Now, authorities are searching for her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who has been missing since he was declared a “person of interest” in her case.
Authorities have not confirmed that the body found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest is Gabby Petito, as they’re waiting for the results of the autopsy.
Experts have stated it’ll likely be difficult to for professionals to get clear results during the autopsy.
Gabby’s family last heard from her directly on an Aug. 25 phone call; her parents said they received a text from Gabby on Aug. 30, though they aren’t convinced she sent it. Brian returned to his parents’ home alone in Florida on Sept. 1. Gabby was reported missing 10 days later on Sept. 11. This means the medical examiners will also be determining when exactly she passed.
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Source: Instagram
“Given the length of time, I’m just worried that everything’s not going to look like it’s supposed to be, hence the decomposition,” Board-certified forensic pathologist Priya Banerjee said to Fox. “That can change not only the color of tissues, but it could potentially even hide surface defects.”
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“The first thing to consider is that if we think about when she was last communicated with, in late August, that leaves quite a bit of time for her to be deceased and for the body to decompose,” Priya continued. “So that’s going to make things a little bit more challenging.”
Before going missing, Brian refused to cooperate with law enforcement or provide any information as to where he had last seen Gabby.
Source: Instagram/@gabspetito
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Our condolences are with the Petito family during this extremely difficult time.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.