The fiancé of a New York woman who went missing on a road trip, who the family and cops claims is refusing to help, has been named as a person of interest in her disappearance, authorities announced on Wednesday.
22-year-old woman missing since late August
Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, 22, from the Long Island hamlet of Blue Point, New York, was reported missing by her family over the weekend, after her last known location was the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in late August, after which she stopped communicating with her family, police said, NBC reported.
Petito had gone on a road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie and the pair were documenting their travels on YouTube under the monikers Nomadic Statik and Van Life as they traversed the country in a white 2012 Ford Transit van.
Family says fiancé refusing to help find their missing daughter
However, Laundrie returned from the trip without her, and her family claims he is refusing to say where he last saw her or why he returned from the trip alone, NBC reported.
“Their beautiful twenty-two year old daughter is missing and the one person that can help find Gabby refuses to help,” Richard Stafford, the family’s attorney, said in a statement to NBC, who also reported that Laundrie’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fiancé of missing woman now a person of interest, not cooperating, cops say
North Port Police in Florida, the city where the missing woman’s fiancé Brian Laundrie, 23, resides, announced that he is now a person of interest in their investigation of her disappearance, Fox reported.
“Gabrielle’s vehicle was recovered here in North Port at her home on September 11,” North Port Police said in a statement. “That vehicle was fully processed for evidence along with FBI agents Tuesday evening.”
“We know Brian returned here to North Port on September 1st — ten days before her family reported her missing on September 11th,” the police statement continued. “We have no information that a crime occurred here in North Port.”
“As of now, Brian has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators or has provided any helpful details,” police added.
The North Port Police issued a tweet on Wednesday with information, photographs and requesting the public’s help by calling 1 800 CALL FBI.
