Autopsy Results Reveal Gabby Petito Died From Strangulation
Gabby Petito died by strangulation, the Teton County, Wyoming, coroner revealed on Tuesday, October 12.
Coroner Brent Blue ruled the young influencer is believed to have died three to four weeks before her body was found, he reported in his latest update. The new findings put Petito's death at around late August. The coroner did not disclose whether she was strangled manually or with an item. The coroner emphasized the reason their autopsy findings took a month was because they were thorough.
While the new details shed more light on how Petito died, it remains unclear who was responsible for the heinous crime.
As OK! previously reported, FBI investigators announced in September that the late influencer’s death was ruled a homicide after her remains were found in Grand Teton National Park. Days earlier, the FBI confirmed a body that matched Petito's description was found in Bridger-Teton National Forest — where she was last seen on a camping trip with fiancé Brian Laundrie — in Wyoming.
Petito's disappearance — and subsequent death — has captivated the nation ever since the late 22-year-old went missing following her cross-country road trip with Laundrie, who returned home alone to Florida on September 1 in Petito's van.
Petito's family reported her missing ten days later after authorities told them her van was back in the state. At the time, Laundrie — who has been deemed a person of interest — and his parents lawyered up and refused to cooperate with the police regarding the young woman's whereabouts.
- Brian Laundrie's Family Speaks Out After Gabby Petito's Autopsy Revealed Influencer Died By Strangulation, Defend Fugitive As Only 'A Person Of Interest'
- Gabby Petito's Father, Brian Laundrie's Family Pay Tribute To Influencer After FBI Announces Human Remains Found In Wyoming Likely To Be Hers
- Gabby Petito Case Could Get Complicated In Court As The Location Of Her Death Remains Unknown
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Shortly after, Laundrie went missing, and he currently remains at large — with the FBI, Duane "Dog The Bounty Hunter" Chapman and internet sleuths searching high and low for him.
Though his parents, Chris and Roberta, originally stated their 23-year-old son took off for the Carlton Reserve on September 14, they recently clarified that the last time they saw the most wanted man in America was on September 13.
Chris and Roberta also revealed they went to the reserve to search for their son after he didn't return home, but they only found his deserted car — which they drove home on September 15, two days before they reported him missing.
Meanwhile, new details concerning Petito and Laundrie's ill-fated trip continue to pour in. As OK! previously reported, Laundrie's family attorney recently revealed his client flew back to Florida and then returned to Salt Lake City in the middle of the couple's road trip.
According to Chapman — who recently joined the massive manhunt to find Laundrie — he believes Laundrie's parents are privy to his whereabouts. During an appearance on Dr. Oz, the famed bounty hunter said around "50 percent of the time" parents know where their kids are — and another "35 percent of the parents help" their children disappear.
As the search for Laundrie continues, Petito's family spoke out on an episode of Dr. Phil, revealing her body was found close to where the couple had been camping, and a "5-minute walk" from where the two seemingly parked their van.
During their appearance on Dr. Phil, Gabby's father, Joe Petito, didn't mince words when it came to his thoughts on the Laundrie family. "Anyone who lived in that house is a coward," the mourning father declared of the Laundrie family's North Port residence, before cryptically noting: "They don't know how to stand up for their actions."
