Gabby Petito disappearance – Couple’s campervan seized from boyfriend’s parents’ home as cops probe ‘odd circumstances’
THE camper van belonging to the missing road tripper Gabby Petito and her boyfriend was seized from his parents' home as cops continue to investigate the "odd circumstances" behind her disappearance.
The vlogger, 22, had been traveling across America since July and was last seen on August 24 leaving a hotel with Brian Laundrie.
They visited national parks and tourist attractions before she went missing.
Cops found their Ford Transit van in North Port, , during the weekend of September 11 - when Gabby's parents reported her disappearance.
Investigators seized the vehicle on Saturday and are searching it for fingerprints and clues.
returned to the state, hired an attorney, and is reportedly not cooperating with police, according to .
It's not known when he returned to Florida and Gabby's family claim that he is not speaking about what happened.
Laundrie has not been named a suspect or a person of interest in the case.
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Detectives are investigating the case but say the circumstances behind the 22-year-old’s disappearance are “odd”.
Cops told : “We currently have no definitive information that a crime took place here in North Port.”
It comes as mom Nichole Schmidt says she has a “gut feeling” that her daughter will return home.
The tearful parent believes a “mother’s instinct is the most powerful”.
Schmidt said she received texts on her phone until August 30, but couldn’t confirm if the 22-year-old was the person who sent them.
Worried father Joe Petito addressed his daughter directly.
'COME HOME, GABBY'
He said: "Gabby, we just want you to come home. Call us. Let us know you’re OK. Come home, please.”
He previously told Newsday: “It’s like drowning with your hands tied behind you.
“You can’t describe it. There’s nothing you can do. You can’t control anything."
He added: “I just want people to keep looking and not stop until we find her.
“She’s out there somewhere… We won’t stop until we find her.”
Gabby and Laundrie started their road trip on July 2 and planned to visit Portland, so they could visit a friend for Halloween.
They converted the van into a camper and documented their experiences on social media, reports.
Gabby said living out of the van ";was the best decision" the couple had ever made.
They started a YouTube channel called "Nomadic Statik" where they shared their journey with fans.
The pair visited Colorado Springs and many national parks in Utah but left the state due to the risk of wildfires.
The couple planned to visit Yellowstone National Park but never made it.
Gabby is described as 5'5 tall, 110 pounds, and has a tattoo that reads: “Let it Be”.
Joseph described his daughter as “free-spirited” and said she loved adventures.
He said: "Clothes didn't impress her. Cars didn't impress her. Experiences - that's what impressed her."
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Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
The Sun has approached Brian Laundrie for comment.
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