u already know why the Guy isnt sitting in jail right now....N.Y. Woman Documenting Cross-Country Road Trip with Boyfriend on YouTube Has Disappeared
Gabrielle Petito and her boyfriend were crisscrossing the country in a white 2012 Ford Transit van with Florida plates
By Chris Harris
September 13, 2021 10:13 AM
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Gabrielle Petito
| CREDIT: SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
A 22-year-old New York woman who'd been traveling the country in a van with her boyfriend was reported missing on Saturday — more than two weeks after she was last heard from.
PEOPLE confirms with the Suffolk County Police Department that Gabrielle Petito last contacted her relatives on Aug. 25, when she was near Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyo.
YouTuber and blogger, Gabby Petito, 22, from North Port has been missing for more than two weeks, and now, her boyfriend has returned home without her and hired lawyers, the U.S. Sun reports.
Police have not identified Laundrie as a suspect, nor have they associated him with Petito’s disappearance. Suffolk County police did not immediately respond to questions Monday about Laundrie's whereabouts and he did not respond to a request for comment.
The North Port Police Department said they “are actively assisting in this case in conjunction with the Suffolk County Police Department where she was reported missing.
“We currently have no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port or anywhere. With that said, the circumstances are odd. So, we are actively gathering local details and evidence to assist in finding needed answers.”
Petito and her boyfriend were crisscrossing the United States in a white 2012 Ford Transit van bearing Florida license plates.
Friends and relatives tell Newsday that Petito had been documenting her travels on YouTube.
Petito and her boyfriend started off their trip traveling from Florida to New York.
Last month, they arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, staying only a short time, as wildfire smoke blanketed the region.
The couple apparently stopped in Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 25 before heading for Yellowstone.
Petito is a white female, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall and 110 lbs.
She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and several tattoos, including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads "let it be."
Police confirm the van she was traveling in has been recovered, but have not said where.
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Gabrielle's father, Joe Petito, told Newsday his daughter's disappearance feels like "drowning with your hands tied behind you."
He added: "You can't describe it. There's nothing you can do. You can't control anything."
It was unclear Monday if Petito's boyfriend has also been reported missing by his family.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about Petito's disappearance contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls can remain anonymous.
The Suffolk County Police Department, where her family lives in New York, confirmed they are investigating the disappearance of Petito, who went missing while traveling.
Petito lived in North Port for about two-and-a-half years, until her road trip, the police department told WINK News.
Her YouTube channel is called ‘Nomadic Statik.’ where she documents her cross-country trip travels.
According to her family, they last heard from her during the last week of August. Prior to that, Petito is believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming heading to Yellowstone National Park.
Throughout her travel, she spoke with her mother a few times a week, sometimes daily, depending on the cell service.
Petito’s mom texted her a few times after the 25th and the last text from Petito’s phone came on Aug. 30.
“We love her and we miss her, and we want her to come home,” said Nicole Schmidt, Gabby’s mother. “I believe the first couple of days, when I wasn’t getting responses, I believe she was in a place with no service. It was like day eight or nine that I really became concerned. I figured she couldn’t be off the grid for that long.”
We asked Gabby’s parents about her boyfriend and they both said no comment.
