Gabby Petito’s family has broken their silence after laying their daughter to rest over the weekend.
The Blast previously reported that Gabby was confirmed dead, which was ruled a homicide by the FBI, on Tuesday, September 21.
A body resembling that of Gabby was found in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sunday, September 19.
Gabby and her former fiancé, Brian Laundrie, were on a cross-country road trip doing a national parks tour when her communication with her family back on the east coast abruptly stopped at the end of August.
Her parents filed a missing person report on September 11.
Gabby’s Funeral Service
Brian is still considered a “person of interest” and remains at large.
Reality TV sensation, Dog The Bounty Hunter, feels he has a very hot lead on Brian’s whereabouts. Brian and his parents have not been cooperating with the FBI and law enforcement officials since he returned to Florida on September 1 WITHOUT Gabby.
His parents officially filed a missing person report on September 17 after Brian had left home and not returned home for multiple days.
The Petito and Schmidt families in addition to their lawyer, Richard Stafford, held a press conference in New York on Tuesday, September 28.
The family lawyer started out the conference telling reporters, “Gabby Petito was a beautiful woman. Her infectious smile and love of life made people gravitate toward her. She loved life and experiences. She was the bright light in everyone’s life who knew her.”
Lover of life!
To keep her light shining and memory alive, the Petito and Schmidt families have set up the “Gabby Petito Foundation.” While the foundation is in the early stages of creation, the goal of the foundation is to help other families who find themselves in a situation similar to the Petito and Schmidt families found themselves in earlier this month.
Gabby’s father said, “We need positive stuff to come out of this tragedy.” The goal of the foundation is to make good from ‘this awful tragedy.’
Awful Tragedy!
Her families could not be more thankful to the media, the press and social media for helping find her and bring her home.
When Gabby’s family lawyer was asked if there’s any new information regarding Brian’s whereabouts, and whether or his mother and father have become more cooperative in the search for their son, he said, “The Laundrie’s did not help us find Gabby. They’re sure not going to help us find Brian.”
Gabby’s biological mother, step-father, biological father, and step-mother all got match tattoos to commemorate and remember their daughter.