Gabby's mom and stepdad
Gabby Petito's Family Repeatedly Called on the Laundries to Provide More Information
Gabby Petito's parents urged the Laundrie family to take an active role in their daughter's investigation and provide information to the authorities in various interviews.
Sep. 22 2021, Published 12:39 p.m. ET
22-year-old Gabby Petito's death was ruled a homicide on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Her body was found near the Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021.
A fan of the nomadic lifestyle, Gabby set out on a cross-country adventure with her fiancé, 23-year-old Brian Laundrie, in June 2021. Gabby shared updates with her parents, friends, and fans through Instagram and YouTube. She stopped posting in August 2021.
Gabby Petito's parents believe the Laundrie family had a duty to help with the nationwide search.
Gabby was last seen at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Aug. 24, 2021, per WREG-TV. A person named Christopher told Fox News that he saw her and Brian fight over a mobile phone during their stay in Moab, Utah. On Aug. 12, 2021, the police also responded to an incident involving the couple.
Brian returned to Florida on Sept. 1, 2021. Gabby's parents say he impeded the search efforts by refusing to take a more active role.
Joe Petito, Gabby's dad
"If that's that family's version of love, to just ignore and not care that someone's gone, and people are looking for them, an entire country’s looking for them," Gabby's father, Joe, slammed Cassie Laundrie in an interview with NewsNation. "Look at their version of what they call love."
"I and my family want Gabby to be found safe," Cassie told Good Morning America. "She's like a sister, and my children love her, and all I want is for her to come home safe and sound."
Gabby's mom, Nicole Schmidt, voiced harsh criticism of the Laundrie family as well.
"Instead of just saying Gabby's like a sister and that you hope she's found, how about beg and plead to your brother, from sister to brother, to tell us where she is," she told MailOnline. "What's that statement do? It does nothing. She might have been out of the loop from the beginning."
Gabby's step-dad, Jim Schmidt, urged Brian to cooperate more actively with the authorities. Earlier in September 2021, Jim headed to Wyoming to participate in the search efforts. He spoke up against Brian's conduct in an interview published by MailOnline on Sept. 16, 2021.
"He was with her, so he has to know something," Jim told the outlet shortly after Brian was named as a person of interest. "Whatever may have transpired or didn't transpire, they need to come forward and start speaking to law enforcement agencies and be forthcoming with information."
Gabby's mom, Nicole, and her new husband, Jim, and Gabby's dad, Joe, and his new partner, Tara, wrote a letter pleading the Laundrie family to share information with law enforcement.
"As a parent, how could you let us go through this pain and not help us," they wrote, per The Independent. "As a parent, how could you put Gabby’s younger brothers and sisters through this."
Gabby's fiancé, Brian Laundrie, was reported missing on Sept. 17, 2021.
Brian went missing a few days after the Laundrie family reported Gabby missing, per The Independent. Several people claim to have spotted him in Alabama. He may have been sighted in Baker, Fla., as well. The search for Brian continues.
Many believe that he is responsible for Gabby's death.
