The family asks for answers in the disappearance of Gabby Petito
Informs Evan Axelbank
NORTH PORT, Fla. – The North Port Police Department is helping various state agencies find out what happened to a missing woman while traveling by road with her boyfriend. The van they were traveling in was located this weekend at a Sarasota County home.
Gabrielle Petito, 22, and her boyfriend were driving a converted camper van from Florida to New York and then to the national parks west when Gabrielle disappeared.
Gabrielle’s mother said she last spoke to her daughter via a text on Aug. 25. The van was located at her boyfriend’s parents’ home in North Port, Florida, on the weekend of Sept. 11, the day Gabrielle’s mother reported her missing.
Police said Gabrielle’s boyfriend is not missing, but did not say where he might be or whether he is considered to be involved in her disappearance.
Sarasota County agencies in New York to the FBI are now trying to unite where they could have gone.
Screenshot of the Youtube video of Gabrielle and her boyfriend during the road trip (Nomadic Statik / Youtube)
Gabrielle and her boyfriend began their journey in July, driving from Florida to New York, where Petito grew up. The couple then drove west and stopped at the national parks along the way.
Just over a month after her trip, on September 11, Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, reported her daughter’s disappearance. Schmidt said the last time he spoke to his daughter was on Aug. 25.
Van located at the groom’s parents’ house
Informs Evan Axelbank
Social media trail
The couple documented some of their trips on social media. On July 4, Gabrielle posted a photo of herself on Instagram, located between two rock formations in Monument Rocks, Kansas.
On July 11, Gabrielle posted a photo of herself at Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Eleven days later, he posted a photo of himself in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.
According to her Instagram posts, Gabrielle and her boyfriend spent several weeks in Utah, visiting Mystic Hot Springs, Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. One publication describes the dangers of climbing and their experience climbing a less busy and treacherous area.
“We walked a little beyond the arch where the rock is at this angle, it seems impossible to walk, but being such experienced hikers, I was confident I could get it.” the message read, in part. “A lot of people who saw us were contemplating how we got here, shouting things like ‘wow you guys have be crazy!'”
Gabrielle’s most recent Instagram post was made on August 25th. The photos appear to be taken in front of a mural called “The Monarch” in Ogden, Utah.
In a 7-minute Youtube video titled “VAN LIFE | Beginning Our Van Life Journey,” posted Aug. 19 on the Nomadic Statik account, the couple can be seen in several unmarked locations, who appear to be enjoying their lives in the road.
Some parts of the video include both, while other parts only show Gabrielle. The video is the only post visible on the Nomadic Statik Youtube channel.
The mother asks for answers
According to Fox News, who spoke with Gabrielle’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, the couple stopped at Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 25, which is Petito’s last known location before the couple planned to visit National Park. Yellowstone.
Gabrielle’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, breaks up during the press conference about her missing daughter
“I don’t know if he left Grand Teton or not,” Schmidt told Fox News on Sunday. “I got a text from her on the 27th and 30th, but I don’t know if it was technically her or not, because it was just a text. I didn’t speak to her verbally.”
“I can’t say much, but it’s no longer with the van,” Schmidt told Fox News about his daughter. “I don’t want to say anything more than that, but for the people who are looking for it, I want them to look for it now, not to look for this van anymore.”
Map of the possible route traveled by the couple (WNYW)
According to North Port police, the van was found at the home of Gabrielle’s boyfriend’s parents.
In a statement, North Port PD said: “We currently have no definitive information on whether a crime was committed here in North Port. That said, the circumstances are strange. The vehicle he was traveling in was here in North Port. so much so, we are actively collecting local details and any evidence to help you find the answers you need. “
North Port police spokesman Josh Taylor said they do not rule out anything, including that Gabrielle may not want to be found.
“We hope it’s out there somewhere. People sometimes don’t want to communicate, so it’s certainly still a viable option,” Taylor said. “But we have to prepare for something perhaps more sinister.”
Screenshot of the Youtube video of the van driven by Gabrielle and her boyfriend (Nomadic Statik / Youtube)
Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department in New York, Petito’s hometown, are leading the investigation into his disappearance. Anyone with advice on the case to file with the Suffolk County Police Department can do so by calling 1-800-220-8477.
North Port PD says anyone with information about the case is asked at 941-429-7382.
The local FBI Tampa office is also assisting with the investigation. You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI or send tips to tips.fbi.gov.
Petito is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and has blond hair and blue eyes. He has a triangle tattoo with flowers on his left arm and a “Whatever” tattoo on his right arm.
A family friend has started a GoFundMe to raise money to help find Gabrielle Petito. The page headlines his disappearance as suspicious.