Gabrielle Petito’s disappearance has caught the attention of millions of people this past week. The Long Island, NY, native and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, set out on a cross-country trip in July in a van with a plan to visit various national parks. Petito’s family reported her missing on Sept. 11 after Laundrie returned to Florida without their daughter in early September. Petito was capturing their trip on social media and YouTube and kept in constant contact with her family throughout. There were signs of trouble in the couple’s relationship after the authorities shared a video of them responding to a call for a domestic dispute between Petito and Laundrie while they were in Utah in August, which raised flags for people paying attention to the case.
The story sparked interest across several social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, and onlookers joined the police in doing their own extensive research and creating their own theories regarding the missing 22-year-old’s whereabouts. Interest in the case intensified when it was announced that the authorities were also searching for Laundrie, who had disappeared after returning to his parents’ home in Florida alone. The F.B.I. announced on Sept. 19 that remains found at a national park in Wyoming were believed to be Petito, while her partner’s whereabouts are still unknown. Authorities confirmed on Sept. 21 that the body found in Wyoming was identified as Petito, and her death was ruled a homicide. Here’s a timeline of the Gabby Petito disappearance case.