Autopsy Shows Gabby Petito Strangled to Death

Autopsy results produced grisly results for Gabby Petito. The county coroner pronounced the  verdict as death by homicide. In addition, the coroner stated “manual strangulation/throttling” as the official cause.  

RELATED: Grand Teton Found Body Confirmed As Gabby Petito

Gabby Petito’s Cause Of Death Was Strangulation

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue told reporters about the result of the autopsy on October 12. He said that Petito died as a result of strangulation, and called her death a homicide.

He said that the coroner’s officer conducted a “detailed investigation” with the assistance of the FBI.  The autopsy included a full-body computed tomography scan. A forensic pathologist and a forensic anthropologist also conduct detailed examinations of the body. “We hereby find the cause of death by strangulation and manner is homicide,” Blue concluded. 

Gabby Petito’s Body Went Unnoticed For 3-4 Weeks Before Being Found

Reported missing since September 11, Gabby Petito’s body was discovered on September 19 at the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyoming.

The autopsy showed that Petito’s body was left exposed to the elements for three to four weeks, However, Blue declined to comment on what date Petito was killed. 

Blue also referred to existing Wyoming statutes that prevent him from disclosing further details. He did confirm that Petito was negative for pregnancy at the time of her death.

Blue also declined to give his take on whether Petito’s boyfriend Biran Laundrie is the one who strangled Petito. He said that the matter is up to law enforcement authorities to conclude. “Nothing is obvious in a situation like this, so detailed analysis was used both to determine manner and cause of death,” he added.

Brian Laundrie Remains Missing

The autopsy report comes at a time when Petito’s boyfriend and travel companion Brian Laundrie remains missing. The FBI is currently conducting a nationwide search for the whereabouts of Laundrie, who went home by himself on September 1 driving Petito’s van but without her.

During Petito and Laundrie’s ill-fated cross-country trip, witnesses and police reported instances where the two seem to argue and end up physically abusing one another. 

Since then, Laundrie’s parents said they last saw their son on September 13, two days after Petito’s parents filed a missing person’s report. They told investigators that their son may have headed to Carlton Reserve, a 25,000 acre preserve in Florida.   

Arrest Warrant Issued For Brian Laundrie

On September 23, the Denver FBI announced that the US District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie following Petito’s death. Consequently, the authorities upgraded the search for Laundrie to a manhunt.

In addition, a grand jury indictment specified a charge of “intent to defraud” on Laundrie. This is related to an unauthorized use of a debit card to withdraw $1,000 or more.

Laundrie allegedly tried to withdraw money from this card to get at least a thousand dollars from the account between August 30 and September 1. 

As a result of the warrant, Christopher Laundrie, Brian’s father, began actively assisting investigators in looking for the latter in Carlton. On October 5, Cassie Laundrie, Biran’s sister, gave an extended interview with the media. She said that she wants to tell her brother “to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess.” 

Media Circus

Meanwhile, Blue rued the fact that the Petito case became a media circus. “Unfortunately, this is only one of many deaths around the country of people who are involved in domestic violence, and it's unfortunate that these other deaths did not get as much coverage as this one,” Blue said.

“I'm assuming, because the deceased was a blogger, that this received more coverage than others but there are a lot of both men and women who have lost their lives that aren't covered with this kind of media attention.”

Watch the FOX 13 Tampa Bay video of the ​​press conference on Gabby Petito’s autopsy:

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What do you think of the case of Gabby Petito’s death? Why do you think Brian Laundrie continues to remain in hiding? Will the capture of Laundrie provide answers that will solve the case?

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