A body believed to be that of 22-year-old Gabby Petito was found on Sunday, bringing a grim ending to the missing persons case that has swept the nation.
via People:
In a press conference from the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, Charles Jones, the supervisory senior resident agent in Wyoming for FBI Denver, confirmed human remains consistent with the description of Petito were discovered in the vicinity of the Spread Creek dispersed camping area in Wyoming.
Jones said full forensic identification has not been completed to 100 percent confirm the body is that of Petito, however her family was notified of the discovery.
The cause of death has not been determined at this time.
“First and foremost, on behalf of the FBI personnel and our partners, I would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby’s family,” Jones began the press conference.
“Joe and Tara Petito, and Jim and Nicole Schmidt, as every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends,” he continued. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We ask that you all respect the privacy as they mourn the loss of their daughter.”
Petito was first reported missing on Sept. 11 after she last had contact with her mother on Aug. 24.
She had been traveling across the United States in a converted white Ford van with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Prior to their cross country excursion, the couple lived with his parents in Florida.
Laundrie, 23, was identified as a person of interest in the case, and refused to sit down with investigators to discuss Petito’s whereabouts. He himself has also since gone missing, with authorities in Florida currently conducting searches for him.
He has not been named a suspect at this time.
The couple first set out on their trip in early July, leaving from Florida before heading to New York and eventually making their way out west. Petito, an aspiring blogger, had been documenting her travels on YouTube.
Petito was last heard from on Aug. 25, when she was near Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyo.
On Aug. 12, police in Moab, Utah, were called to a food cooperative after bystanders reported witnessing a heated argument between Petito and Laundrie.
Body camera footage of the police questioning the pair for over an hour was released on Sept. 15. Both Petito and Laundrie were released without criminal charges.
Laundrie’s lawyer has not responded to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
It is currently unclear if charges were being prepared in this case.
On Sept. 15, PEOPLE spoke with Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, who said his daughter was “amazing.”
“She’s so artistic. She’s an amazing artist. She loves to draw,” he said. “She has a great eye with decorating … She’s that flower child type of personality. The old soul, you know?”
“If Woodstock was still going on, she’d still be there, man,” Joseph added. “She’s a hippie from the ’60s, all right? She’s a Beatles fan, round glasses … a free spirit.”
He further honored his daughter in a heartfelt Instagram post shortly after Sunday’s press conference.
“She touched the world,” shared Joseph.
They better find that boyfriend.
