Lines of mourners form for Gabby Petito funeral home viewing
Updated: 2:40 PM EDT Sep 26, 2021
Just days after Gabby Petito’s confirmed death, her stepdad is honoring her memory in a very heartfelt way. Let’s get into it. Gabby Petito’s family is suffering an unimaginable heartbreak. Just days after Gabby was confirmed dead by the Teton County Coroner’s Office, her stepfather Jim Schmidt and his friend Gary Rider left flowers in the shape of a cross at Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, where her body was found. Gary shared in a recent interview with U.K. newspaper The Independent that QUOTE, “The small cross with flowers was made by Jim and myself.” He also noted that there was already a memorial there made out of stone and that the “larger cross was not done by anyone connected with the search or recovery of Gabby. It was just a coincidence, we confirmed that.” Gary did not specify if Jim’s wife and Gabby’s mother Nicole Schmidt joined them at the site. Before Gabby’s body was found, Nicole’s husband Jim, a former fire chief in Blue Point, NY, had flown to Wyoming to help search for her daughter. Nicole told The New York Post, “he’s not leaving until he brings Gabby home.” She added, “Now we have eyes, ears, feet on the ground … in both her home states and where she was last seen.” Since Gabby’s remains were found on Sept. 19, her dad, Joseph Petito, and brother, TJ Schmidt, shared several touching tributes. TJ shared a photo of her standing in front of a wolf mural with the caption, “Gonna miss you till the end gabbs #justiceforgabby,” Whereas, Joseph took to Twitter to post a photo of Gabby posing in front of a mural of angel wings, tweeting, “#gabbypetito she touched the world.” This led to an outpour of love and support from all over the world. Gabby lost contact with her family in late August while on a cross-country road trip with her then fiancé Brian Laundrie, who police have named a person of interest in her disappearance and is currently missing. However, Gabby’s family wants the world to know in a statement previously released through their lawyer, they said, “Brian is not missing, he is hiding.” Last week, police said that Brian’s parents reported they had not seen their son, who reportedly returned home to Florida Sept 1, since Sept. 14. Brian’s lawyer said in a statement, “In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this.” The lawyer added, “And the warning that ‘any statement will be used against you’ is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito’s disappearance.” Following Gabby’s death, Brian’s mother and father, Roberta and Christopher Laundrie, issued a statement through their lawyer that simply read, “May Gabby Rest In Peace.” They made no further comment, including any remarks about their 23-year-old son, who now also has a warrant out for his arrest for his “use of unauthorized access devices” following Gabby’s death, in which he attempted to use an unauthorized debit card with the intent to defraud. Our deepest condolences go out to the Petito family as they try to cope with this unimaginable heartbreak and loss. Rest in peace Gabby. For all the details on what led to Gabby’s disappearance, you can click right over for another Clevver video. Then be sure to let us know your thoughts in the latest findings of Gabby’s case in the comment section below. For now, I’m your host Sussan Mourad, you can find me on my socials @Sussan_Mourad, I’ll see you next time!
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Lines of mourners form for Gabby Petito funeral home viewing
Updated: 2:40 PM EDT Sep 26, 2021
Mourners began arriving at a Long Island funeral home viewing on Sunday for Gabby Petito, whose death on a cross-country trip has sparked a manhunt for her boyfriend.A line had formed outside the funeral home in Holbrook, about 35 miles east of New York City, by noon, and groups of firefighters were seen filing past. A fire truck sat on each side of the building, each with its ladder raised.Video above: Gabby Petito’s family honors her memory with touching tributeAcross the street from the funeral home, a chain link fence was adorned with posters featuring Petito’s image and messages such as, “She touched the world.”Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she didn’t respond to calls and texts for several days while she and Brian Laundrie visited parks in the West.Her body was discovered last Sunday in a remote area in northwestern Wyoming. Laundrie and Petito grew up on Long Island but in recent years moved to Florida. Petito’s death has been classified as a homicide, meaning she was killed by another person, but medical examiners in Wyoming haven’t disclosed how she died pending further autopsy results.The couple posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case. Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night. But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.Investigators have been searching for Laundrie in Florida, and searched his parents’ home in North Port, about 35 miles south of Sarasota.On Thursday, federal officials in Wyoming charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someone’s personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say who the card belonged to.
Mourners began arriving at a Long Island funeral home viewing on Sunday for Gabby Petito, whose death on a cross-country trip has sparked a manhunt for her boyfriend.
A line had formed outside the funeral home in Holbrook, about 35 miles east of New York City, by noon, and groups of firefighters were seen filing past. A fire truck sat on each side of the building, each with its ladder raised.
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Video above: Gabby Petito’s family honors her memory with touching tribute
Across the street from the funeral home, a chain link fence was adorned with posters featuring Petito’s image and messages such as, “She touched the world.”
Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she didn’t respond to calls and texts for several days while she and Brian Laundrie visited parks in the West.
Her body was discovered last Sunday in a remote area in northwestern Wyoming. Laundrie and Petito grew up on Long Island but in recent years moved to Florida.
Petito’s death has been classified as a homicide, meaning she was killed by another person, but medical examiners in Wyoming haven’t disclosed how she died pending further autopsy results.
The couple posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case. Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night. But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.
Investigators have been searching for Laundrie in Florida, and searched his parents’ home in North Port, about 35 miles south of Sarasota.
On Thursday, federal officials in Wyoming charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someone’s personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say who the card belonged to.
