A month after Gabby Petito went missing, a coroner has revealed new information surrounding her death following an autopsy.
Petito, 22, was reported missing by her mother around a month ago - she had been on a road trip with her boyfriend since July.
A body which was later identified as Petito was discovered at a national park in Wyoming, and on Tuesday, Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue shared the autopsy results during a press conference.
He explained that they delay was a result of exhaustive investigation by law enforcement agencies including the FBI.
Gabby Petito’s family were notified of the results before the press conference.
1) Gabby Petito died of strangulation
Coroner Brent Blue said on Tuesday: “In the of death in Gabrielle Venora Petito, we find the cause of death the cause is by strangulation and the manner is homicide.”
2) She was dead for 3-4 weeks before her body was discovered
The decomposition suggested the body had been outside for three to four weeks prior to when she was found on 19 September on the edge of the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the coronor said.
3) She was not pregnant at the time of death.
The autopsy results shown that the 22-year-old was not pregnant.
Here is everything else we know about the case so far.
Who is Gabby Petito?
Petito was a 22-year old Instagrammer and van-life blogger hailing from Blue Point in Suffolk County, New York. In July, she and her fiance Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country road trip in a 2012 Ford van.
Petito had been documenting their journey on social media, but all communication stopped, causing concern.
What do we know about her disappearance?
The couple got into a physical altercation on 12 August – around a week before Petito was last seen, according to police reports. Officers from Utah’s Moab Police Department were contacted by a man who expressed concern about a possible domestic disturbance.
According to police reports, Petito and Laundrie were stopped by police near Arches National Park. Petito was said to be “crying uncontrollably” and told officers she had been struggling with her mental health.
According to the police report: “[Petito] didn’t want to be separated from the male, and began slapping him.
“He grabbed her face and pushed her back as she pressed upon him and the van, he tried to lock her out and succeeded except the driver’s door.
“She opened that and forced her way over him and into the vehicle before it drove off.”
Petito has posted just 4 times on Instagram since August 12. Her last post was on 26 August and she was last heard from by her family on 30 August.
11 September: Petito was reported missing by her mother. The Ford van that the couple were travelling in has been recovered in Florida and Laundrie is alive and well at his parents’ home in Florida. Laundrie refused to speak to authorities about the disappearance of his girlfriend and hired an attorney.
15 September: Police named Laundrie as a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance and confirmed he is still refusing to cooperate with authorities.
18 September: North Port Police said in a statement that they are also now searching for Laundrie, who has not been seen by his family since Tuesday, after their attorney contacted FBI investigators on Friday.
KNow anything? Please call 1-800-CALL-FBI pic.twitter.com/oCDTwHJvCt
— North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 18, 2021
Meanwhile, a TikTok user named Miranda Baker released a video claiming that she and her boyfriend had given Laundrie a ride to Jackson from Grand Teton National Park, at Colter Bay, on 29 August.
20 September: A subsequent search of the area where Petito went missing has uncovered a body that matches the description of the 22-year-old.
Petito’s father paid tribute to his daughter on Twitter, writing “she touched the world.”
💔#GABBYPETITO she touched the world. pic.twitter.com/DukH7UCTPo
— joseph petito (@josephpetito) September 19, 2021
21 September: Teton County Coroner Brent Blue determined Petito was a homicide victim.
Her body was found Sunday near an undeveloped camping area in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton National Park.
12 October: The autopsy results revealed the cause of Petito’s death to be strangulation.
Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue also said the body had been outside for three to four weeks prior to when she was found on 19 September. Petito was not pregnant at the time of death.
