Gabby Petito ' was strangled to death, the Teton County,Wyoming , coroner determined.- The 22-year-old went on a road trip with her fiancé in July and was reported missing September 11.
- Remains were found in a Florida preserve near where fiancé
Brian Laundrie went missing after her death.
Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old from New York who went missing during a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, died by strangulation, the coroner in Teton County, Wyoming, determined.
Petito, who was from Blue Point, New York, was reported missing on September 11 by her mother after she last made contact with her in late August. Before her disappearance, Petito had meticulously documented her and Laundrie's van road trip across the US on social media.
Laundrie, who has since gone missing, is a person of interest in the case, according to police. The FBI said on Wednesday that apparent human remains were found in an area where he was believed to be missing, but hadn't yet determined if they were him.
We've constructed a
Petito and Laundrie started dating in 2019 and lived together in Florida
Petito and Laundrie moved to North Port, Florida, two years ago, according to the Daily Mail.
They had been dating since March 2019 and got engaged in July 2020, according to posts on both Petito's and Laundrie's Instagram accounts.
She wrote: "Brian asked me to marry him and I said yes! @bizarre_design_ you make life feel unreal, and
everyday is such a dream with you ."
And he wrote: "My biggest fear is that one day I'll wake up and it will have all been a dream, because that is what every second has felt like since the moment we found each other. Till death do us part or until I wake up, I'm so happy the answer was yes, Love you hunny."
The couple embarked on a cross-country road trip in their 2012 Ford Transit van on July 2
The couple departed from Blue Point, New York, Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt told local NBC affiliate KSL.
Petito and Laundrie had been in Blue Point, Petito's hometown, for Petito's brother's graduation ceremony on June 17, according to the Daily Mail.
"She wanted to cross the country in the camper van and live the van life and live free. This was her dream," Schmidt told KSL.
The trip was expected to conclude in October in Oregon, Schmidt told CBS New York.
Petito's first Instagram photo documenting the trip was posted from Kansas on July 4
The picture showed Petito posing between a rock formation at Monument Rocks Natural Landmark in Gove County, Kansas.
Laundrie also posted his first Instagram photos from the trip that day, showing their van.
On July 8, 10, and 11, Petito posted photos from Colorado
Petito next posted to Instagram on July 8 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Two days later, she updated her followers, posting a photo in southern Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
"After going on our first road trip across the country in my tiny car, we felt like there was just so much we missed," Petito said. "Turning this Ford transit essentially into a camper was such an adventure in itself, but I couldn't love the way it turned out more! All the places it's brought us so far have been amazing!"
Petito posted several photos from Great Sand Dunes later that day and again on July 11.
On July 16 and 18, Petito posted her and Laundrie camping at Zion National Park in Utah
She resurfaced on Instagram on July 16 from Zion National Park in Utah. In the post, she said she and Laundrie had spent the previous two nights camping in the park.
"We hiked up here in about 100° and it was so nice coming back to our campsite, watching the sky fill with dark clouds, and view the lightning storm in the nice cool air of the light rain," she wrote.
On July 18, Petito posted photos showing their campsite in Zion.
The photos showed the couple's tent, which was decked out with throw pillows, a blanket, a small guitar, and artwork of the national park created in the style of Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night."
Also on July 18, Petito posted photos of her and Laundrie from The Narrows at Zion, including one of them embracing
On July 21, Petito posted from Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah
Bryce Canyon is about 72 miles northeast from Zion - about a 1 hour and 20-minute drive, according to Google Maps.
In a July 22 post from Bryce Canyon, Petito said it had rained every night she and Laundrie had camped in national parks.
"Rain sounds like a negative thing when camping, but after coming back from a strenuous long hike in the sun with no shade for miles, it's nice to lay listening to the cold rain hit your tent and fight (Laundrie) for the blanket," she wrote.
On July 26, Petito posted a series of photos from Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe, Utah
In one of the photos, Petito showed her and Laundrie kissing in the hot spring.
Another four days passed before Petito updated her Instagram followers. This time, Petito posted from Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. In the post, Petito said that Laundrie hiked barefoot while on the trip.
"If it were up to him, he wouldn't own any shoes! But I just find it funny how many people comment on the fact that he is barefoot," she wrote.
"(Laundrie) inspires me everyday on living a more natural lifestyle! Building my feet up so I don't have to bring my shoes 'in case,'" she added.
She posted another photo from Canyonlands on July 31 before a 12-day absence from Instagram
She posted a photo on August 12 at Arches National Park in Grand County, Utah.
"On a calm Monday morning, (Laundrie) and I decided to take the highly trafficked hike to the Delicate Arch," Petito wrote. "Not sure if it's because it was 7 a.m. on a Monday, but there actually were not as many people on the trail as I expected."
Petito and Laundrie can be seen seated at the bottom of the Arch, kissing, in one of the photos.
The same day, she posted another series of photos from the same location.
On August 12, Petito and Laundrie got into a physical fight in Utah
Officers from the Moab Police Department responded to a potential domestic violence incident between Petito and Laundrie on August 12 after a man identified as Christopher contacted police.
The responding Officer Daniel Scott Robbins followed the van and eventually moved to pull it over, noting that the van was traveling 45 mph in a 15 mph zone, according to the police report. Then, the officer observed the van cross a double yellow line, switch lanes, and swerve to the right, colliding with the curb.
When Robbins approached the van, he found Petito crying in the passenger seat. He wrote in the report that she cried and breathed heavily during their conversation. She told the officer she had been arguing with Laundrie and that she was struggling with her mental health.
Laundrie also told the officer of an "emotional strain" and ongoing arguments between her and Petito. According to the police report, Laundrie said Petito struck him when she thought he was going to drive away in their van following an argument.
"After evaluating the totality of the circumstances, I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of domestic assault as much of that as a mental health crisis," Robbins wrote.
Authorities on October 20 said they found some of Laundrie's belongings and apparent human remains
Apparent human remains were discovered in the Florida reserve where Laundrie's parents said he went missing, the FBI confirmed on October 20.
Authorities did not say whether these remains belonged to Laundrie.
"Earlier today, investigators found what appears to be human remains along with personal items, such as a backpack and notebook belonging to Brian Laundrie," FBI agency Michael McPherson said at a
A backpack and notebook belonging to Laundrie were also discovered in the Florida wildlife reserve, the FBI said.
The remains and items were found after Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta, joined the search efforts Wednesday morning.
Authorities confirmed on October 21 that the remains belong to Laundrie
The FBI and the attorney for the Laundrie family confirmed Thursday that the "skeletal remains" found belonged to Brian Laundrie.
Dental records were used to confirm his identity, according to a tweet by FBI Denver.
The cause and date of death are currently unknown.
Did we miss any locations or key pieces of information? Contact reporters Connor Perrett or Rebecca Cohen with any tips at cperrett@insider.com or rcohen@insider.com.
Madison Hall and Sophia Ankel contributed reporting.
This story has been updated with new information.