The Perfect Life
For those who followed her on social media, it seemed as though Gabby Petito was living the dream life. She had worked hard and saved her money to buy a van and convert it into a home on wheels, and she was following her sense of adventure to explore more of the country. She was the epitome of a van lifer, and her followers loved to follow her during her travels.
Gabby described her interests as "art, yoga, and veggies," and she documented every aspect of her life on social media. Because of this, her disappearance caused a stir across the globe. Especially when the story started unraveling.
A Loving Travel Partner
Followers of Gabby Petito loved her sense of adventure, but they were also drawn in by her personal life. After all, Gabby wasn't traveling alone. Along for the ride was her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie. And it seemed as though these followers couldn't get enough of their love. They dreamed of living a life like Gabby and Brian, and they looked up to the couple for inspiration - especially when it was announced that they were engaged.
The followers were eager to follow every single adventure of the high school sweethearts, and they were amazed at the life that the couple had created for themselves on the road. But nobody could have predicted what happened next.
Hitting the Road
Before they set off on their adventure, both Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie worked hard to bring their travel dreams to life. Gabby worked 50-hour weeks at Taco Bell, and Brian worked at a juice bar. They both had the same goal: to buy a van and convert it into a camper. And it didn't take them long to do this as they were spurred on by their mutual sense of adventure and longing for the open road.
And by July 2021, their dream had finally come true. They set off on their adventure and set in motion their plan to visit some of the most iconic national parks on the West Coast.
Keeping Fans up to Date
Although Gabby and Brian spent most of their days driving the open road or exploring natural wonders they found along the way, they made sure to stay connected to those they had left behind. Not only did they keep in contact with their friends and family back home, but they also kept up to date with their social media followers. They posted photos and videos of their van life adventures on Instagram and YouTube.
Gabby was no stranger in front of the camera, and she would regularly post photos of herself with the most incredible backdrops. But it was when these posts started to change that followers became suspicious.
Something Had Changed
Just one month after they set off on the open road, Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's life had begun to unravel. Although they updated their social media profiles and kept their followers smitten with their amazing photos, an incident on August 12 changed everything for the couple. It was on this day that the cops were called to where Gabby and Brian Laundrie had parked up in their converted van.
However, the cops hadn't been called to discuss their parking situation or a blown tire. Instead, the cops had been called after reports of a domestic dispute going on between the couple.
A Not-So-Perfect Life
To those following the couple on social media, Gabby and Laundrie were still as perfect as ever. They were spending their days exploring the country and doing things that some could only dream of, and their photos together looked happy and content. Because of this, nobody could have guessed what was really going on behind closed doors. And while their social media lives looked perfect, their real lives were turning sour.
In fact, the cops had been called when a passer-by spotted the couple arguing. They called 9-1-1 when they saw a man slap a woman on the face before getting in the van and driving off again.
The Cops Were Concerned
The couple had been in Utah when the incident was raised, and it didn't take long for the cops to track Gabby and Brian down. And naturally, they were concerned. They wanted to make sure that Gabby was safe and well, and they wanted to understand what had really happened between the two of them. However, neither Gabby nor Brian wanted to take the case further with the police officers.
The report from one police officer stated, "Both male and female reported that they are in love and engaged to be married. And desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime."
Taking a Break
Although the cops wanted to accept Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie's version of events, something about the couple raised their suspicions. They could sense that tensions were still high between them, and they didn't want things to escalate any further. Of course, they didn't want to tell the couple to abandon their adventures altogether, but they suggested that the couple take a break from each other until their emotions had settled back down.
So, the cops encouraged Brian to spend a night in a hotel while Gabby stayed in the van. They hoped that this space would solve the problem they were having and resolve their issues.
Confused and Emotional
However, there's no doubt about the fact that the police officers were still concerned about what they had seen. The pair were still young, and they were living in a confined space in remote locations - and the police report suggested that Gabby, in particular, was in a noticeably vulnerable state. Officer Daniel Robbins even wrote in his report that it was clear to see that Petito was "confused and emotional."
He wrote, "At no point in my investigation did Gabrielle stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears, wipe her nose, or rub her knees with her hands."
Leaving Them to It
Although the police officers could see that an incident had occurred between the two of them and that Gabby was obviously emotional, they also appreciated the fact that neither of them wanted to press charges against the other. With this in mind, they came to the conclusion that Gabby Petito was safe and that they had simply had an argument that had left them both a bit shaken and emotional.
To conclude his report, Officer Robbins wrote, "After evaluating the totality of the circumstances, I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis."
Getting Back on Track?
While all of this was going on, Gabby's family, friends, and followers had no idea it was happening. Gabby had continued posting amazing photos of their travels online, and she had even kept in contact with her mom. In fact, she FaceTimed her mom just a few days after the cops were called, and she seemed as happy as could be. She even updated her mom on their upcoming travel plans.
Gabby told her mom that they were gearing up to leave Utah and drive to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. It seemed as though they were getting back on track, but that thought was soon cut short.
Losing Contact
As they set off on their journey to Teton, Gabby kept in regular contact with her family and kept her mom updated on her whereabouts. This continued for the next few days until, suddenly, Gabby went radio silent. Although friends and family tried to contact her between August 27 and 30, they received no response. Then, out of the blue, her mom received a message from her on August 30 that simply read, "No service in Yosemite."
However, this text confused Gabby's mom even further. After all, Gabby had told her that she was going to Teton, not Yosemite. But what she didn't realize was that this would be the last text she would ever receive from her daughter.
Laundrie Went Solo
The plot thickened when police learned that Brian Laundrie had been involved in unusual activity between August 27 and 30. As Gabby's family tried and failed to keep in contact with her, Brian had apparently gone solo. Witnesses who saw Brian during this time saw him acting strangely, and one couple even gave him a lift on August 29. During their conversation, he claimed that he had been camping on his own.
He reportedly also told them that his fiancé, Gabby Petito, had stayed behind in the van to work on social media posts. However, their journey with Laundrie soon turned sour.
The Wrong Destination
The couple thought that Laundrie seemed on edge while they were giving him a ride, and he became increasingly agitated when he realized that the couple wasn't driving where he thought they were going. Although he had wanted a lift to Jackson, Wyoming, the couple was headed to Jackson Hole - and this didn't sit well with Laundrie. He reportedly grew distressed and demanded that the couple drop him off at Jackson Dam.
The couple was shaken by the experience, and they decided to report the incident to the police. They didn't know what had happened, but they had a bad feeling about Laundrie.
The Second Journey
However, this couple wasn't the only one to give him a lift. Just a few minutes after he was dropped off at Jackson Dam, he hitched a second ride with Norma Jean Jalovec. Brian asked her to drop him off at the entrance of the Spread Creek camping area, and she happily obliged. But when she offered to take him directly into the camping area, he outright refused. So, she settled on the entrance.
Norma told CNN that Laundrie spoke of his solo camping trip and that his girlfriend had stayed behind to work on her blog. So, it seemed as though he'd come up with a story - and he wanted people to hear it.
A Surprise Homecoming
By this point, wires were starting to get crossed. As far as Gabby Petito's family was concerned, she had been with Brian Laundrie in Teton before mysteriously traveling to Yosemite on August 30. But a couple of days before, Brian had claimed to two sets of people that he had been solo camping while his fiancé stayed behind to work in the van in Spread Creek. So, what was the real story?
Things became even more complicated on September 1, when Brian Laundrie made a surprise homecoming visit to North Port, Florida, to visit his parents. However, Gabby was nowhere to be seen.
Reporting Her Missing
By this point, Gabby Petito's family was getting increasingly concerned. Her mom found her last text message to be incredibly suspicious, and she hadn't been able to get in contact with her daughter in days. They had no idea where she was or what she had been up to. This lack of contact was unusual for Gabby, and things became even more confusing when they learned that Brian had traveled to Florida alone.
On September 11, they decided to report Gabby as a missing person. And before too long, the authorities turned up on the doorstep of Brian Laundrie's family home. However, he refused to answer any questions.
Staying Silent
As the days passed without any contact with her daughter, Gabby's mom grew increasingly concerned and worried. She didn't want to think that something had happened to Gabby, but things just weren't adding up. Gabby hadn't reached out to her family in weeks, and Brian Laundrie and his parents were refusing to speak to anyone. They stayed silent, despite the insistence of the authorities and the Petitos'. So, the Petito family decided to go public.
In an effort to get the Laundrie family to talk, they put out a very public plea, asking for any information on Gabby's whereabouts. But still, the Laundries refused to say anything.
A New Development
The fact that Brian Laundrie was the last to see Gabby Petito but was refusing to speak to them or the authorities left a bad taste in the Petito family's mouths. They had a hunch that he knew something about their daughter's whereabouts, and they urged him to speak out. But when the Laundrie family eventually decided to reach out to the police on September 17, it wasn't for the reason most people expected.
Instead of offering information about Gabby, the Laundrie family informed the police that day that Brian himself had gone missing. He left their house on September 14 but hadn't been seen since.
Putting the Pieces Together
By this point, both families, the authorities, and the rest of the world were worried. Gabby was still missing, and now Brian was missing, too. Nobody had any idea what had happened or what had caused their disappearances, but the world wanted to find them both safe and well. Because of this, it didn't take long for the FBI to get involved. And their families hoped that the FBI would be able to put the pieces together.
As part of their investigations, they searched the homes of Gabby and Brian's families, and they searched their converted vans for clues as to their whereabouts. They needed answers, and they needed them fast.
A Body Is Found
Unfortunately, the Petito family's worst fears came true on September 19 when they received word that a body had been found at the Spread Creek camping ground. Although they hoped that this body was unrelated to the search for their daughter, their minds immediately went to the worst-case scenario. But they knew that they had to wait for the authorities to authorities to confirm the identity of the deceased before they could come to any conclusion.
As they waited impatiently for the results, the Petito family wondered how they had ended up in this situation. Gabby was living the perfect life on the road, wasn't she?
Searching the House
With Petito's body found but Brian Laundrie still nowhere to be found, the authorities' attention soon turned to the Laundries' family home. They hoped that this place would give them answers, and so they searched the house from top to bottom with the help of a search warrant. The FBI spent hours turning the whole house upside down, but they found nothing that helped them understand what had really happened.
To make matters worse, Laundrie's parents still had no information to share. And they were now more concerned about the whereabouts of their son rather than the case of the missing Gabby Petito.
The Devastating News
As the Petito family continued to wait for the identification of the dead body, they wondered how their daughter's life had changed so dramatically. Not only was she missing, but her fiancé was also missing - and despite numerous searches and investigations, they had no idea how or why that had happened. What had gone wrong? But then, they finally received the devastating answer they'd been waiting for; the body was, indeed, the body of Gabby Petito.
With this news, the Petito family was also told by the authorities that they would need more time to determine the cause of Gabby's death. And Gabby's mom needed answers.
A Wanted Man
Although the authorities still had no idea where Brian Laundrie was, his disappearance was deemed suspicious. So, the FBI decided to officially put a warrant out for his arrest, as they believed that he might have been connected to the death of his fiancé. But that wasn't all. It was also revealed that Brian was also wanted by the police for the suspicion of using unauthorized debit cards and personal identification numbers to obtain over $1,000.
The more the Petito family learned about Brian's suspicious activity and disappearance, the more they themselves started to wonder whether Brian played a part in their daughter's death. But why would he kill the love of his life?
The Cause of Death
On October 12, 2021, talk around Brian Laundrie heated up even more when Gabby Petito's cause of death was officially revealed. The Teton County Coroner confirmed that Gabby had died as a result of "manual strangulation/throttling." To make matters even worse for the Petito family, the coroner also told Anderson Cooper on CNN that "We believe this was strangling by a human being." And soon enough, all thoughts led to Brian Laundrie.
With Petito's death being ruled as a homicide, it was even more important for the FBI to track down Brian Laundrie. He was the number one person of interest in the case, but he was still nowhere to be found.
Another Body Is Found
The authorities searched high and low for any sign of Brian Laundrie, but they struggled to find any leads that led them in the direction of the wanted man. And while many wondered whether they would ever find him, a discovery on October 20, 2021, opened up even more questions. That's because skeletal remains were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, right next to a pile of Brian Laundrie's belongings.
Although the authorities were able to confirm that they were indeed Brian's belongings, they couldn't determine straight away whether they were also his remains. So, they once again had to wait for them to be formally identified.
Confirming the Remains
Although the public knew that they had to wait for the official confirmation of the remains, many came to their own conclusion that the body was indeed that of Brian Laundrie. They came up with their own stories and theories as to why he passed away, but both the Laundrie and the Petito families wanted to wait until the authorities confirmed it was his body until they came up with their own theories. And that day came on 21 October.
Laundrie's identity was confirmed by his dental records, but the official autopsy report also came with some more chilling details that hinted towards foul play within the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie story.
Even More Questions
In November 2021, it was officially announced that Brian Laundrie died by suicide. Of course, this came as a terrible shock to his family, who mourned the loss of their son. Their lawyer released a statement that read, "[his parents] are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families." But instead of bringing closure, this news opened up even more questions.
With Gabby Petito's death still unsolved, her family couldn't move on. They wanted to know what happened to her and who had done it. And more importantly, they wanted to know if Brian had something to do with it.
Online Investigators
By this point, the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie story had become a worldwide news story. And as more people read up on the events that led up to both of their deaths, more and more people also chose to do their research. Internet sleuths tried to find out any new information, and they hoped to solve the case. However, some people worried that the attention this story got would take away from other missing persons around the world.
This worry became even more apparent when it was announced that the authorities had uncovered nine other bodies during their search to find Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. Who were those people?
The Real Story
Although the case continued to attract the attention of online sleuths, the FBI announced in January 2022 that they had closed the Gabby Petito homicide case. And much to many people's distress, it was confirmed that she had indeed been killed by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Apparently, Brian had "admitted responsibility" for her death in a journal that was found amongst the belongings that were found next to his remains.
The FBI also stated that "The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito." Yes, the Gabby Petito mystery was solved, but what about the Billie Harris mystery?
Another Mystery
Although Gabby's loss will leave a hole in her family's lives forever, her family was able to gain closure when the FBI found Brian Laundrie's journal. However, Peggy Seale didn't get this closure so soon after losing her loved one. In fact, she spent seven decades wondering what happened to her husband when he disappeared. And to make matters worse, her husband disappeared just six weeks after they got married.
Peggy spent years coming up with stories and theories in her head and wondered whether she'd ever seen her husband again. But then she learned some important information 68 years later.
The Last Message
When Peggy's new husband, Lieutenant Billie Harris, was sent off to war, she received a letter that announced his safe arrival in Europe. Despite this, she was still sick with worry. She hoped that her new husband would make it out of the war zone alive, and she hoped that he would make his way back to her sooner rather than later. But when she didn't receive any other correspondence, she began to assume the worst.
In the end, Peggy reached out to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, and they told the newlywed that her husband had returned back to the United States. But where was he?
The Big Question
Peggy hadn't been given any more information about her husband's whereabouts, so she had to do some digging herself. At first, she came across a report that stated her husband had been killed in action - but this was then contradicted by another report that said he was missing in action. Peggy held on to the notion behind the latter report and held onto hope that her husband was simply missing.
But the more she investigated, the more she came across conflicting reports. She had no idea what to think and didn't know whether her husband was dead or alive. It was exhausting.
Getting Some Help
In the end, Peggy's new family decided to step in and help her find some legitimate answers on Billie's whereabouts. And Billie's cousin Alton Harvey ultimately found the jackpot when he searched the National Archives for army records. And while this came as a win for the family, the records broke Peggy's heart. After all, they confirmed the news that Peggy had been dreading. Unfortunately, Billie wasn't missing and wouldn't be making his way home.
Instead, Billie had sadly been killed in action. This came as a heartbreaking blow to the whole family, but at least it offered them answers to the questions that had been plaguing them.
A True Hero
But in learning more about her husband's death, Peggy also learned that her husband had been a hero. He served as part of the British Royal Air Force and was a talented flyer who earned countless medals and achievements for helping the Allied forces. However, he was sadly shot down during a mission to escort bombers in Nazi-occupied territory and died as part of the crash. But it's been reported that he saved two French towns during this mission.
Because of this, Billie has been described as a hero by those who lived in the towns that he saved. And the small village of Les Ventes in France still remembers Billie as the man that saved their livelihoods.