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Gabby Petito's mother says her last text said there was 'no service in Yosemite' - but she doesn't believe it was from her daughter

Sep 16, 2021, 02:04 IST
Insider
Gabby Petito in an undated photo Courtesy of Schmidt and Petito family
  • Gabby Petito's mother says the last text sent from Petitio's phone said there was "no service in Yosemite."
  • But Petito's mom says she doesn't believe her daughter sent the message, according to her lawyer.
  • Petito's family reported her missing last week after not hearing from her for nearly two weeks.
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The last text message sent from Gabby Petito's cellphone to her mother warned that the now-missing woman did not have cell service in California's Yosemite National Park.

But Petito's mom says she doesn't believe her daughter sent the message, a lawyer for the family told Insider Wednesday.

"No service in Yosemite," read the last text from Petito's phone to her mom, Nichole Schmidt, on August 30, attorney Richard Stafford confirmed.

Schmidt, according to Stafford, is convinced her 22-year-old did not send the text message.

"She doesn't believe it was from her daughter," Stafford said, adding, "Looking back now with all the facts ... she believes it's not her daughter."

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However, Stafford said, "She's not going to say who she believes it was from."

The contents of the final text message were first reported by the Daily Mail.

Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, set out from New York on a cross-country road trip in a converted camper van on July 2, documenting their travels on social media along the way.

Her family reported her missing on September 11 after they grew concerned when they did not hear from her for nearly two weeks. Her last known location is believed to be in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park.

Police said Wednesday that Laundrie returned home to Florida alone with the van on September 1, 10 days before Petito was reported missing.

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The text was received just two days before Laundrie arrived back in Florida.

"It's also been released today that the van was already back in Florida on September 1," Stafford said in explaining why Schmidt does not believe her daughter sent her the August 30 text.

Meanwhile, the family of Gabby Petito blasted the missing woman's boyfriend on Wednesday, calling his "silence" in the case "reprehensible" as they claimed he left Petito "in the wilderness with grizzly bears and wolves while he sits in the comfort of his home."

Laundrie has been declared a person of interest in Petito's disappearance.

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