"48 Hours" explores what happened to Gabby Petito | Forensic Files

PAVEMENT DURING A MENTAL HEALTH EPISODE. THEY SAY HE DIED OF ECSTASY NATION WHILE HIS DEATH WAS
RULED A HOMICIDE, NONE OF THE OFFICERS FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES. >>> GABBY PETITO DOCUMENT HER
CROSS-COUNTRY JOURNEY WITH HER FIANCC ONLINE. WHEN SHE WAS REPORTED MISSING SO 11, THE
CASE WAS EVERYWHERE INCLUDING ON TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM AND YOU TOO. AS IT TURNS OUT SOCIAL MEDIA
USERS MAY HAVE HELPED AUTHORITIES FIND GABBY PETITO BATON STILL CONTINUES FOR HER
FIANCC, BRIAN LAUNDRIE, WHO IS A PERSON OF INTEREST IN THE CASE. >> Reporter: IN JULY 2021,
POTATO AT HER FIANCC, BRIAN LAUNDRIE, BEGAN WOULD LOOK LIKE A ROMANTIC ADVENTURE FULL OF
PROMISE. >> I LETTER. >> Reporter: ROSE DAVIS, ONE OF HER CLOSEST FRIEND SAYS THE
COUPLE WAS IN LOVE BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES. >> I WAS CONCERNED WITH THEM
SPENDING THAT MUCH TIME TOGETHER. WHEN I WAS LAST SEEN, THEY WERE ROCKY. >> Reporter: POLICE WERE
DISPATCHED WITH A 911 CALL REPORTED SEEING A COMPETITION BETWEEN GABBY AND BRIAN.
>> WE DROVE BY AND THE GENTLEMAN WAS SLAPPING THE GIRL. >> WHAT IS GOING ON? >> WE WERE FIGHTING THIS
MORNING. WITH PERSONAL ISSUES. >> Reporter: IT IS UNCLEAR IF OFFICERS AT THE SCENE WERE
GIVEN THE DETAILS OF THE 911 CALL. GABBY PETITO NEVER MENTIONED BRIAN HITTING HER BUT BRIAN
TOLD POLICE GABBY ATTACKED HIM. POLICE SEPARATED THEM FOR THE NIGHT AND THEY CONTINUE THE
JOURNEY. GABBY WOULD GO MISSING TWO WEEKS LATER. THE CROSS-COUNTRY JOURNEY DOCUMENTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA
TURNED INTO A CROSS-COUNTRY VIRTUAL SEARCH PARTIES. THE QUESTION WAS, WHERE WAS GABBY PETITO?
ONE THAT LIFE COUPLE HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO GABBY STORY. WHEN JENNIFER SAW POSTS GABBY
AND BRIAN WERE IN WYOMING ON THE SAME NIGHT THEY HAD BEEN, SHE RUSHED TO HER COMPUTER TO
VIEW FOOTAGE OF THEIR TRIP. >> I SAW THE WHITE SPECKLED THAT I SAID PLEASE KEEP GOING,
PLEASE KEEP GOING. AND IT DID AND IT GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER. >> SOME REASON INSTANTLY WE
KNEW IT WAS HERS. >> Reporter: THEY SAY THEY CALL THE FBI AND UPLOADED FOOTAGE TO
THE FBI WEBSITE. THE NEXT DAY CAME THE ANNOUNCEMENT EVERYONE HAD BEEN DREADING. >> HUMAN REMAINS DISCOVERED.
>> Reporter: HER REMAINS WERE FOUND A FOUR MINUTE WALK FROM WHERE THEY HAD SPOTTED THE VAN.
>> WE HAVE MORE ON THAT THE REPORT. THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS IN THE CASE. CURRENTLY OF COURSE THE BIGGEST
ONE IS, WHERE DO AUTHORITIES BELIEVE BRIAN LAUNDRIE IS? >> Reporter: THERE CONTINUING
THE SEARCH. THEY DO NOT KNOW WHERE HE IS, BUT, THEY ARE HOPING THAT THEY FIND HIM.
THEY HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON THIS AREA, THE CARLTON RESERVE. A SWAMPY AREA. SNAKES, ALLIGATORS, IT HAS BEEN
VERY DIFFICULT. THEY HAVE DIVE TEAMS. AT ONE POINT THEN THEY WERE CALLED OFF. I SPOKE TO THE PIO FOR THE
NORTH PORT POLICE WHICH INITIALLY WAS HANDLING THIS INVESTIGATION. OF COURSE, IT IS NOW BEING LED
BY THE FBI. TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST WITH YOU, HE SOUNDED EXHAUSTED HIMSELF BECAUSE, THEY HAVE BEEN
DOING ALL THAT THEY CAN AT THIS POINT TO TRY TO LOCATE BRIAN LAUNDRIE. THE SEACH CONTINUES.
HE IS NOT SURE WHERE THAT WILL GO THIS WEEKEND. THEY ARE TRYING TO RULE OUT DIFFERENT AREAS OF WHERE WE ARE
STANDING BECAUSE IT IS SO DEEP AND SO VAST. OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN'T GET A SENSE OF THAT FROM WHAT YOU ARE
SEEING BEHIND. WE EVEN HAVE SPOKEN TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY DRAWN TO THE CASE AND THEY STARTED TO SEARCH
ON THEIR OWN. WE WERE ON A BOAT WITH A MAN WHO USED TO BE A TOUR GUIDE AND DECIDED HE WANTED TO TRY TO
HELP WITH THE EFFORTS ON THE RIVER HERE THAT RUNS AT LEAST WATCH? 10 OR 20 MILES?
30 MILES LONG. SO, VLAD, I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THEY DO NOT KNOW WHERE HE IS.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR HIM AND THE ANTE WAS UPPED IF YOU WILL BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE A FEDERAL
SEARCH IN VIOLATION OF WHAT THEY ARE SAYING HIS USE OF UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO DEVICES.
BASICALLY THE FBI SAYING HE USED BANK CARDS TO RETRIEVE AND OBTAIN THINGS OF VALUE,
AGGREGATING $1000 OR MORE PER THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO USE TO ARREST HIM IN THIS CASE.
THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH CRITICISM ABOUT WHITE DID NOT POLICE JUST ESSENTIALLY QUESTION HIM OR HER, YOU KNOW,
MAKING LEAVY HOME BECAUSE HE WAS THE LAST PERSON REALLY TO BE WITH GABBY FOR ANY EXTENDED
LENGTH OF TIME. POLICE MADE IT CLEAR HE HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT NOT TO SPEAK.
THIS ALLOWS THE RIGHT NOW, THE FIRST THING WE HAVE SEEN WITH MEAT ON IT IF YOU SAY WE CAN
ARREST HIM BASED ON THE FEDERAL VIOLATION. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ALL WEEK LONG, THE CASE OF COURSE IS
GARNERED A LOT OF ATTENTION. THERE HAS BEEN CRITICISM ABOUT THAT. WHAT HAS BEEN THE CRITICISM?
HAT ARE YOU HEARING YOU ARE TALKING TO ABOUT IT? >> Reporter: YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH
ATTENTION HERE ON THE SEARCH FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE AND JUST THE COVERAGE IN GENERAL OF GABBY
PETITO. HER PARENTS, HER STEPPARENTS HAVE BEEN AMAZING ADVOCATES EARLY ON MAKING SURE PEOPLE
KNEW HER NAME AND KNEW THAT THEY WERE SEARCHING FOR HER AND SHE HAD SUCH AN INTERESTING
BACK STORY WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMEONE WHO HAD BEEN DOCUMENTING THEIR TRAVELS FROM AS FAR AWAY AS FLORIDA TO NEW
YORK AND OUT WEST. THEN, YOU HAVE THE MOAB, UTAH VIDEO THAT SHOWED THE POLICE BEING CALLED TO WHAT WAS TOLD
TO THEM WAS A DOMESTIC DISPUTE OF SORTS AND THAT IS SORT OF THE LAST VIDEO THAT WE HAVE OF
SUBSTANCE OF THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER. THE CONVERSATIONS POLICE HAD. ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS.
THE CRITICISM THE STORY FACED IS THERE IS A DISPARITY HOW PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE COVERED
WHEN THEY GO MISSING. TONIGHT. NOT TONIGHT BUT TOMORROW ON THE SPECIAL WE ADDRESS THE RACIAL
DISPARITY WHEN YOU LOOK AT PLACES PARTICULARLY LIKE WYOMING WERE BETWEEN 2011 AND
2020, MORE THAN 2700 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTED MISSING. PEOPLE HAVE SAID WAIT A MINUTE,
YOU KNOW, CONCERN FORGET ABOUT TITO NO DOUBT AND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO HER PARENTS, BUT,
WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE? WE PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT IN THE SPECIAL ON SATURDAY.
>> LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. HAS THE FAMILY OF GABBY MADE ANY STATEMENTS IN THE LAST 48
HOURS OR SO? >> Reporter: THEY HAVE BEEN VERY QUIET, VLADIMIR DUTHIERS, YOU KNOW BEING IN THE FIELD WE
ARE CALLING AUTHORITIES, THE FBI TO MAKE SURE WE GET DUCKS IN A ROW AS FAR AS THE
INVESTIGATION FOR BRIAN LAUNDRIE. WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING AS OF RECENTLY FROM THE LAUNDRIE
FAMILY. WHEN I GET OFF OF THE AIR THAT COULD CHANGE. WE WERE LOOKING AT THE POST OF
JOE POTATO IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE HE WAS ONE THAT WAS VERY VOCAL, ON DR. PHIL, POLICE
SPOKE TO HIM LAST WEEK. HE POSTED A PICTURE OF HIS DAUGHTER AFTER IT WAS KNOWN THE
FBI FOUND HUMAN REMAINS AT THAT POINT BELIEVED TO BE GABBY PETITO. HE POSTED A PICTURE OF HIS
DAUGHTER SORT OF WITH ANGEL WINGS AND SAID SHE TOUCHED THE WORLD. SO, THAT'S THE ONLY COMMENT WE
HAVE SEEN FROM THE FAMILY BUT WE DO KNOW THAT HER IMMEDIATE FAMILY IS BACK TOGETHER ON LONG
ISLAND WHERE SHE GREW UP. >> JERICKA DUNCAN REPORTING. THANK YOU AS ALWAYS WE APPRECIATE IT.
>>

Gabby Petito documented her road trip cross-country with her fiance before she was reported missing on September 11th. Now her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, is a person of interest in the case. CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan joins CBSN with the latest for "48 Hours."

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

The episode covers the Gabby Petito case, police interactions, and the search for Brian Laundrie, addressing media coverage disparities.

Key points

Gabby Petito's Disappearance. Gabby Petito's case gained massive attention after she was reported missing during a cross-country trip.
Human Remains Found. Authorities announced the discovery of human remains believed to be Gabby Petito.
Search for Brian Laundrie. The search for Brian Laundrie continues as authorities explore various areas.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

What is going on?

Witnessing a domestic dispute between Gabby and Brian.

1:05WatchSep 24, 2021

Tension

60/ 100Some tension

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