Stock Groups

TIMELINE- ‘Van life’ road trip ends in death of Gabby Petito By Reuters

[ad_1]

© Reuters. FILEPHOTO: This undated handout photograph shows Gabrielle Petito (22), who went on a trip with her boyfriend across the United States in a van. She never returned to home. North Port/Florida Police/Handout via REUTERS

By Dan Whitcomb

(Reuters) – The body of 22-year-old “van life” traveler Gabby Petito was discovered on Sunday in a U.S. national park in Wyoming, more than two months after she left on a cross-country road trip with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. Laundrie has been missing since September 14. Police have begun searching the Florida wilderness in search of her. Here is a timeline of events in the case:

JUNE

Petito and Laundrie leave his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, in her white 2012 Ford Transit van. Petito, her brother and their van drive north towards Petito’s state in New York.

JULY

July 2: The couple leaves New York, headed west on a lengthy road trip across the United States. Petito will document their trip via Instagram and YouTube.

July 4, 22 and 23: Petito uploads a series photos of their journey through Kansas, Colorado, Utah. They also stop at several national parks. One caption describes her “adventure”, and she smiles at the end of it all.

Petito posted several photographs from Utah, July 26-31. Laundrie kisses her in one of these photos at Mystic Springs.

AUGUST

Aug. 12: Petito posts images from Arches National Park in Utah, describing a “calm morning.”

A 911 caller reported seeing them fighting at the Moonflower Community Cooperative, Moab. According to the caller, Laundrie was hitting Petito and slapping him.

Moab police officers stopped the van at a road near Arches National Park. Petito, captured on body cam video, is heard sobbing during an argument that turned into a physical altercation. Police advise the couple that they should spend the night apart.

AUG 19. Petito uploads two additional photos to Instagram. One of the photographs shows Petito’s white van, from up. The location of the van is not known.

August 24, Petito leaves a Salt Lake City hotel to be seen one last time.

AUG 25: Petito publishes her final photos to Instagram. It is not known where she was. Nicole Schmidt, her mother, talks to Petito for the final time. Petito informs Nicole Schmidt that her daughter is going to Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming) with Petito.

AUG 27, 2018: Two travel bloggers who were driving through Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming capture on video the white van they think is parked near Spread Creek Dispersed Campground.

SEPTEMBER

SEPT. 1: Laundrie returns alone to North Port, Florida in the white van.

SEPT. 11, Petito’s family report her missing to the police in Suffolk County. A search begins.

SEPT 14: Laundrie’s family releases a statement stating that Brian retained an attorney, and won’t be talking to law enforcement.

SEPT. 15 – Police call Laundrie “person of interest” in this case, and claim he refused to meet investigators.

SEPT. 17 – Laundrie’s parents file a missing persons report against him, stating that they haven’t seen him since three days before he went hiking in the Carlton Reserve wilderness. Laundrie is being sought out by police in the swampy area.

SEPT. 19, Wyoming: Police find a body in Bridger-Teton National Forest. This is less than 1000ft (34.8 meters) away from where Travel Bloggers spotted the van close to Spread Creek Dispersed Campground.

SEPT. 21 – An autopsy of the remains is performed. FBI Denver Office Agents confirm their ownership to Petito. She was also a victim of homicide. Laundrie is still being sought at Carlton Reserve.

[ad_2]