Teton County coroner's office: Gabby Petito died by strangulation

The coroner says it appears her body had been out in the wilderness for three to four weeks.

News 12 Staff

Oct 12, 2021, 10:20 AM

Updated 1,085 days ago

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The Teton County coroner's office has found the cause of Gabby Petito's death to be strangulation.
Petito was found dead in Wyoming last month, and the FBI had previously ruled the manner of death as homicide.
The coroner says it appears her body had been out in the wilderness for three to four weeks. Petito’s body was originally found on Sept. 19 in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.
Dr. Brent Blue, the Teton County coroner, says he could not comment on specific details because autopsy results are not public knowledge under the law in the state of Wyoming.
Dr. Blue also says that the death certificate has not been completed, but it is unlikely there will be an exact date of Petito’s death.
The last confirmed sighting of Petito was on Aug. 25 when she FaceTimed with her mother.
Other answers might not come until police find Petito's fiancé, Brian Laundrie.
Laundrie returned home to Florida from their cross-country trip together without her on Sept. 1, more than a week before she was reported missing by her family on Sept. 11.
Laundrie then went missing, too. His parents say he told them he was going to a Florida nature reserve.
Police say they had been monitoring Laundrie as best as they could before he vanished. Laundrie has not been officially charged in Petito’s murder, but officials have named him as a person of interest in her case.
Laundrie is the subject of a federal arrest warrant, accusing him of using someone else’s debit card.
Brian Laundrie's attorney Steven Bertolino released a statement, saying: "Gabby Petito's death at such a young age is a tragedy. While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito's demise. At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the fraud charge pending against him."