the Carlton Reserve, Venice side. We join the FBI in asking for continued public assistance by sharing any information through the tip lines 1-800-Call FBI,” the statement said.
Search for Brian Laundrie will resume Tuesday in the Carlton Reserve, Venice side. We join the FBI in asking for continued public assistance by sharing any information through the tip lines 1-800-CALL FBI or https://t.co/vlIagGIoHc
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 21, 2021
While the body found in Wyoming is confirmed to be Petito, there is so much still left unknown.
The 23-year-old returned to his parent’s home on Sept.1 after a cross-country road trip without his fiancé and provided no explanation as to where she could be.
The case that has become a popular topic among the media is only getting weirder as authorities believe that Laundrie got a good head start over them when he took off last week.
View this post on Instagram
Laundrie has not been charged with anything at this point, police only want to speak with him to put some pieces together. Unfortunately, he has not been cooperating with the police.
In yet another turn of events, Laundrie MAY have been spotted on a trail camera some 500 miles away from his Florida home.
View this post on Instagram
A man by the name of Sam Bass captured footage of a man fitting Laundrie’s description on his trail camera set up in the wilderness in Baker, Florida on Monday morning.
Bass alerted officials; however, when they scoured the scene with a drone no one was found.