Park ranger says she warned Gabby Petito about ‘toxic’ relationship with Brian Laundrie & told her to find another path
A PARK ranger reportedly told Gabby Petito that her relationship with her fiancé Brian Laundrie seemed "toxic" when she quizzed the vlogger in Utah last month.
Officers responded to an alleged dispute involving the couple in Moab on August 12 - days before Gabby vanished and a body "consistent" with her characteristics was identified.
National Park Service ranger Melissa Hulls arrived at the scene moments after cops pulled the couple's camper van to the side of the road.
Gabby was in the back of a police cruiser sobbing when Hulls approached her, Deseret News reports.
The ranger told the outlet: "I can still hear her voice. She wasn't just the face on the milk carton, she was real to me."
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the very latest news and updates...
Hulls warned that the couple's relationship seemed “toxic” but admitted she was “more candid” than she should’ve been.
She said she was “imploring” Gabby to “re-evaluate” the relationship as she asked the vlogger if she was happy.
The ranger revealed the 22-year-old was "anxious" about being away from Laundrie.
Police reported to a 911 call regarding an alleged incident between Petito and Laundrie outside of a grocery store on August 12.
Bodycam footage captures officers pulling over their transit van and approaching the passenger side window.
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In the clip, Petito can be seen with tears streaming down her face as she tells the officers, "We've just been fighting this morning. Some personal issues."
Laundrie then adds: "It's been a long day. We were camping yesterday and camping got [inaudible] and stuff."
After the pair were ordered out of the vehicle and separated, Laundrie said: "I'm so sorry officer."
Petito, who is still sobbing, adds: "I have OCD and I was just cleaning and straightening...
"And I was apologizing to him and saying I'm sorry that I am so mean as sometimes I am so mean because I have OCD and get really frustrated.
"Not like mean towards him I guess my vibe is like in a bad mood and I said I'm sorry I'm in a bad mood I am stressed I had so much work."
'I WAS APOLOGIZING'
A 9/11 caller claimed that Laundrie allegedly hit and slapped the vlogger which prompted police to speak to the couple.
According to the audio, which was first obtained by Fox News, the caller said: “I’d like to report a domestic dispute.
“We drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl. They ran up and down the sidewalk, he proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off.”
It is not known what prompted police to speak to Gabby and Laundrie.
The operator who took the call has since been slammed for “not taking the claims seriously”.
It comes as FBI detectives and Wyoming authorities found human remains “consistent” with the description of Gabby in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday.
Gabby Petito timeline
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.
- August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "more and more tension" between her and Brian.
- August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 - Gabby is seen for what's believed to be the final time. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 - Gabby's parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 - Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- 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.
- September 17 - Brian's parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 - Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
- September 21 - Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said Gabby's official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 - Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 - Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
- September 26 - Gabby's funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
- October 12: Gabby's autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie's personal items were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
- October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie's.
- November 23: Laundrie's autopsy reveals he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
- October 1, 2022: The Gabby Petito Story premieres on Lifetime.
Petito was last seen on August 24 leaving a hotel in Utah with Laundrie and told her family the next day that she had made it to Grand Teton.
The couple were planning to tour Yellowstone National Park but never made it.
Laundrie returned to Florida alone in Petito's van on September 1.
Gabby's mom Nichole Schmidt reported her missing on September 11 - more than two weeks after last hearing from her daughter.
Cops were seen swarming the Florida home of Brian Laundrie's parents as they were removed from the property.
Officers towed away Laundrie’s silver Mustang from the home in North Port.
More than 20 agents went inside and “took a lot of stuff” including “boxes and boxes” of evidence, according to NewsNation journalist Brian Entin.
It’s believed that Laundrie may have driven the car when he allegedly went for a hike in a 25,000-acre nature reserve in the Sarasota area.
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FBI agents and local crews scoured the reserve over the weekend but on Monday cops confirmed that a “major search” wouldn’t take place.
Investigators have also gained access to a hard drive found in Petito's van that could contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed," according to a search warrant court filing.
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