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Gabby Petito cops ‘digging for signs of volatile relationship’ with Brian Laundrie & may need to hack phones & computers
COPS investigating Gabby Petito's death will be digging for signs of a volatile relationship with her fiancé, a forensics expert has told The Sun.
The 22-year-old vlogger was last seen in August while she and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, were traveling across the country in a van together.
Gabby's remains were found in Wyoming on September 19 and her death has been ruled as a homicide, although further details are yet to be revealed by officials.
Laundrie returned home to Florida on September 1 without his fiancée and refused to cooperate with police.
He has since vanished and the FBI have launched a huge manhunt, as he remains the only person of interest, while Gabby's family fear he is to blame for her death.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, forensic scientist Jennifer Shen, who is a former director of the San Diego Police Department's Crime Lab, says investigators will be looking for a variety of things as the case continues.
Shen said: "First, they will be looking for anything that would assist with showing the relationship with Brian was volatile, whether that is phone records, emails, texts, a diary?
"Is there anything unusual in her possessions that would help investigators determine what happened? This type of analysis will rely on electronic devices; from phones, to laptops, to tablets, even tracking devices.
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"In order to do this work easily, passwords are necessary. If the devices have to be put through a brute force attack to break into them, this could take days to months.
"They will look through her possessions to see if there are any clues to the relationship going wrong.
"This could include a diary, bank records, personal records, anything that could shed insight into their lives together."
Gabby's dad told women who are in "toxic relationships" to "leave them now" as he appeared to take a swipe at Laundrie during his daughter’s funeral service.
Family members and mourners gathered in Holbrook, New York on Sunday – a week after Petito's remains were discovered, although her body is yet to be released.
Joe said: "If there is a trip you want to take, do it now while you have the time.
"If there is a relationship that might not best for you, leave it now."
Read our Brian Laundrie live blog for the very latest news and updates...
Shen went on to say as the investigation continues, there will be "more and more evidence" that spells out the type of relationship Gabby and Laundrie had, and will bring into question why no one saw the red flags.
"Domestic violence is so very difficult to manage properly as a law enforcement officer, a friend, or a family member," she told The Sun.
"These questions will linger, and may help lead to better practices when faced with observing, living with, or identifying toxic relationships."
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the police search for Laundrie has already cost more than $1.2million.
Search and rescue expert Mike Hadsell slammed the search for the missing 23-year-old in Florida's 25,000-acre Carlton Reserve, saying there are a lot more missing people who need help.
Laundrie disappeared on September 14, after he allegedly told his parents that he was going for a hike in a Florida nature reserve.
"It would seem likely if Brian's body is recovered, he will have killed himself," Shen told The Sun. "Depending on where his body is found, it might be difficult to ascertain how he did that.
MILLION DOLLAR MANHUNT
"The area the police are looking is difficult terrain, and finding a body, undisturbed by the topography or animal life is unlikely. I think at this point it is equally likely he is dead as alive.
"The more time passes without locating him, the greater the chances he is not alive. It is extremely difficult to 'disappear' in today's world, when everything is so interconnected."
More than 50 searchers made up of FBI agents alongside cops in Laundrie's hometown of North Port, Florida and various other law enforcement agencies have been tracking him in the dense swampland using dive teams, dogs, drones, ATVs, infrared cameras.
The Denver field office of the FBI released an arrest warrant and indictment of Laundrie related to his unauthorized use of a Capital One debit card and pin code with "intent to defraud" between August 30 and September 1 in Wyoming and elsewhere.
He reportedly ran up a balance of $1,000 or more.
Meanwhile, the FBI are said to be investigating reports of a burner phone bought on the day Laundrie went missing.
Agents are said to be looking into security footage taken at a store near his parent's home in North Port, Florida.
A source told TMZ that Brian purchased a phone at the AT&T store on September 14 with an "older woman."
That's the last day Brian's parents Chris and Roberta say they saw their son when he went off for a hike.
They reported him missing three days later on September 17.
The store said in a statement to The Sun: "We're not confirming or denying anything and we're not making any statements, thank you and have a great day."
Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino said: "To my knowledge, they did purchase a new phone and it's the same phone that Brian left home and which the FBI is in possession of."
Authorities had already seized Laundrie's cell phone, but mystery surrounds Gabby Petito's mobile.
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Since Laundrie's disappearance, sleuths have closely monitored his social media pages, claiming he has been active online, having unfollowed several people on Instagram.
One theory pointing to his supposed possession of a burner phone came as users spotted changes to his Spotify and Instagram accounts.