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GABBY Petito's behavior in police bodycam footage may reveal bombshell clues about the case, a body language expert alleged.
Just weeks before Petito vanished in the middle of a cross-country road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie, the pair were stopped by police and questioned about an apparent domestic dispute that had been reported.
The pair were spotted engaging in an argument in public, and body language expert Logan Portenier, known as Observe on YouTube, said Petito appeared to be genuinely shaken up in police body camera footage captured after the altercation.
"This doesn't seem to be an abuse situation of Brian abusing her, at least with strikes that could leave physical evidence," Portenier speculated, based on her demeanor.
"And she doesn't show some of those hiding characteristics that might come up in an incident where she wants to be discovered or helped but she's afraid to because it might be a risk to her."
He went on to observe that Petito, who called herself "mean" and said she had been in a bad mood while she was talking to cops, admits her own faults, which also hints at the genuine nature of the conversation.
Portenier pointed out that some of her body language, such as pacing and wringing her hands, makes sense after being pulled over by several police officers.
When it comes to Laundrie, Portenier pointed out that he was stuttering a bit, speaking in a high-pitched voice and wringing his hands, which all indicate that he was nervous as well.
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Laundrie is "clearly agitated," but it's not exactly clear why he is agitated, Portenier alleged.
When talking about the altercation the couple got into, Laundrie said that he ended up with some scratches on his body because Petito was holding her phone when she reached for him.
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"He's still really going out of his way to try to not have any light shed against him," Portenier said.
"This could be because he's worried in a situation like this. It could just be that he's worried he'll get pegged for something that he wasn't doing," he added.
Portenier pointed out that Laundrie could have been nervous for any number of reasons, but his body language indicates that he was working hard to deflect blame.
Portenier concluded his video by offering some speculation about how the couple's trip ended with Laundrie back home in Florida and Petito still missing.
Laundrie Was 'Calm and Collected' With Cops
"[Laundrie] was very calm and collected," throughout the talk with police, Portenier said.
"Agitation tells [were] just spilling out everywhere, but his overall demeanor is that he's a quieter person ... a little bit more mellow ... went out of his way to not point fingers at Gabby," he added.
Portenier said that from their body language and demeanor alone, it does not seem like Laundrie was abusive, but did speculate that his pattern of distancing himself from his partner after a fight may be related to how the couple ended up separated.
There is no evidence against Laundrie at this time, and Portenier made clear that his observations about their body language are all just speculation.
Gabby Petito timeline
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Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:
- June 2021 - Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 - Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 - Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
- August 12 - Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 - Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip. The video receives more than 200,000 views.
- August 24 - Gabby is last spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 - Gabby's parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 - Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
Petito was last seen after leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City on August 24, weeks after she and Laundrie embarked on their road trip.
Petito Had Been Tracking the Trip
Petito had apparently been using The Dyrt, a campsite planning app, to plan and document their trip.
Her public account provides some additional clues about the likely route that the couple was planning on taking before Petito vanished.
Laundrie returned home to Florida on September 1, without Petito.
An investigation into her whereabouts was opened on September 11, and Laundie, who is reportedly not cooperating with authorities, was named as a person of interest just four days later.
Laundrie released a statement through his lawyer on Tuesday, saying the Laundrie family would remain “in the background” as the investigation unfolds.
“This is an extremely difficult time for both the Petito family and the Laundrie family,” the statement said.
“I understand that a search has been organized for Miss Petito in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On behalf of the Laundrie family it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is re-united with her family.
“On the advice of counsel the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment.”
Police Ask for Laundrie's Help
Florida’s North Port Police Department said on Wednesday that they are hopeful that Laundrie will come forward with information that could help them locate Petito.
“As a father, I can imagine the pain and suffering Gabby’s family is going through," Police Chief Todd Garrison said.
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“We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks.”
Garrison added: “The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out.”