Gabby Petito update – Nancy Grace predicts what autopsy will find as Dr Phil interviews parents amid Brian Laundrie hunt

HOW DID GABBY PETITO DIE?

On September 23, coroners in Wyoming listed her likely cause of death as the result of a homicide in a preliminary report.

That same day, a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie was issued, accusing him of swiping more than $1,000 of a debit card that is believed to be Gabby’s sometime between August 30 and September 1, according to the indictment.

GABBY’S MOM BELIEVES SHE IS ‘SENDING SIGNS’ OF COMFORT

Nichole Schmidt, Gabby’s mom, said that the family was driving behind a car with a Wyoming sticker and the letters “GBZ” on the license plate.

Gabby’s body was found in Wyoming and the letter refers to a nickname for Gabby – “gabz.”

GABBY’S STEPPARENTS SEND TRIBUTE MESSAGES

Gabby’s stepmother, Tara Petito posted a picture of them together, captioned: “Gabby I will love you to the moon and back always and forever.”

While her stepfather, Jim Schmidt tweeted a picture of Gabby as a little girl, saying: “It still seems surreal. Miss you Gabs.”

WHO IS ‘STAN’ MENTIONED IN GABBY’S FINAL TEXTS?

Authorities have revealed the text of the last message Petito’s mother received from her phone, which reads:  “Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.”

Petito’s mother said “Stan” was meant to refer to Petito’s grandfather, but since she rarely calls him by that name, she found the text “odd.” Her phone was turned off later that day after the text was sent.

‘A FEELING OF PEACE’

People continue to share their thoughts and tributes to Gabby Petito on social media.

“Something about this picture of Gabby. I just get such a feeling of peace looking at. I pray your at peace sweat Angel,” one person wrote.

OFFICERS MISSED ‘RED FLAGS,’ SAYS PSYCHIATRIST

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Ziv Evra Cohen has said Gabby looks “scared and very overwhelmed” in the footage from Moab PD body cameras.

She said the “imbalance” between sobbing Gabby and calm Laundrie should have “raised a red flag” for the officers.

Cohen told Fox News: “She was emoting so much that it was very clear that there had been an incident and there had been a problem of some kind that she was struggling with.”

DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER: ‘I DON’T CALL THE POLICE’

Dog said: “After 45 years, I don’t call the police, they’re usually called on me – so I don’t know what they’re doing.”

The bounty hunter remains under fire from online sleuths, social media users, and private investigators as he continues his own search for Brian Laundrie.

DOG ‘ISN’T SHARING TIPS WITH COPS’

Reality TV star Dog, real name Duane Chapman, says he has received more than 2,000 potential leads as he joined the search to find Laundrie last weekend.

He told NewsMax Thursday that he hasn’t been sharing his tips with cops and FBI detectives after he was accused by critics of joining the search for “publicity.”

WHERE WAS GABBY PETITO’S BODY FOUND?

On September 19, 2021, authorities in Wyoming announced a body was found in the area where the search for Gabby had been underway.

The family lawyer later confirmed on September 21, that the body was identified as Gabby.

The remains were discovered in Grant Teton National Park, where she had been camping with her fiancé when she disappeared.

IS BRIAN LAUNDRIE THE ONLY PERSON OF INTEREST?

Currently, Brian Laundrie is the only person of interest in the case,

He has not cooperated with police since he returned to Florida without Gabby, and he went missing himself less than a week after Gabby’s family reported her missing.

Laundrie’s family said he went hiking on September 14 and never returned.

‘WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD’

Brian Laundrie quietly returned home to Florida alone on September 1, without his fiance, Gabby Petito.

He also failed to alert police or Gabby’s family that she was missing.

He reportedly acted “without a care in the world” upon his return, neighbors said, mowing the front yard and enjoying idyllic bike rides with his mom.

WHERE TO SEND DONATIONS IN MEMORY OF GABBY

Instead of flowers, Gabby’s family is asking for donations to the future Gabby Petito Foundation.

Attorney Richard Stafford says donations can be made electronically at: https://Johnnymacfoundation.org.

‘NO RED FLAGS’

Speaking before his daughter’s death, Gabby Petito’s father Joe Petito told Dr Phil in an interview that there were “no red flags” in her relationship with Brian Laundrie.

He said: “Brian was always respectful, I can’t say he wasn’t.”

“There were no red flags that popped out. Nothing that stood in my head and said, listen, this boy is not a good boy.”

“If there were I would have discouraged going on a trip.”

GABBY PETITO’S DAD THINKS BRIAN LAUNDRIE IS ‘TOO COWARDLY TO KILL HIMSELF’

Gabby Petito’s dad Joe told Dr Phil on Tuesday he thinks Brian Laundrie is “too coward to kill himself or come forward.”

Gabby’s dad told Dr Phil: “He is a coward. I would use some other words but I can’t use them on this show.”

Joe also hit out at Brian’s parents after they took three days to alert police to the fact their son was missing.

He said that “anyone in that house is a coward,” adding: “And they do not know how to stand up for their actions.”

GABBY PETITO’S MOM ‘INFURIATED’ WHEN LAUNDRIE PARENTS DIDN’T RESPOND TO TEXTS

During an interview with CBS’ Dr. Phil on Tuesday, Gabby Petito’s mom Nichole Schmidt claimed Brian Laundrie’s parents ignored her calls and texts, leaving her “infuriated.”

She claimed she tried to communicate with Chris and Roberta Laundrie after she lost contact with Gabby in late August.

Gabby’s dad Joe Petito said: “We actually thought that they were both missing at that time.”

One text message reportedly read: “I’m going to call the police, just letting you know, because we have no idea.”

Joe said: “A normal parent when you text someone that (you) are going to call the cops because you can’t find your child, they would reply. No response. Nothing.”

BRIAN LAUNDRIE STOLE GABBY’S DEBIT CARD (continued)

The arrest warrant was issued on September 24 by the US District Court of Wyoming after Brian was indicted by a grand jury for “use of unauthorized devices.”

Court documents revealed the grand jury charge Brian with “knowingly with intent to defraud” using a Capital One debit card for at least $1,000.

The transactions reportedly took place on August 30 and September 1.

FBI Denver has said they believe Gabby was killed between August 27 and August 30.

She was last seen on August 27 when Brian reportedly had an argument with a waitress.

BRIAN LAUNDRIE STOLE GABBY’S DEBIT CARD, LAWYER CONFIRMS

Brian Laundrie took Gabby Petito’s debit card and spent $1,000 to return to Florida without her on September 1, a Petito family lawyer claimed on Tuesday.

The FBI has already issued a warrant for Brian’s arrest for illegally using a card and pin that did not belong to him on August 30 but did not reveal who the card belonged to.

The Petito family lawyer appeared to confirm that the card was Gabby‘s in an appearance on Dr Phil.

“I’m sure the FBI has a lot more evidence than we have. You could look at his state of mind by his actions,” attorney Richard Stafford said.

“He ran. He stole her credit [debit per warrent] card. He used her credit card to get home and then ran from the police. That’s going to show what he was thinking.”

OFFICERS MISSED ‘RED FLAGS,’ SAYS PSYCHIATRIST

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Ziv Evra Cohen has said Gabby looks “scared and very overwhelmed” in the footage from Moab PD body cameras.

She said the “imbalance” between sobbing Gabby and calm Laundrie should have “raised a red flag” for the officers.

Cohen told Fox News: “She was emoting so much that it was very clear that there had been an incident and there had been a problem of some kind that she was struggling with.”

FBI WITHHOLDING GABBY’S CAUSE OF DEATH ‘UNUSUAL,’ EXPERT SAYS (PART 3)

Furthering his point, Baden gave the example that someone could die from a drug overdose as a result of an accident, a suicide, or a homicide.

Generally speaking, Baden says, releasing a victim’s manner of death implies that the cause is already known.

“Now, what they’re saying is, whatever they found, they’ve ruled out accidents, suicides, or natural deaths that could cause it,” he added.

FBI WITHHOLDING GABBY’S CAUSE OF DEATH ‘UNUSUAL,’ EXPERT SAYS (PART 2)

Dr. Michael Baden explained that, if a pathologist was questioned whether or not someone died from heart disease, they would retain the subject’s heart – “but you don’t retain the whole body.”

“In 2021, where anything of value can be document[ed], retained, tested on day one or two or three, there’s no reason to keep the whole body from the family,” he continued.

Baden characterized officials as doing the exact “reverse” of what is typically done by releasing the manner of death before the cause.

“Usually, if one thinks of other deaths, high-profile or not, the cause of death is certainly revealed. Sometimes, sometimes the manner of death is held up,” he told Fox.

FBI WITHHOLDING GABBY’S CAUSE OF DEATH ‘UNUSUAL,’ EXPERT SAYS (PART 1)

The FBI withholding Gabby Petito’s cause of death is strange and only typically happens when investigators are “missing something,” an expert has claimed.

Famed forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden told Fox News that the FBI’s decision to withhold the slain vlogger’s remains was “very unusual”, as was their decision not to release her cause of death when a preliminary autopsy was completed.

Baden, who has worked on a bevy of high profile cases such as the death of Jeffrey Epstein, said: “I think the FBI would be very cautious about things because they don’t want to make a mistake.

“Whatever reasons they’re withholding, it is very unusual.”

He added: “I think that the only reason would be, you’re concerned that you’re missing something, but that should not be a concern, because whatever is needed to investigate the death from the point of view of the medical examiner will be seen, documented and could be retained.”

POLICE WILL BE LOOKING FOR VISIBLE SIGNS OF VOLATILE RELATIONSHIP

Former director of the San Diego Police Department’s Crime Lab, Jennifer Shen, also told The Sun that authorities are probably looking deeply into Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie’s relationship for signs of volatility.

“First, they will be looking for anything that would assist with showing the relationship with Brian was volatile, whether that is phone records, emails, texts, a diary,” she said.

“Is there anything unusual in her possessions that would help investigators determine what happened? This type of analysis will rely on electronic devices, from phones to laptops, to tablets, even tracking devices.”

“…They will look through her possessions to see if there are any clues to the relationship going wrong.”

WHERE DID GABBY MEET BRIAN LAUNDRIE?

Gabby and Brian met at Bayport-Blue Point High School in Long Island, New York, when she was a sophomore and he a junior. Their yearbook pictures were first obtained by Fox News.

Friends of the couple described their relationship as on-again, off-again to the point that sometimes it was hard to keep up with whether they were still together or not.

“One minute, they’d be all over each other, the next minute, he’d be like, ‘We’re fighting,’” Laundrie’s friend, Ben Matula, told PEOPLE.

“They always had some drama.”

“There was always something below the surface where things weren’t 100% wonderful,” he added.

BRIAN LAUNDRIE STOLE GABBY’S DEBIT CARD, LAWYER CONFIRMS

Brian Laundrie took Gabby Petito’s debit card and spent $1,000 to return to Florida without her on September 1, a Petito family lawyer claimed on Tuesday.

The FBI has already issued a warrant for Brian’s arrest for illegally using a card and pin that did not belong to him on August 30 but did not reveal who the card belonged to.

The Petito family lawyer appeared to confirm that the card was Gabby‘s in an appearance on Dr Phil.

“I’m sure the FBI has a lot more evidence than we have. You could look at his state of mind by his actions,” attorney Richard Stafford said.

“He ran. He stole her credit [debit per warrent] card. He used her credit card to get home and then ran from the police. That’s going to show what he was thinking.”

BRIAN LAUNDRIE ‘BRAGGED’ HE WAS GOOD AT ‘LIVING OFF LAND’

Gabby’s mom Nichole Schmidt said on Dr Phil that Brian Laundrie “bragged that he was good at that stuff” when asked if he could live off the land.

The family all issued a plea for Brian to “turn yourself in.”

“We need answers,” stepdad Jim said. “It’s almost like living in a soap opera … it’s unfathomable. He’s somewhere off the beaten path thinking he won’t be caught or that it will go away.”

He added: “They had such a headstart because they didn’t pick up the phone.

“Give us some closure, to go back to the memories we had with her.”