Here’s What We Might Learn From Gabby Petito’s Autopsy Results Tuesday - Forbes

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Topline

Authorities in Teton County, Wyoming, said Tuesday that 22-year-old Gabby Petito was strangled to death, shedding more light on what led to her body being found in a remote area of Wyoming last month.

Key Facts

Petito's death had already been ruled a homicide, but Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue released her cause of death—strangulation—for the first time during a news conference Tuesday.

Her body was found on September 19 near the Bridger-Teton National Forest in a remote area of western Wyoming.

Blue said his “initial determination” is that Petito was killed 3-4 weeks before her remains were recovered.

Petito was reported missing on September 11, but she last spoke with her family on August 24 and last posted on Instagram the following day.

What We Don't Know

It's unclear where Petito's boyfriend, 23-year-old Brian Laundrie, is. Laundrie was reported missing on September 17—just over two weeks after he returned home to Florida alone following what was supposed to be a four-month cross-country road trip with Petito. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Laundrie on September 23, alleging he committed felony debit card fraud in Wyoming after Petito's death. In a statement to media after the coroner’s announcement Tuesday, Laundrie’s attorney, Steven Bertolino, said “Petito’s death at such a young age is a tragedy,” adding that Laundrie is still missing and “is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito’s demise.”

Key Background

Petito's disappearance and the circumstances behind her death have led to widespread national interest in the case, with Laundrie's subsequent disappearance bringing even more attention. The couple set out from New York in a van on July 2 on a cross-country roadtrip, which they were documenting on YouTube and Instagram accounts that had thousands of followers. At one point during the trip, police responded to a domestic incident between the two in Moab, Utah, after a 911 caller said he saw a man hitting a woman. An officer interviewing Petito at the scene noted she wasn't able to "compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears" while he talked to her. Petito claimed she was suffering a mental health crisis and no charges were filed. The couple was later sighted on August 27 at a restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming, where Laundrie appeared angry and Petito was in tears. Petito's body was found in a remote camping area on September 19, after the van Petito and Laundrie were traveling in appeared to be spotted in a video of the area.