Parents of Gabby Petito Ask Brian Laundrie's Family for Information About Missing Daughter

Photo: (Photo : Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

The parents of Gabby Petito, who has been missing since late August, wrote a letter to the family of Brian Laundrie, their daughter's boyfriend, asking for information that may help with her disappearance.

Through the family lawyer, Joe and Tara Petito of Long Island asked Christopher and Roberta Laundrie not to hide the location of their daughter because they believe they know where Brian left her behind. Gabby has lived with the Laundrie family in Florida for over a year as she and Brian planned to get married.

After their cross-country trip during the summer, Brian returned home without Gabby and has refused to speak to authorities after Joe and Tara filed a missing person's report. She was actively sharing their adventures on social media from June to July and consistently communicated with her family. By the end of August, however, Gabby suddenly went silent.

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An Encounter with the Police

While in Utah, Gabby and Brian had an altercation, but they didn't want to file any charges. The police who encountered the couple, who filmed everything in a video, said that the two got into a physical fight.

One of the officers advised the pair to sleep separately for one night after Gabby cried to the cops and told them she was dealing with a mental health crisis. The cop could only describe the pair as "confused and emotional," but he assessed that the incident did not escalate into domestic assault.

Gabby's family said that the last message they received from her was in late August when she was at Wyoming's Teton Range. However, they don't believe that Gabby sent the message because she wrote that her phone would lose service. Her mother has been in touch with her through different times of the day during the pair's whole trip.

They filed the missing person report when the Petitos still didn't hear from Gabby by September 1. The North Port police in Florida visited the Laundrie family and processed Brian's vehicle. The police allegedly found "some material."

Brian hasn't been cooperating with the investigation and has sought the help of the family lawyer. On September 17, his parents informed the police that Brian hadn't been home for days. The FBI is now on the case and has tagged him as a person of interest, but he has yet to be charged with any crime.

'Come Home Safe'

In a statement to the press, the Laundries said they are also frustrated about what's happening. Cassie Laundrie, the sister of Brian, said in an interview with "Good Morning America" that they want "Gabby to be found safe," adding that they love her in the family.

Joe responded to Cassie's interview by saying that the family's version of love is "to ignore and not care" while the entire country has been looking for his daughter.

The father also said that he initially didn't want to watch his daughter's videos from the Utah cops because it broke his heart. One of Gabby's relatives said that she's a young, happy, and free-spirited woman, but the video showed someone lost and hurt.

Meanwhile, the police are also looking into a case of two women who were shot at a campsite near the places Brian and Gabby visited. A national hotline has been put out for tips on Gabby's whereabouts through 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).

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