Agents of the FBI are scouring multiple states in search of clues into the disappearance of Gabby Petito, and a source close to the investigation told Your Content a working theory is the aspiring blogger was shoved off a cliff during a ‘photo attempt.’
As Your Content readers know, 22-year-old Gabby Petito from New York’s Long Island was reported missing on Saturday by her family after her fiancé returned home alone from a cross-country road trip the two had embarked on in early July. Police and Petito’s family say the fiancé, Brian Laundrie, is refusing to speak to law enforcement.
“There is a timeline coming together rather rapidly and all avenues are being thoroughly examined,” a source close to the investigation told Your Content under the condition of anonymity. “Unofficially this is no longer a ‘missing person’ inquiry—it’s being treated as a homicide investigation by the Bureau.”
The source notes federal agents are visiting areas where Gabby and her fiancé visited days leading up to her disappearance.
“Significant developments are underway in the investigation that millions are watching so patiently and diligently.
“Warrants have been obtained from the outset and we are working alongside social media platforms to retrace their steps and where they stopped.
“At this moment nothing is off the table. There are several working theories. One being pursued involves the victim being pushed or shoved from a cliff.”
The federal government bolstered local authorities in the search for Gabby, the source confirmed.
“A couple went on a road trip and only one man came back. For that man who came home: Call us now. Every second you refuse to cooperate with this investigation, you are only make matters worse for yourself and worse for this young lady’s family. You may hold some answers that will help investigators help you.
“We’re not going away.”
“Anyone with information is urged to call the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Any individual with information who fails to act is an accomplice to this investigation.”
As Your Content previously reported, Petito was last seen in Wyoming late last month, but Moab police were called to a domestic “incident” involving the woman and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie on Aug. 12, as they traversed the state in a van.
No arrests were made and no charges were filed after cops responded to the incident.
While Gabby never returned home, her fiancé did and has since made headlines after he reportedly hired an attorney and refused to work with the police.
In an Instagram post shared last year, Laundrie wrote: “My biggest fear is that one day I’ll wake up and it will have all been a dream, because that is what every second has felt like since the moment we found each other.
“Till death do us part or until I wake up, I’m so happy the answer was yes, Love you hunny.”
To make matters worse, Nicole Schmidt said she tried to contact the 22-year-old’s boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23, on September 10 – a day before Gabby was officially reported missing, according to an interview with MailOnline.
Her last photo came on Aug. 25. In that photo, Petito was shown holding a small knit pumpkin in front of a mural of butterflies, which is located in Ogden, Utah.
That photo — as well as a few text messages — were the last words she ever shared with her family, according to The Washington Post.
No one has seen or heard from Petito since Aug. 30.
Suffolk County Police in New York said in a statement that Petito’s last appearance was at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Her mother, Nichole Schmidt, said she was in constant contact with her daughter throughout the trip, which started in early July, according to CBS New York. The mother and daughter had a FaceTime call in late August, which was the final call the two shared, she said.
The couple embarked on their cross-country trip in June—first driving from Florida to New York and later to the West Coast and western national parks.
On July 10, Petito shared a photo of her at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is in southern Colorado.
On July 16, she shared another set of pictures of her at Zion National Park in southwest Utah. “The past two nights camping in Zion have been so cool, literally,” she wrote in part.
On July 26, Petito shared another photo of her lounging in an outdoor bathtub at Mystic Hot Springs in Utah.
And that’s where the two made it on police radar. The pair got into some type of altercation near Moab, Utah, video obtained by ABC7 and aired on Your Content’s Facebook reveals.
That same day, Petito posts an Instagram showing images of her visit to Arches National Park, also in Moab, Utah.
“We decided to take the path less traveled on the other side of the arch,” she wrote in part in the caption.
Furthermore, a video uploaded to YouTube on Aug. 19 titled “VAN LIFE | Beginning Our Van Life Journey” highlights the couple’s travels in their converted camper van.
Nicole Schmidt, Petito’s mother, spoke to her daughter for the last time on the phone on Aug. 25. Petito said they had stopped in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming before a planned trip to Yellowstone.
“I don’t know if she left Grand Teton or not,” Schmidt later FOX News. “I did receive a text from her on the 27th and the 30th, but I don’t know if it was technically her or not, because it was just a text. I didn’t verbally speak to her.”
Petito’s final Instagram post is also published on Aug. 25, featuring several photos of her standing in front of a mural wall.
Anyone with possible information on Gabby Petito’s whereabouts is encouraged to call the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).
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Additional Reporting By: Nik Hatziefstathiou