Autopsy reveals Gabby Petito died from strangulation, says Coroner
As the search for Brian Laundrie continues, expert in forensic medicine Dr. Brent Blue made public Tuesday that travel vlogger Petito died by strangulation.
Wyoming medical examiner Dr. Brent Blue, the man in charge of the autopsy and its divulgation, hosted a press conference on Tuesday regarding the findings from Gabby Petito’s autopsy.
CAUSE OF DEATH: STRANGULATION
A month ago when the body was found, Dr. Blue revealed the death would be treated as a homicide. Today the medical examiner's theories were confirmed when he announced that the cause of death was strangulation.
In addition to the cause of death, the medical examiner gave several other updates. He spoke to the length of time the body had been in the elements, saying that based on the autopsy they believe, “the body has been out in the wilderness for three or four weeks before it has been found on September 20th”.
Dr. Blue did not provide any information on the motive or attacker but assured those tuning in that DNA samples have been taken from the body by law enforcement.
PETITO’S LAST DAYS
Shortly before her disappearance, Petito shared on social media that the road trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie seemed perfect. However, the reality of the trip began to darken after the teenager was reported missing by her family.
Conflicts between the couple started to raise after it was made public that the couple was stopped by the Utah police after a local called 911, alleging he saw a “gentleman slapping a girl.”
Video records show Petito in tears and Laundrie claiming tension between both had been escalating over the past few days. However, the police did not take any further actions after the stop bedsides telling them to separate for the night.
LAUNDRIE, PERSON OF INTEREST
Laundrie’s parents told police officials their son came back on 1 September and stayed for two days before leaving for the Carlton Reserve. They reportedly alleged to not knowing any details about his since his departure.
Carlton Reserve
Meanwhile, the Carlton Reserve has been patrolled by police officials with the help of drones, dogs, and vehicles to find Petito’s boyfriend, but his whereabouts still remain unknown.
Authorities have described the Reserve as “dangerous, vast and unforgiving”
“If he’s down there in the Carlton Reserve, he’s living in hell,” said local survival expert Mark Burrow.
Laundrie’s sister is pleading with Brian to turn himself in
Laundrie’s sister Cassie, who is worried about him, has pleaded desperately with her brother to turn himself in.
“I’d turn him in,” she said. “I would tell my brother to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess.”
Gabby's case has brought outrage, anger, and the sadness to thousands in the US. However, it has also served to bring raise awareness of the more than 90,000 missing people according to the latest National Crime Information Center figures and which didn’t have Petito’s luck of being a case of public interest.