SPEEDY ATTACK
Gabby Petito’s body was found ‘next to hiking shoes’ as expert says it was a ‘quickly covered-up crime scene’
GABBY Petito's body was found next to a pair of hiking shoes, hinting that the crime scene was covered up quickly, an expert says.
A coroner revealed that was at a press conference on Tuesday as the for her fiance continues.
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The announcement came nearly four weeks after her in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park on September 19.
filmed aerial video of the crime scene on the day of the discovery which showed the slain 22-year-old hiker's body near a pair of discarded hiking shoes.
The video was not released publicly but was reviewed by Kurt Morgan, a longtime Salt Lake County prosecutor who has surveyed the scene of numerous homicides.
Morgan said the footage indicated that whoever discarded Gabby's body there did so with haste.
"This was quick," he told KSL. "This was not sitting here for five or six hours, trying to figure out how to conceal a crime."
Morgan also said it was unusual that there were no obvious signs of a struggle on the ground.
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"One of the things I’ve been seeing in this story is a history of these individuals getting into fights and she attacked him," he explained.
"I don’t see that here. All I see is one individual who suffered the damage and no evidence of injury created by her."
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Morgan said there is a good chance fingerprints or DNA were left on the body because Gabby was strangled.
He said he would look at that kind of evidence "very, very carefully" if he were prosecuting the case.
Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue on Tuesday confirmed that DNA evidence had been turned over to law enforcement but declined to comment further.
DEATH BY STRANGULATION
At the center of yesterday's press conference was the coroner's confirmation that Gabby died by strangulation after her in a preliminary autopsy.
Dr Blue said Gabby's predicted death was . The body was outside "in the wilderness" for this time.
The doctor also confirmed that at the time of her death and that a at this time.
It wasn't clear if the cause of death determination might lead to additional charges against , who is considered a person of interest in Gabby's disappearance and remains unaccounted for.
FAMILY REACTS
Following the results of the autopsy, Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino released a statement saying: "Gabby Petito’s death at such a young age is a tragedy.
"While Brian with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito’s demise.
"At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him."
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released a scathingly brief statement in response.
“His words are garbage. Keep talking,” Schmidt told WFLA.
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.
- October 12: were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
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