Gabby Petito’s cause of death and final autopsy results were revealed Tuesday at a news conference by Dr. Brent Blue, a medical examiner for Teton County, Wyoming. The professional provided an update on the case and said Petito died of strangulation .
“We hereby find that the cause and manner of death is, the cause: death by strangulation, and the manner is a homicide,” Blue said during the press conference .
Dr. Blue added that Petito was not pregnant. However, he clarified that no further information will be released due to Wyoming state law.
WESH 2 News reported that Dr. Blue was expected to provide new information on Petito’s final autopsy, and answer brief questions from reporters.
However, former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told News Nation Now’s Brian Entin before the press conference that she expected details to be limited.
“I think the coroner is going to release the official results, however, I would be very surprised if he reveals the exact cause of death, the way he died, other than a homicide,” Coffindaffer told the media outlet.
An arrest warrant was issued for Laundrie on Thursday, September 23, 2021, related to accusations by the Wyoming federal court regarding the use of “unauthorized devices” following Petito’s death, according to NBC News . Officials told the same outlet that the arrest warrant is related to allegations that he used a debit card that he was not allowed to use, and is not directly related to Petito’s death.
Dr. Blue said the autopsy results followed a detailed investigation involving a forensic pathologist and anthropologist, in addition to assistance provided by the FBI. Petito’s remains were turned over to a morgue, which is working with the Petito family, the doctor said.
He also reported that they were able to determine the approximate time of death, which was long before his body was found.
“We estimate three to four weeks from the moment the body was found,” he noted.
He later added that his body was “out in the desert” during that period of time.
Dr. Blue would not say if there were any healing wounds on his body, such as bruises, that may have occurred earlier. He cited Wyoming state law and declined to elaborate on a reporter’s question about prior injuries.
He added that he could not comment on the FBI investigation and whether the police would present a warrant for his arrest for manslaughter. He said Petito’s body was outside for three to four weeks before she was found, but did not comment on the state of her remains. Blue said DNA samples were taken.
When asked why the information was not disclosed earlier, he said they were very detailed in their research and awaited the results of specialists and toxicology.
“It was just a matter of making sure we got everything right,” he said.
While Blue stressed that he could not comment on the suspects, he did comment on the domestic violence and media attention to the case.
“This is just one of many deaths across the country caused by domestic violence. It is unfortunate that other deaths have not received as much coverage as this one, “Blue said.
Joseph Petito, the victim’s father, said his daughter’s Instagram page is all he has left of her
Gabby Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, told PEOPLE that he regretted when his daughter’s Instagram page was briefly removed. Although she was quickly restored, she said her account was the only thing she had left of her little girl. At the time of the interview with the news site, Petito’s body had not yet been found.
“I cried for about 10 minutes,” Joseph Petito said after his late daughter’s Instagram page was taken down. “I am not naive about how these stories tend to end. So if it ends that way, and that’s a big yes, those photos were all I had left. ”
Joseph Petito described his daughter as “amazing” in his interview with PEOPLE.
“She is so artistic. She is an amazing artist. He loves to draw. She has a great eye for decoration… She’s that flower girl type of personality. The old soul, you know? ” he told PEOPLE.
He added: “If Woodstock was still going, she would still be there, man. She’s a sixties hippie, okay? He is a fan of the Beatles, the round glasses … a free spirit ”.
Petito spoke to Dr. Phil and called Brian Laundrie’s parents “accomplices.” Gabby Petito lived with her fiancé and her parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, in Florida.
“This is not how you raise a child. You raise your children to stand up and acknowledge their mistakes, ”Joseph Petito told Dr. Phil. “As a man, that’s what I do. Father to father, he should be doing that too. And I’m sorry, I understand protecting your son and all those other things, but in my opinion, you are a coward. ”
Petito’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, told investigators that the latest text messages she received from her daughter’s phone raised suspicions
Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, told investigators that the latest text message she received from her daughter’s phone made her suspicious, especially in hindsight, according to WFLA . Schmidt told authorities that a text message dated Aug. 27, 2021, was one of the last he received. That was also the day the witnesses said they saw Petito and Laundrie in an argument at The Merry Piglets restaurant.
“Can you help Stan? I keep getting his voicemails and missed calls, ”the text read, according to a search warrant reviewed by WFLA.
Schmidt said that Stan is Gabby Petito’s grandfather, but that Petito never referred to his grandfather by his first name.
According to The Deseret , Petito’s attorney, Richard Stafford, said another text message arrived from Petito’s phone that said “No service from Yosemite.”
His social media activity ceased on August 25, 2021, two days before his mother received the text message referring to “Stan.”
