Brian Laundrie sleuths spot uncanny similarity between Gabby Petito and Kristin Smart’s disappearance 25 years ago
SLEUTHS have spotted an uncanny similarity between the Gabby Petito case and the disappearance of Kristin Smart 25 years ago.
Amateur detectives called out parallels between the two cases as a manhunt continues for 's fugitive fiance .
in Wyoming on September 19 after she vanished on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie, who had returned home to Florida without her two weeks earlier.
Laundrie was deemed a person of interest after he himself after allegedly telling his parents he was going camping.
A quarter-century earlier, from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 captured similar nationwide attention.
Smart's classmate earlier this year despite the fact that her body was never found.
His father, 80-year-old Ruben Flores, is also facing charges for allegedly helping dispose of Smart's body.
Sleuths sounding off on Twitter have speculated that Laundrie's parents may have aided him in a similar manner to Flores.
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have not been officially implicated in Gabby's death or disappearance.
An attorney for the family announced last week that authorities had asked Chris to aid in the investigation.
Read our for the very latest news and updates...
KRISTIN'S CASE
Smart was 19 years old when she vanished from the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1996.
Flores was the last person to be seen with her when he allegedly walked her home from a party.
In court hearings this year, prosecutors asserted that Flores killed Smart while trying to rape her in his dorm room.
Prosecutors said Smart's body was once buried under a deck at Ruben Flores' home before being moved to another unknown location.
Both Flores and his father pleaded not guilty to charges in Smart's death.
LAUNDRIE LINKS
Laundrie's parents came under scrutiny in the wake of Gabby's disappearance after it appeared they did not question why their son returned from his road trip in her van but without her.
Chris and Roberta reported Laundrie missing on September 17, just two days before Gabby's body was discovered in Wyoming's .
In the following weeks, speculation has continued to mount over how much Laundrie's parents know about and his potential involvement in Gabby's homicide.
Suspicions reached new heights earlier this week when the Laundrie family attorney revealed his for his alleged disappearance into the Carlton Reserve in September.
Laundrie "left to hike in the preserve" on Monday, September 13, not Tuesday, September 14, as originally shared, according to a statement from lawyer .
"The Laundries were basing the date Brian left on their recollection of certain events,” Bertolino said.
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Two days later Bertolino announced that Chris and Roberta were offering law enforcement a helping hand in the reserve search for their son.
Some sleuths have predicted that Gabby's case will continue to dog the Laundries for years to come - as the Smart case did for the Flores family.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:
- June 2021 - set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 - posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 - Gabby and post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
- August 12 - in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 - on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
- August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "" between her and Brian.
- August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 - Gabby is . Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to without Gabby.
- September 11 - report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 - Brian is by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 - Utah police release of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 - say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 - Police announc. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say . The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
- September 21 - Officials announce they will be on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 - Police continue to scour for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 - Officials announced a for Brian was issued.
- September 26 - Gabby'swas held on Long Island, New York.
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