Gabby Petito’s father calls for new missing persons database law

The FBI will have pieced together Brian Laundrie’s “digital footprint” and be aware of his movements and communications in the days before his death, according to one expert.

Laundrie’s remains are being examined by a forensic anthropologist in Sarasota County to try to determine his cause of death.

Authorities are also trying to repair a personal notebook retrieved from a dry bag near his body as part of their investigation into the death of his girlfriend Gabby Petito.

Crucial to their investigation will be Laundrie’s digital communications, including his texts and emails, use of social media, and internet browsing history prior to his death.

Ms Petito’s family strongly suspect that Laundrie was impersonating her in text messages after her death to try to confuse them and the police.

Cellphone records should also be able to track Laundrie’s movements between Wyoming and Florida, where he returned to on 1 September.

Read More

Brian Laundrie’s parents: Who are Christopher and Roberta Laundrie?

Well-known influencer under fire for peddling conspiracy Brian Laundrie still alive

How the media broke the news of Gabby Petito’s body being discovered

Gabby Petito: Everything we know about YouTuber’s murder on ‘dream’ road trip

Key Points

• Gabby and Brian moved to New York before their cross-country trip, police chief reveals

• Instagram posted claimed - without evidence - she was a former girlfriend of Brian Laundrie

• Brian Laundrie’s parents: Who are Christopher and Roberta Laundrie?

• Brian Laundrie’s parents may never tell their side of story, says attorney

• Investigators may be looking at Brian Laundrie’s ‘digital footprint’ to find answers

Unanswered questions continue to plague online followers of the Petito-Laundrie case

Wednesday 10 November 2021 20:17 , Helen.Elfer

Rumours and theories continue to swirl online about the many untied loose ends in the case of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie.

While experts have warned some of the mysteries of the case may never be solved, WFLA.com has published a list of their readers’ most pressing unanswered questions.

These include Brian Laundrie’s cause of death, the contents of his notebook that was found at the Carlton Reserve and the details of the infamous camping trip to Fort DeSoto he took with his family after returning home without his fiancée.

According to WFLA, the overwhelming question from their viewers is how the events that led to the couple’s deaths unfolded, and why.

Prompted by Gabby Petito case, media pay attention to mystery of missing toddler Arianna Fitts

Wednesday 10 November 2021 18:20 , Helen.Elfer

New light is being shone on the unsolved case of missing San Francisco toddler Arianna Fitts, who went missing over five years ago.

The wall-to-wall coverage of the Gabby Petito case highlighted the disproportionate media coverage given to missing persons when they are conventionally attractive white women – a phenomenon dubbed “missing white woman syndrome.”

In an effort to redress the balance, some are taking another look at significant cases among the 17,000-odd other missing people in the US, reports SFist.

CNN reports that the two-year-old’s mother, Nikki Fitts, was found murdered and left in a shallow grave in San Francisco’s McLaren Park in February 2016, and there has been no sign of Arianna since.

San Franciso Police Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have released images showing what the toddler might look like now, aged eight.

Amateur sleuths spot bite mark on Brian Laundrie’s arm

Wednesday 10 November 2021 16:47 , Harriet Sinclair

Amateur sleuths have continued to sift through Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito’s social media posts following the discovery of Laundrie’s remains, in the hope of finding some clue as to what happened between the couple in the lead-up to Petito’s disappearance and murder.

One photograph of Laundrie has been picked up as providing a possible clue - with amateur sleuths spotting what they believe to be a bite mark on his arm, in a photo that was taken close to where his body was discovered, The Sun reported.

The picture, taken a year before his death and posted on his now removed Instagram account, shows Laundrie with his nephew and what some believe may be some sort of clue.

TikTok user claims to find sleeping bag where Brian Laundrie’s remains were found

Wednesday 10 November 2021 10:52 , Charlene Rodrigues

A TikTok user spotted a sleeping bag where Brian Laundrie’s remains were found.

The clip shows the sleeping bag hidden among leaves and dirt along the trail of the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, according to The Sun.

ICYMI: Investigators may be looking at Brian Laundrie’s ‘digital footprint’ to find answers

Wednesday 10 November 2021 04:24 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A homicide expert says that investigators might be able to get more information about Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito cases by examining Laundrie’s “digital footprint.”

Paul Belli of the International Homicide Investigations Association told CNN: “When you look at what an average download on a phone is, it’s thousands of pages when you actually put it into a PDF. While it’s fairly searchable by keywords, there’s a lot of sitting there minute-for-minute reading.”

Mr Belli added that that finding phones in a case like this could also offer an “incredible amount of information,” and that “police are likely to have gathered mountains of video footage to comb through.”

“I don’t think people realise the sheer volume of information that we now get on every case,” Mr Belli added.

‘Sleuths were super, super important’

Tuesday 9 November 2021 20:29 , Helen.Elfer

NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin has reflected on the case of Gabby Petito, and told The Independent’s Bevan Hurley that online detectives were key in progressing the investigation.

“I think some of the sleuths were super, super important,” he said, mentioning the clip captured by YouTube bloggers Jenn and Kyle Bethune that showed Ms Petito’s van parked on the side of a remote road in Grand Teton National Park’s Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area. Her body was later found just a few hundred yards away.

“If it wasn’t for that family of bloggers,” Entin said, “they may not have found Gabby.”

Entin became one of the most trusted sources of information in the Petito-Laundrie story, spending seven weeks on the road covering the news. Sharing a succession of scoops with an avid social media audience saw his Twitter following balloon from 30,000 followers to more than 250,000.

Speaking about the aftermath of the case, Entin also said Gabby Petito’s murder by strangulation is already having a “profound impact” on the national conversation about domestic violence.

Read more about Entin’s thoughts on the case here:

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

Woman said to be spending 5 hours a day searching for more Brian Laundrie remains

Tuesday 9 November 2021 18:10 , Helen.Elfer

An unidentified woman is reported to be spending hours every day searching for additional remains of Brian Laundrie.

A TikTok user posted a video of the woman combing through long grass at the Carlton Reserve, where she has been every day for the past 10 days according to the Sun.

The cause of Laundrie’s death is still unknown, and some TikTok users said they hoped the woman would find evidence that would help investigators reach a conclusion.

“We’re so glad she is able to do this,” wrote one user, while another posted: “All it takes is for her to find the other part of his skull”

Former FBI agent explains Joseph Petito’s call for new missing persons database law

Tuesday 9 November 2021 17:50 , Helen.Elfer

A retired FBI agent has explained why Gabby Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, has called for an update to the law regarding NAMUS, the National Missing And Unidentified Persons System.

The national database, connected to the Department of Justice, records information about missing people and unidentified bodies, but currently only 10 states (not including Florida) require law enforcement to report to it.

“It actually has investigators who will look through other public databases to try to find out of the person who’s missing is still alive somewhere else in the country possibly using the same social security number or things like that,” Former FBI Special Agent Brian Kensel told ABC Action News.

Joseph Petito recently posted a tweet suggesting every state should be required to report to NAMUS or a new system should be created holding all missing persons information in one place.

“I think you will see a movement toward more states making it a requirement,” said Mr Kensel.

Former FBI agent explains Joseph Petito’s call for new missing persons database law

Tuesday 9 November 2021 17:50 , Helen.Elfer

A retired FBI agent has explained why Gabby Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, has called for an update to the law regarding NAMUS, the National Missing And Unidentified Persons System.

The national database, connected to the Department of Justice, records information about missing people and unidentified bodies, but currently only 10 states (not including Florida) require law enforcement to report to it.

“It actually has investigators who will look through other public databases to try to find out of the person who’s missing is still alive somewhere else in the country possibly using the same social security number or things like that,” Former FBI Special Agent Brian Kensel told ABC Action News.

Joseph Petito recently posted a tweet suggesting every state should be required to report to NAMUS or a new system should be created holding all missing persons information in one place.

“I think you will see a movement toward more states making it a requirement,” said Mr Kensel.

Gabby Petito’s tweets heartbreaking message after Hulu recommends she watch show about daughter’s murder

Tuesday 9 November 2021 12:58 , Eleanor Sly

“When you turn on Hulu, and your daughter’s story is the recommended show to watch,” wrote said Ms Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt on Sunday.

“It’s still shocking, feels like I’m outside looking in, this cannot be our life. We must keep going!!”

Forensic anthropologist examining Brian Laundrie’s remains may have results by end of November

Tuesday 9 November 2021 11:59 , Eleanor Sly

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie family, said that the results of a forensic anthropologist’s examination of Brian Laundrie‘s remains are expected by the end of November.

Laundrie was a person of interest in the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito. His remains were found in the Carlton Reserve, a protected swamp, on 20 October, more than a month after he went missing. Ms Petito’s remains were found on 19 September. Her death was ruled a homicide by way of manual strangulation.

Mr Bertolino told Fox News that he believed the forensic anthropologist’s examination will conclude within two to three weeks.

Graig Graziosi reports:

Anthropologist examining Brian Laundrie’s remains may have results by end of November

Police may be able to recover more clues at Florida Reserve

Tuesday 9 November 2021 10:55 , Eleanor Sly

Police could potentially find more clues with regards to Brian Laundrie’s death inside the Myakkahatchee Creek Environment Park, a retired homicide detective with the NYPD has suggested.

While a forensic pathologist investigates further, police may be able to yield more clues from the scene after water levels inside Myakkahatchee receded to their lowest point for several weeks in recent days.

Tom Joyce, told The Sun that due to the water levels being particularly low “they definitely have a better likelihood of recovering a piece of evidence.”

He explained: “It’s still a very challenging situation but better than it was if the water is four feet lower than it was just a few weeks ago.”

Forensic anthropologist examining Brian Laundrie’s remains may have results by end of November

Tuesday 9 November 2021 09:45 , Eleanor Sly

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie family, said that the results of a forensic anthropologist’s examination of Brian Laundrie‘s remains are expected by the end of November.

Laundrie was a person of interest in the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito. His remains were found in the Carlton Reserve, a protected swamp, on 20 October, more than a month after he went missing. Ms Petito’s remains were found on 19 September. Her death was ruled a homicide by way of manual strangulation.

Mr Bertolino told Fox News that he believed the forensic anthropologist’s examination will conclude within two to three weeks.

Graig Graziosi has more:

Anthropologist examining Brian Laundrie’s remains may have results by end of November

Internet sleuths say Laundrie wanted to convince others he was ‘clinically insane’

Tuesday 9 November 2021 08:55 , Eleanor Sly

Internet sleuths have been claiming that Brian Laundrie was trying to persuade the world that he was “clinically insane” through his artwork, The Sun reports.

Sleuths have uncovered a series of dark comic book drawings the 23-year-old had created and have branded him “psychopath.”

One artwork which appeared on his Instagram page in July 2020 depicts a skeleton with what seems to be blood coming from it. The character also appears to be screaming.

One sleuth claimed: “He’s just trying to make everyone he’s clinically insane. Truly he’s just a psychopath.”

“This is so creepy, what a freak,” another posted.

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

Tuesday 9 November 2021 07:45 , Eleanor Sly

Brian Entin is finally taking a day off.

After spending every waking moment of the past seven weeks on the road covering the Gabby Petito case, Mr Entin is back in Miami, reacquainting himself with his golden retriever Shelby. “I get really into these deep stories,” he tells The Independent.

The NewsNation correspondent can recall the moment he first heard Ms Petito’s name. The date was 14 September, and he got a call from his station chief to say there was a missing person case that he should look into.

Read more here:

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

Why critics say the Brian Laundrie investigation was ‘highly suspicious'

Tuesday 9 November 2021 03:00 , Josh Marcus

More than 3,400 people have signed a petition calling for a formal investigation into the North Port police department’s handling of the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie investigation, calling the police work “highly suspicious.”Maroosha Muzaffar has the story here.

Thousands demand Florida police be investigated in Petito-Laundrie case

Social media users call attention to Jashyah Moore disappearance

Tuesday 9 November 2021 02:30 , Josh Marcus

Social media users are trying to call attention to the disappearance of 14-year-old Jashyah Moore of New Jersey, who hasn’t been seen since mid-October, saying her case deserves as much attention as the round-the-clock coverage that went to Gabby Petito’s story.

Over the weekend, New Jersey officials searched a body of water within Monte Irvin Park in Orange, New Jersey, for Ms Moore, using sonar technology. The teen hasn’t been seen since she went out to a neighbourhood store to pick up some items for her family on 14 October.

If you know someone who goes missing, here’s what the Petito family says to do

Tuesday 9 November 2021 02:00 , Josh Marcus

The Petito family has some advice on what to do if a loved one goes missing.

Through their “Find Gabby” Facebook page, they recommended to their 231,000 followers they contact groups like The AWARE Foundation and We Help The Missing, as well as raise awareness on social media, a crucial factor in bringing attention to their own loved one’s story.

“It takes a huge village of family, friends, law-enforcement, and social media to aid in the search, and provide support,” they added.

Commentary: How the media broke the news of Gabby Petito’s body being discovered

Tuesday 9 November 2021 01:25 , Josh Marcus

“There are some occasions that require journalists to be extremely careful, sensitive and cautious. One such event was the search in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park for missing YouTuber Gabby Petito.”

Revisit Andrew Buncombe’s important commentary on how The Independent covered the discovery of Gabby Petito’s body, and larger issues about equity and media that have been raised by her story.

Editor’s letter: How the media broke the news of Gabby Petito’s body being discovered

ICYMI: Who are Brian Laundrie’s parents Christopher and Roberta?

Tuesday 9 November 2021 01:00 , Josh Marcus

Chris and Roberta Laundrie led authorities to personal items belonging to their son Brian in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, marking one of the most significant updates in the hunt for their fugitive son since he disappeared in mid-August and became a person of interest in the Gabby Petito case.

Prior to the discovery, the parents had remained steadfastly silent amid intense public scrutiny as their son Brian became the subject of a nationwide FBI manhunt.

Bevan Hurley has the details here on these key players in the case.

Who are Brian Laundrie’s parents?

Gabby Petito’s mum shares heartbreaking message after Hulu recommends she watch show about daughter’s murder

Tuesday 9 November 2021 00:19 , Josh Marcus

Gabby Petito’s mum shared a heartbreaking message after Hulu recommended that she watch a show about her daughter’s murder.

“When you turn on Hulu, and your daughter’s story is the recommended show to watch,” Nichole Schmidt tweeted on Sunday. “It’s still shocking, feels like I’m outside looking in, this cannot be our life. We must keep going!!”Gustaf Kilander has the full story here.

Hulu recommends show about Gabby Petito to her mum

Daniel Robinson: Human remains found in Arizona. but family say they’re not his

Monday 8 November 2021 20:56 , Helen.Elfer

Human remains have been found during the search for geologist Daniel Robinson who disappeared in the Arizona desert four months ago, but his father has said that the bones discovered don’t belong to his missing son.

The Buckeye Police Department also said that evidence found near the remains suggested that the bones may not be Mr Robinson’s.The intense search for Gabby Petito renewed interest in the case of Mr Robinson and numerous other missing persons across the country.

Gustaf Kilander has the full story

Human remains found in Arizona desert during search for missing geologist

Investigators may be looking at Brian Laundrie’s ‘digital footprint’ to find answers

Monday 8 November 2021 19:09 , Helen.Elfer

Investigators may be able to glean more information about the fate of Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito by examining Laundrie’s “digital footprint,” according to a homicide expert.

Paul Belli of the International Homicide Investigations Association said: “When you look at what an average download on a phone is, it’s thousands of pages when you actually put it into a PDF. While it’s fairly searchable by keywords, there’s a lot of sitting there minute-for-minute reading.”

Mr Belli told CNN that finding phones in a case like this could also offer an “incredible amount of information,” and that police are likely to have “gathered mountains of video footage” to comb through.

“I don’t think people realize the sheer volume of information that we now get on every case,” Mr Belli added.

Brian Laundrie a ‘weirdo’ says former co-worker

Monday 8 November 2021 17:51 , Helen.Elfer

Brian Laundrie has been described as a “weirdo,” and a “chameleon” by a former co-worker, who also noticed how “possessive” Laundrie was over his girlfriend Gabby Petito.

Michael Livingston, who allegedly worked with Laundrie in a garden centre on Long Island painted a disturbing picture of his former colleague, saying: “he did have that tendency to be — I don’t wanna say the wrong thing and make him sound worse than he already is — he was kind of a guy who would get pissed off pretty quick.”

At a fundraiser for the Gabby Petito Foundation, Mr Livingston told Fox News that Laundrie was “very possessive” over Ms Petito, and seemed jealous when she spoke to other men.

“He would come over and do the boyfriend thing, put his arm around her, give her a kiss, very possessive,” he said.

‘This cannot be our life’: Gabby’s mother shares tweet in aftermath of daughter’s death

Monday 8 November 2021 14:45 , Harriet Sinclair

Gabby Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt has spoken of the moment she turned on Hulu to find one of her recommended shows was about the murder of her daughter. In a heartbreaking tweet, Ms Schmidt commented: “This cannot be our life”.

Gabby Petito timeline: When was she found and how did she die?

Monday 8 November 2021 14:02 , Eleanor Sly

See below for a timeline of what happened to Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie:

Everything we know about Gabby Petito’s murder on ‘dream’ road trip

Brian Laundrie: The dark themes that permeate his digital footprint

Monday 8 November 2021 13:05 , Eleanor Sly

A recently uncovered social media account belonging to Brian Laundrie is being pored over by an army of internet sleuths seeking clues to his state of mind prior to his death.

The Pinterest page suspected of being Mr Laundrie’s is also offering new clues into his state of mind in the weeks before his girlfriend Gabby Petito went missing on or about 25 August.

Ms Petito’s remains were found in Wyoming on 19 September. Laundrie was found dead in a Florida reserve a month later, and his remains are still being analysed by a forensic anthropologist.

Bevan Hurley reports from New York:

The dark themes permeating Brian Laundrie’s digital footprint

Joseph Petito shares domestic violence hand signal

Monday 8 November 2021 12:32 , Eleanor Sly

Gabby Petito’s father Joseph Petito has shared the domestic violence hand signal on his Instagram.

He wrote: “How to signal you need help without being noticed. Please share and make others aware. #gabbypetito #iamgabby #domesticviolence #domesticviolenceawareness”

Teenager rescued having signalled the domestic violence hand signal

Monday 8 November 2021 11:52 , Eleanor Sly

A missing teenage girl has been rescued in the US after she made a hand gesture which led to her being rescued after it was spotted by a passing motorist.

The 16-year-old was seen making a gesture, which involved placing her thumb over her palm and closing her fist, inside a silver Toyota near London, Kentucky, on 4 November.

A driver contacted the police after noticing “a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform TikTok to represent violence at home – I need help – domestic violence,” the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said in a 6 November statement.

The gesture has been circulating on social media, with suggestions that victims can “use this signal to ask for help on a video call without leaving a digital trace.”

Gabby Petito’s father calls on internet to help to find missing Michigan woman

Monday 8 November 2021 10:57 , Eleanor Sly

Joseph Petito is calling on internet sleuths to help try and find a Michigan woman who is missing.

The 30-year-old Mikaiya Ileen Richardson was last seen on 22 October in Waterford, Michigan.

Taking to Instagram, Joseph Petito shared a picture of Ms Richardson, urging people to help find her.

The post read: “Ok #instagram and #truecrime sleuths please help find 30 year old #Mikaiya Ileen Richardson, last seen in Waterford, MI on 10/22 in dark green Chevy cruz with Virginia plate UTL3429.”

It went on: “Please repost/share and show the world these platforms can help. #MissingPerson #missinginamerica #gabbypetito #findmikaiya #Namus”

Gabby Petito Foundation hosts raffle

Monday 8 November 2021 08:23 , Eleanor Sly

The Gabby Petito Foundation is hosting a fundraiser with all proceeds going to the foundation.

Writing on Twitter, the organisation said that the fundraiser was being hosted by Isles Meetups - Tampa Islander “Casey Cizikas” Jersey.

The fundraiser will run until from now until 15 November at 6:00 pm and those who enter can win a jersey autographed by ice hockey star Casey Cizikas.

Thousands sign petition demanding Florida police be investigated for handling of Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie case

Monday 8 November 2021 07:34 , Eleanor Sly

More than 3,400 people have signed a petition calling for a formal investigation into the North Port police department’s handling of the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie investigation.

The change.org petition, addressed to Florida governor Ron DeSantis, urged him to start an “internal investigation into this case” but added that the “bigger picture is to bring about change.”

“Police deal with citizens on a daily basis and the actions of incompetence can have tremendous, life-altering effects on numerous people in their communities,” the petition said. “What happens when you have a department that’s full of incompetence? Well, Governor DeSantis, this case right here is what happens.”

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

Thousands demand Florida police be investigated in Petito-Laundrie case

Gabby Petito case spawned true crime hobbyists, analyst says

Monday 8 November 2021 05:56 , Maroosha Muzaffar

In the wake of massive interest in the fates of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, an intelligence analyst has said that such breakout cases have given rise to an entire subculture of “true crime hobbyists.”

Elise Thomas, an open-source intelligence analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue wrote in the Strategist that “intense, prurient interest in criminal cases isn’t new, but the role of social media platforms adds new and powerful dynamics.”

She added that many have linked interest in the missing persons’ cases to a kind of hobby. “Once, a disappearance or a death might have interested only a local or national audience, but social media has erased any boundaries on who can engage with a case.”

The analyst also pointed to the case of four-year-old Cleo Smith from Western Australia. “A significant number of those creating content about Cleo were American. The people at the centre of a case — investigators, families, witnesses and anyone who may fall under suspicion — are put under an intense spotlight.”

She said that “the transmutation of the suffering of people like the Smith and Petito families into social media content for the dissection of true-crime hobbyists raises a range of practical questions, but it should also spark a deeper ethical conversation about the consumption of tragedy as entertainment.”

Before Gabby Petito’s remains were found near a national park in Wyoming, hundreds of “digital sleuths” had combed through the social media pages of Petito and Brian Laundrie to try and find any clues to her whereabouts themselves.

Online sleuths scour Brian Laundrie’s Pinterest page for clues

Monday 8 November 2021 05:11 , Maroosha Muzaffar

After Brian Laundrie’s skeletal remains were found in the Myakahachee Creek Environmental Park on 20 October, the internet is now obsessing over his Pinterest page for clues into his mindscape.

The social media page — where Laundrie had Pins saved under several titles like “Outdoors,” “Our House,” “My Girl,” “Bleak,” Life is a trip,” Bizarre Designs” and “Life Goals” — is the latest target for internet sleuths who are trying to find any clues about what might have happened on Petito and Laundrie’s ill-fated cross-country road trip.

The Pinterest page that goes by the name @blaundrie1197 has not formally been acknowledged by the Laundrie family as being Brian’s, but it has pictures of Petito and shows her modelling several custom face masks.

The page includes links to Laundrie’s Instagram and Depop pages. Some have pointed out posts that would suggest the couple might have been planning to have a baby.

There were several Pins saved under “Kids Books” on Brian’s page, and Petito’s Pinterest page also had a sub-folder titled “Oh Baby.”

The FBI is still investigating the cause of Brian Laundrie’s death and experts have said that it might take some more time before they find out the cause.

Brain Laundrie’s Pinterest page had in September also raised alarm bells among those who had been following the case closely.

Commentators said that he had shared several cryptic and “foreboding” images and messages including one that read “Don’t try to find me. I have finally escaped my ‘master’s’ wicked clutches.”

Heidi Planck now missing for three weeks in California

Monday 8 November 2021 04:01 , Graeme Massie

The Los Angeles woman has not been seen since she left her 10-year-old son’s football game in California on 17 October, with her pet dog found on the 28th floor of a downtown apartment complex.

The 39-year-old’s friends, who have posted missing signs all over the city, planned on holding a prayer vigil for her on Sunday night to mark three weeks since she was last seen.

When she was last seen, Planck was wearing jeans and a gray sweater, driving her 2017 gray Range Rover with a black-and-yellow California license plate of ‘U840X0.’

She is white, 5ft3 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes.

Missing 16-year-old girl rescued after using TikTok hand signals for distress

Monday 8 November 2021 02:30 , Graeme Massie

A missing 16-year-old girl was rescued after using TikTok hand signals to warn a motorist she was in distress, police say.

Police in Kentucky say that they pulled over and arrested James Brick after someone in the car behind his truck recognised the hand gestures and called 911.

Mr Brick, 61, was charged with unlawful imprisonment after being stopped in Laurel County, Kentucky, with the missing youngster in his back seat.

Missing 16-year-old girl rescued after using TikTok hand signals for distress

Gabby Petito’s mum still ‘shocked’ by reminders of daughter’s death

Monday 8 November 2021 01:01 , Graeme Massie

“When you turn on Hulu, and your daughters story is the recommended show to watch. It’s still shocking, feels like I’m outside looking in, this cannot be our life. We must keep going!!” tweeted Niki Schmidt on Sunday.

More than 3,400 people sign petition for police department investigation

Monday 8 November 2021 00:31 , Graeme Massie

A total of 3,439 people have signed the change.org petition, calling for a probe into North Port Police Department’s handling of the Brian Laundrie investigation.

“The North Port Police Department has been incompetent in their handling of both Gabby Petito’s missing persons case as well as the Brian Laundrie’s missing person case,” the petition reads.

“Millions of taxpayers money was spent on this investigation over a month’s time with little to no results. Within a day of the search area being opened back up to the public, the person of interest’s parents were the one’s to discover belongings of that of their son.”

Gabby Petito’s father celebrates missing woman being found

Sunday 7 November 2021 18:00 , David Taintor

Gabby Petito’s father, Joseph, on Saturday celebrated that missing woman Mikaiya Richardson had been found, after he asked for help in locating the missing woman following his own daughter’s demise:

‘That was one of the moments I got kind of emotional’

Sunday 7 November 2021 14:46 , Bevan Hurley

NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin says he found bodycam footage showing a distraught Gabby Petito speaking to Moab police officers after a fight with Brian Laundrie deeply distressing to watch.

“That was one of the moments I got kind of emotional. I felt it was especially sad.”

He said the release of footage from the 12 August encounter with cops altered people’s perceptions of the couple, who had shared seemingly idyllic photos and videos of their van-life trip.

“All we had seen up until that point was the YouTube video and the Instagram posts, and all of these beautiful images of Gabby and Brian, and when that video came out it was like, ‘oh my gosh there’s another side that we didn’t really know about.’

“That was the moment that we thought, ‘OK there’s another side to this.’ And I think people’s fascination with the case got even more intense.”

Read more here:

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

Utah city accused of violating state law to return $3,000 in fees collected for Gabby Petito police body camera video

Saturday 6 November 2021 03:40 , Bevan Hurley

ICYMI: The city of Moab, Utah is returning almost $3,000 in fees it charged several media organisations for the release of body camera footage depicting a police encounter with Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie.

Lisa Church, a spokesperson for the city, pointed out that once the video had been prepared for one request, no other entity should have been charged, as the “actual cost of providing a record” would be nothing.

“Even if one person were charged a fee once that document is created, everybody else should not have been charged,” she said.

The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has more on the story below...

Utah city to refund nearly $3,000 in fees charged for Gabby Petito police footage

Gabby Petito Foundation offers advice for domestic violence victims

Saturday 6 November 2021 02:40 , Bevan Hurley

The Gabby Petito Foundation is now offering advice on where people in violent relationships can go to for help.

Gabby’s father Joe Petito announced the creation of a new foundation in September to help people in dangerous relationships, and assist families locate their missing children.

In an interview last month, Mr Petito said they had been inundated with messages from vulnerable young women who found themselves in similar situations to his daughter, who was strangled in what police have described as a domestic violence incident.

Now the foundation’s website has been updated to include tips on where people can go to for help.

Under the hashtag #justiceforgabby, the site says: “If you or somewhere you know is impacted by relationship abuse, you are not alone. There are many resources available that can support your path to a safer future.”

It’s provided links and contact details for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline.

Internet obsessives scour Carlton Reserve for Brian Laundrie clues in the days after his remains were discovered

Saturday 6 November 2021 01:40 , Bevan Hurley

ICYMI: After the partial skeletal remains of Brian Laundrie were found in a park connected to the Carlton Reserve, internet-obsessed sleuths have been scouring the area searching for additional clues.

One woman, whose Twitter name is just “Olivia”, claimed she found bones 60 yards from the spot where Mr Laundrie’s remains were located. She shared imaged of the bones, which included long spikes along their edges.

The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has more on the bones’ likely origins and other objects found in the Carlton Reserve in the story below.

Internet obsessives scour Florida reserve for Laundrie clues

Forensic anthropologist examining Brian Laundrie’s remains may have results by end of November

Saturday 6 November 2021 00:40 , Bevan Hurley

Steven Bertolino, the attorney representing the Laundrie family, said that the results of a forensic anthropologist’s examination of Brian Laundrie‘s remains are expected by the end of November.

Laundrie was a person of interest in the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito. His remains were found in the Carlton Reserve, a protected swamp, on 20 October, more than a month after he went missing. Ms Petito’s remains were found on 19 September. Her death was ruled a homicide by way of manual strangulation.

Mr Bertolino told Fox News that he believed the forensic anthropologist’s examination will conclude within two to three weeks.

Graig Graziosi has more:

Anthropologist examining Brian Laundrie’s remains may have results by end of November

The dark themes that permeate Brian Laundrie’s digital footprint

Friday 5 November 2021 23:40 , Bevan Hurley

Brian Laundrie’s final social media post, around the time of his girlfriend Gabby Petito’s death, shows the cover of a book titled Burnt Out, how to cope with autistic burnout.

While it’s unknown whether Laundrie was on the autism spectrum, he and Ms Petito told officers attending a domestic disturbance in Utah on 12 August they were suffering from a mental health breakdown.

Laundrie’s social media posts often feature macabre drawings and references to violent video games.

In a separate Pinterest post, text at the bottom of an image reads: “Don’t try to find me,” and “I have finally escaped my ‘master’s’ wicked clutches. To the others I say: JOIN ME. Bite the hand that feeds you. Vive La Liberte.”

Read the full story here...

The dark themes permeating Brian Laundrie’s digital footprint

NewsNation reporter Brian Entin: ‘I became obsessed with not missing anything’

Friday 5 November 2021 22:40 , Bevan Hurley

NewsNation reporter Brian Entin, who covered the Gabby Petito case from 14 September, told The Independent that he became “obsessed” with it.

“Once I was invested in it, I thought, ‘I’m in this ‘til the end’. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any of the critical moments,” he told The Independent.

Mr Entin and his camerawoman had only planned to stay in North Port, Florida – where Petito had lived with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and his family – for a couple of days. But as the case took off and captured the attention of millions across America and the world, they remained camped out next door to the Laundrie family home, focused on the story for seven weeks.

“There was such a hunger for information in real time it became a challenge, because there wasn’t always confirmed information to give,” he said, talking about the 16-hour days he spent reporting on the case.

“My approach was the same as in other cases, just tweet out information as fast as possible, but make sure it was totally accurate. Stick to the facts.”

Throughout the case, Mr Entin liaised with local authorities, police and the Laundrie and Petito families, covered protests, vigils and searches of the Carlton reserve, and ultimately became one of the most trusted sources of information as the tragic story eventually unravelled.

‘Gabby’s law’: Joseph Petito calls on states to make it compulsory to report missing persons cases to national database

Friday 5 November 2021 21:40 , Bevan Hurley

Gabby Petito’s father is calling on states to make it compulsory to report missing person cases to a national database.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a federally funded resource centre to help law enforcement track cases.

The site is described by cold case investigators as the nation’s most effective database for tracking missing persons, but many law enforcement agencies don’t use it.

Only 10 states have passed legislation requiring law enforcement to report missing persons cases.

Joseph Petito, whose daughter was killed during a van-life tour, has become a vocal campaigner in trying to improve the way missing persons cases are investigated.

On Wednesday, he asked his 100,000 followers on Twitter: “Should every state make it a law to report to http://Namus.gov or create a site so that all the missing in all states can be found in 1 database? If yes, tag all the politicians to help make it so.”

Gabby Petito: Everything we know about YouTuber’s murder on ‘dream’ road trip

Friday 5 November 2021 20:41 , Bevan Hurley

Gabby Petito, 22, an aspiring social media star who went missing in late August during a “dream” cross-country road trip from New York to Oregon with her fiancé, was strangled to death, and her body found in a Wyoming national park.

More than a month later, skeletal human remains found inside the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida were confirmed to be those of her fiancé Brian Laundrie. There had been no trace of him throughout a weeks-long hunt.

“The FBI and our partners remain dedicated to ensuring that anyone responsible for or complicit in Ms Petito’s death is held accountable for their actions,” special agent in charge Michael Schneider said.

Read more here:

Everything we know about Gabby Petito’s murder on ‘dream’ road trip

Abduction survivor Elizabeth Smart on Petito family ‘closure’

Friday 5 November 2021 19:19 , Bevan Hurley

ICYMI: Abduction survivor Elizabeth Smart said that the Petito family will not receive the kind of “closure” that she got when her captor was sentenced.

“I mean, I can only speak for me. And I know, when I finally saw that my captor was sentenced, that the trial happened, that it was finished, it really was the closing of a chapter,” she told CBS News.

Smart was 14 when she was kidnapped in June 2002 from her home in Utah by Brian David Mitchell. She was held captive for approximately nine months before she was found 18 miles from her home. Her captor was subsequently given a life sentence in 2011.

“So, I can only imagine for Gabby Petito’s heartbroken family that there is a sense of loss and lack and they don’t get to receive that. And they don’t get to receive that kind of closure.”

Timeline of events in Petito-Laundrie case

Friday 5 November 2021 18:22 , Bevan Hurley

2 July – Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie leave New York for van-life road trip.

12 August – The couple is seen arguing in Moab City, Utah. Concerned bystanders call the police, who intervene, capturing the altercation on video on the officers’ body camera. One officer describes the incident as a “mental health crisis”.

17 August – Laundrie flies from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Tampa, Florida, alone, to collect some items and close a storage unit as the couple allegedly contemplates extending their road trip.

23 August – Laundrie returns to Salt Lake City to rejoin Petito.

24 August – Petito spotted checking out of a hotel in Salt Lake City with Laundrie.

25 August – Petito has a video call with her mother.

27 August – Louisiana couple see Petito and Laundrie involved in a “commotion” at the Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming. Last known sighting of Petito.

30 August – last text messages sent from Petito’s phone.

1 September – Laundrie returns to North Port, Florida, where the couple lived, without Gabby.

11 September – Petito’s family launch missing person’s investigation

14 September – Police declare Laundrie a “person of interest” in the case.

17 September – Laundrie’s family call investigators to their home, admit Brian has been missing since 14 September.

19 September – FBI announce that a body has been discovered in Wyoming, believed to be Petito.

20 September – FBI search the Laundrie home, declared it a crime scene.

21 September – Petito family attorney confirms that the body found in Wyoming is Gabby. FBI confirm her death to be a homicide.

23 September – FBI issue federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie, related to “activities following the death of Gabby”.

12 October – Teton County Coroner announces Petito’s cause of death was strangulation.

20 October – Human remains discovered in Florida’s Carlton Reserve, alongside personal items that belonged to Laundrie.

21 October – FBI match Laundrie’s dental records to human remains found in the Carlton Reserve.

‘Gabby’s law’: Joseph Petito calls on states to make it compulsory to report missing persons cases to national database

Friday 5 November 2021 17:10 , Bevan Hurley

Gabby Petito’s father is calling on states to make it compulsory to report missing person cases to a national database.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a federally funded resource centre to help law enforcement track cases.

The site is described by cold case investigators as the nation’s most effective database for tracking missing persons, but many law enforcement agencies don’t use it.

Only 10 states have passed legislation requiring law enforcement to report missing persons cases.

Joseph Petito, whose daughter was killed during a van-life tour, has become a vocal campaigner in trying to improve the way missing persons cases are investigated.

On Wednesday, he asked his 100,000 followers on Twitter: “Should every state make it a law to report to http://Namus.gov or create a site so that all the missing in all states can be found in 1 database? If yes, tag all the politicians to help make it so.”

Ms Petito’s parents established the Gabby Petito Foundation to assist other families reunite with their missing children and loved ones.

‘That was one of the moments I got kind of emotional'

Friday 5 November 2021 16:10 , Bevan Hurley

NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin says he found bodycam footage showing a distraught Gabby Petito speaking to Moab police officers after a fight with Brian Laundrie deeply distressing to watch.

“That was one of the moments I got kind of emotional. I felt it was especially sad.”

He said the release of footage from the 12 August encounter with cops altered people’s perceptions of the couple, who had shared seemingly idyllic photos and videos of their van-life trip.

“All we had seen up until that point was the YouTube video and the Instagram posts, and all of these beautiful images of Gabby and Brian, and when that video came out it was like, ‘oh my gosh there’s another side that we didn’t really know about.’

“That was the moment that we thought, ‘OK there’s another side to this.’ And I think people’s fascination with the case got even more intense.”

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

Friday 5 November 2021 15:05 , Celine Wadhera

After spending every waking moment of the past seven weeks covering the Gabby Petito case, NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin is finally taking a day off to spend time with his golden retriever, Shelby.

He told The Independent about how he and his camerawoman would arrive at the Laundrie family home around 6am each morning and remain there until midnight before retiring to get a couple of hours of sleep at a nearby hotel, while a freelance cameraman monitored the scene in case anything of interest happened.

The case profoundly affected Mr Entin, who continues to honour Petito’s legacy through his journalism by providing a platform for stories on domestic abuse while also drawing attention to other missing persons cases across America.

My colleague Bevan Hurley reports on how Mr Entin became one of the most trusted journalists covering the case that gripped millions of people around the world.

The little-known reporter who broke the biggest story in America

Welcome to the live blog

Monday 1 November 2021 14:35 , Graig Graziosi

Welcome to The Independent’s continuing live coverage of the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie case. Follow along for the latest updates throughout the day.