Gabby Petito’s mom wants Brian Laundrie to be ‘locked up for rest of his life’ as she thought vlogger was SAFE with him

, 22, went on the adventure of a lifetime across the country with her 23-year-old Laundrie, but only he returned home.

After hiring a lawyer and refusing to talk, he then vanished too — five days before in a shallow grave in Bridger–Teton National Forest in Wyoming. 

He is now wanted by police with a manhunt launched in Florida where he was known to camp in the past. 

Now, in an interview with , Gabby's mom Nichole said: "He is a coward. I just want to get him in a cell for the rest of his life 

"I don’t want to say he is insane or anything, he went home, he’s hiding, he used her credit card.

"I mean, that’s not someone who has gone crazy. He knows what he is doing."

Before Gabby set off on her intrepid road trip across the United States, she had warned her to keep safe. 

But she said: "I felt safe because she was with Brian and felt she would be OK. I thought he would take care of her."

Almost every day, Nichole said Gabby would text, Facetime, or send her pictures to her parents.

She said: "I loved getting the updates and was in awe with what she was doing. It was just amazing."

Indeed, they appeared to be having an amazing time in the videos and pictures they posted on Instagram and YouTube just weeks ago.

But Gabby’s family now believe all was not what it seemed. 

Barely a month into their adventure of a lifetime, the couple were pulled over in Utah following a 911 call about a domestic dispute.

In bodycam footage, Gabby seemed upset. 

I hope she did not suffer and she was not in any pain

Mon Nichole Schmidt

Yet after questioning the couple, they decided to split them up for a night 

Nichole said: "It is just hard to watch. I just wanted to jump through the screen and rescue her.

"I saw a young girl who needed someone to just hug her and keep her safe. I just felt so bad for her. I wished she would have reached out to me."

The next day the pair continued on their trip and a week later posted a YouTube video which they called Van Life: Beginning Our Van Life Journey, showing them laughing and kissing.

On August 24 they were seen leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.