The boyfriend of a missing woman who vanished while the couple was on a road trip returned to his home state of Florida with the vehicle they were traveling in — but without 22-year-old Gabrielle Petito.
As previously reported, “Gabby” and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie had set out for a cross-country road trip earlier this summer. Gabby’s mother, who is based in Gabby’s native Long Island, reported her daughter missing this weekend after her daughter dropped out of contact for over two weeks. The mother, Nicole Schmidt, reportedly said she last spoke over FaceTime video with her daughter on August 23 or 24. She also said she received a text message from Gabby’s phone on August 30, but isn’t sure the message actually came from her daughter.
In an interview with “CBS Mornings” on Tuesday, Schmidt declined to share the contents of that last text message. And Gabby’s father Joe Petito told the Daily Beast that he could not comment about Laundrie, who has been met with suspicion in comments on social media pages dedicated to Gabby’s disappearance.
“I’ve got thoughts about the guy, but I can’t share them,” Joe Petito told the news outlet. “I would love to say more, but I can’t.”
22-year-old Gabrielle Petito was documenting her cross-country journey with her fiancé when her communication and social media posts came to a halt in late August.
Now, her parents are searching for answers, and their missing daughter. pic.twitter.com/PYvqL6ExeK
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 14, 2021
Authorities in Florida reportedly confirmed to CBS News that Laundrie returned to Northport, Florida, with the converted camper van the couple had taken on their cross-country trip, and that the vehicle is being processed for potential evidence.
Gabby’s family reportedly believes she was in Wyoming when she last contacted them. Her and Laundrie’s most recent social media posts indicate the couple was also in Utah in August.
Schmidt told “CBS Mornings” that nothing seemed unusual when she last spoke to her daughter on FaceTime.
“She seemed fine. She was creating her new YouTube video and she was getting that posted. She was excited,” Schmidt said.
Gabby and Brian documented their journey on a YouTube channel titled “Van Life.”
On Monday, the Suffolk County Police Department in Long Island declined to confirm a report in the Daily Mail that Laundrie was not cooperating with police. No law enforcement agency involved in the investigation has indicated whether foul play is suspected in Gabby’s disappearance.
Gabrielle Petito is described as a white female, 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She has a tattoo on her forearm that reads “let it be,” along with several other tattoos.
Anyone with information is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
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[Feature image: Instagram]
