Starting from a little bit before the beginning of the school year, one may have heard about a lady named Gabby Petito.  

                                                                                Who was she?

     Gabrielle Venora Petito was a 22 year old woman from Blue Point, New York.  She and her fiance Brian Laundrie frequently posted about their cross-country trip in June of 2021.  According to CTV News, the couple planned to travel to the West Coast in Petito’s white Ford van.

     Two months later, on August 12th, the two got into an altercation. There were several witnesses.  Those onlookers called the police and after talking with them, officer Daniel Robbins stated, “I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis”.  The caller described the pair as, “the gentleman is hitting the girl... They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off.”  Robbins didn’t file them with any charges and the two left Moab, Utah.

     On the 17th of August Laundrie, as said by CNN, flew home to get some items and met Petito in Salt Lake City, Utah six days later.

                                                                                August 27th

      As the couple was in The Merry Piglets Tex-Mex, a restaurant in Wyoming, another couple spectated the aftermath of another fight with Petito in tears and Laundrie storming out of the place multiple times.  A restaurant manager who witnessed the “accident” didn’t share her name or any information on the “accident”.  However a witness named Nina Celie Angelo shared on her Instagram that she observed the previous event unfold and told ABC News, “It looked as though they were like almost getting kicked out. It wasn’t necessarily between them, it was more so Gabby abruptly leaving the restaurant crying, and Brian was just evidently really upset, pissed off, I would say. I would say Gabby was upset, he was angry, and he was just being very temperamental towards the restaurant staff.”

                                                                                  August 30th

      Gabby Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt received her last message from her daughter.  It was especially strange because Petito checked in so frequently.  Schmidt found an old message between her and her daughter, however she labeled it as peculiar because Gabby referred to her Grandfather as “Stan” which Schmidt says is unlike Petito.

                                                                                 September 1st

     Laundrie arrives back at North Port, Florida in the same van without Petito.

                                                                                 September 11th

     Petito’s family reported her missing at about 6:55 P.M. to the Suffolk County Police Department according to ABC News.  After the police knocked on Laundrie’s door, his parents handed them the number of their lawyer.

                                                                  September 15th-September 17th

     Laundrie becomes the number one suspect for the police and Petito’s family begs Laundrie to converse with them.  On the 16th, his sister told the world it was all a mistake in an interview with GMA News, “Obviously me and my family want Gabby to be found safe.  She’s like a sister and my children love her, and all I want is for her to come home safe and found and this to be just a big misunderstanding.”  The next day, Laundrie’s parents report Laundrie missing and said they hadn’t seen him in three days. 

September 18th

After the news concerning Laundrie, the local police force searched a Florida wildlife reserve then stopped from “darkness” as said by the police on Twitter.

“Our search of the Carlton (the reserve in Sarasota County, Florida) is being called this evening due to darkness. Nothing found. Efforts will begin again Sunday morning.” pull quote by North Port Police (@NorthPortPolice) September 18, 2021

During this time the Denver Police Department searched for her in Wyoming with the help up the National Park Service and local law enforcement agencies.

                                                                 September 19th 

As said by ABC News, concluding the Denver Police Department’s search was the discovery of a body similar to Petito, however the full identification of the corpse hasn’t been finished.  The news program lists the cause of as unknown.  Her family was altered anyway and her father tweeted, “💔#GABBYPETITO she touched the world” with an image of her (make this the title image).  

                                                              September 20th

With a warrant, FBI agents stormed the Laundrie house at 10am leaving Brain’s parents outside in a van for about 10 minutes.  According to CBS News the FBI took his car and a flash drive with possible “evidence that a felony has been committed.”

                                                             September 21th

The remains found were officially announced to be Petito’s and the manner of death was found to be homicide.  

                                                            September 23th

 The FBI issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie, he is being charged with the unauthorized (unapproved) use of a debit card and PIN number, which doesn’t belong to him, and unauthorized withdraws totaling to $1,000 since his fiancée’s disappearance.  The FBI warned the public to keep their eyes peeled for Laundrie and Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider states, “We urge individuals with knowledge of Mr. Laundrie’s role in this matter or his current whereabouts to contact the FBI.”  

                                                                                                     September 24th

Petito’s community and her parents hosted a candlelight vigil in Blue Point, New York (her hometown).  Hundreds of her neighbors and New Yorkers attended the vigil.

                                                                                                   September 25th 

Petito’s father tweeted out, “The Gabby Petito Foundation. No one should have to find their child on their own. We are creating this foundation to give resources and guidance on bringing their children home. We are looking to help people in similar situations as Gabby.”

                                                              September 26th

 Only a day after the candle vigil, a public memorial service was held, which over a 1,000 people participated in (and possibly more virtually because it was streamed online)  The service was held at a funeral home on Long Island, New York.

                                                               September 28th

Petito’s family and attorney urge Laundrie to turn himself in for Petito’s death.

                                                                  October 1st

A new bodycam of Gabby Petito was released by a second officer from August on the day of the dispute of Petito and Laundrie, Petito is seen to have bruises all over her body while talking to the officer.  During the conversation the officer asks if Laundrie hit her, Petito states, “Well to be honest, I definitely hit him first,” then admits he hit her in the face with his nail.

                                                                  October 5th

More of Petito’s family joined Twitter to post emotional tributes and calls urging Laundrie to turn himself in.  Nicole Schmidt, her mother wrote, “Mama Bear is getting angry.  Turn yourself in!”  Meanwhile, Laundrie’s sister Cassidy spoke out about the crime to ABC News.  She described the last place she saw her brother, which is a Florida camp site multiple days before his disappearance.  Then she claims she knew nothing of this and begs for him to come home, “I really wish he had come to me first that day with the van, because I don’t think we’d be here.  I worry about him.  I hope he’s OK, and then I’m angry and I don’t know what to think.  I would tell my brother to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess.”

                                                                 October 7th

 Brain’s father Chris Laundrie joins the search for his son and law enforcements close out the Carlton Reserve, Florida, the place where they suspect Brian is hiding.

                                                                 October 12th

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announced that Petito died of “manual strangulation and throttling.”  According to sciencedirect.com throttling is another word for manual strangulation, they give the definition of, “type of asphyxial (tampering with the respiratory area) death where the perpetrator uses his hand to encircle and compress the front and side of the neck.”  This gives the perpetrator two to ten years in prison and up to ten years in a community corrections program, as said by The Locke Law Group.  Dr. Brent Blue said her body seemed to have been found 3-4 weeks after being murdered.  He didn’t say anything more due to his concern of the Wyoming law of what he and other coroners can release, but he does describe Petito’s death as “only one of many deaths around the country of people who are involved in domestic violence.”  Laundrie hasn’t gotten an additional charges other than unauthorized use of a debit card.

                                                                       October 17th

Petito’s family set up a fundraiser in Patchogue, Long Island to raise money for the foundation, this is their first fundraiser and made $13,700.

                                                                     October 20th

 The Medical Examiner’s office in Sarasota was called down to the preserve to search for Brain Laundrie.  His parents along with local authorities found some items belonging to Laundrie on a trail he visited often.  Along with that, the remains of Laundrie were found nearby and were confirmed with matching dental records released a day later.   Meanwhile, the Michael F. McPherson, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I.’s Tampa field office, said that the FBI was using “all available forensic resources” to accurately decipher this case.  

                                                                   November 23th

The huge jump is correct, the cause of death was found out more than a month later, when the everyday American is preparing for Thanksgiving.  According to the New York Times, a medical examiner’s office in Sarasota, Fla., said that “Mr. Laundrie died by suicide, and that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.”

 Since both parties are dead, this case is most likely over, but we shall see.