Missing Gabby Petito Likely Dead as FBI Says Human Remains Found in Wyoming Matched With Her Body Description
Human remains believed to be of missing YouTuber Gabby Petito were found in Wyoming on Sunday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said.
The FBI announced their discovery through a news conference on Sunday, adding that the remains they found in Teton County, Wyoming was "consistent" with the description of the missing YouTuber.
"Earlier today, human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito," said Charles Jones, a supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI office in Denver.
READ NEXT: Utah Police Says They Are "Not Ruling Out" Possible Link Between Double Murder and Gabby Petito Case
Believed Gabby Petito Remains Found by FBI in Wyoming
Authorities started searching for any sign of Gabby Petito around the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern side of Grand Teton National Park last Saturday.
Fox News reported that the 22-year-old YouTuber visited the area on August 27. The FBI, National Parks, and local law enforcement officers have been searching for Gabby Petito since last week.
Despite finding a body that matched the description of missing Petito, Jones noted that the investigation is still ongoing. He said the body has yet to be 100 percent positively identified, and the cause of death has not been determined.
However, Jones noted that Petito's family has been notified about the recent discovery in Wyoming.
Following the discovery, Petito's father, Joseph Petito, posted a photo of his daughter on Twitter and captioned it with a heartbreaking message"she touched the world."
Many netizens also expressed their thoughts on the recent discovery. One Twitter user said the YouTube star was a "beautiful soul who will never be forgotten."
The North Port Police Department tweeted their condolences, saying they were "saddened and heartbroken to learn that Petito had been found deceased."
The department noted that their "focus from the start, along with the FBI, and national partners," was to bring her home.
"We will continue to work with FBI in the search for more answers," the department said.
Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when she stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.
Brian Laundrie was named a person of interest by North Port police after returning home with Petito's white Ford Transit van on September 1 or 10 days before the YouTuber was reported missing by her family.
Gabby Petito's Boyfriend Brian Laundrie Still Missing
Before remains believed to be of Gabby Petito were found, authorities on Saturday also combed through a massive county park known as the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida to look for Brian Laundrie.
Brian Laundrie was reported missing last Friday by his family. North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor said the family told police that they last saw Laundrie leaving on Tuesday with a backpack and told them he was going to the reserve.
On Sunday, Laundrie's lawyer, Steven Bertolino, told ABC News that the family picked up Laundrie's car on Thursday morning from the reserve after going out on Wednesday to look for their son.
Bertolino said the family spotted a note from the police on the car on Wednesday, saying it needed to be removed. But the lawyer said the family left the car overnight so Laundrie "could drive back."
When the 23-year-old fiance of Petito did not come home Thursday morning, the Laundrie family went back to retrieve the car. Taylor noted that Brian Laundrie has an "enormous amount of pressure" to answer the incident involving his girlfriend.
However, police reiterated that although Laundrie is a person of interest in Gabby's disappearance, they are not currently working on a crime investigation. Authorities said that both Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito are now considered missing persons.
This article is owned by Latin Post
Written by: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Search Resumes for Brian Laundrie, Person of Interest in Gabby Petito Case - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay