The stepfather of missing 'van-life woman' Gabby Petito, has joined search efforts in Wyoming to locate his stepdaughter.
James Schmidt, former fire chief for the Blue Point Fire Department, traveled to Wyoming Wednesday to assist authorities in their efforts to locate Petito, 22, who traveled to the state's Grand Teton National Park in late August with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.
Petito and Laundrie had been traveling in a converted van, and were expected to complete their trip at a friend’s home in Portland around Halloween.
Instead, Laundrie returned home alone and has refused to tell the cops where his girlfriend is.
Her family are desperate for answers and now James Schmidt has set off to Wyoming to track his stepdaughter down.
'He's not leaving until he brings Gabby home,' Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, told The New York Post. 'Now we have eyes, ears, feet on the ground … in both her home states and where she was last seen.'
Petito, who grew up in Blue Point, New York, was reported missing by her mother on September 11, and was last seen on August 24 checking out of a hotel with Brian in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The following day she made her final call to her family, telling them that she and Brian had arrived at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
James Schmidt, former fire chief for the Blue Point Fire Department, (pictured) raveled to Wyoming Wednesday to assist authorities in their efforts to locate Petito, 22, who traveled to the state's Grand Teton National Park in late August with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.
Petito, (pictured) who grew up in Blue Point, New York, was reported missing by her mother on September 11, and was last seen on August 24 checking out of a hotel with Brian in Salt Lake City, Utah
Petito's mother Nicole Schmidt (left) and stepfather James Schmidt (right) are desperate for answers. Now, James has set off to Wyoming to track his stepdaughter down
Nicole told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that on September 10 she reached out to Brian and his mother Roberta Laundrie trying to reach her daughter after she had not heard from Gabby since August 25.
'I texted Brian's mom that I was trying to get in touch with Gabby. I also texted Brian. I got no replies,' Schmidt said.
'I knew something was wrong,' she said. 'I felt something was off and I needed to get her reported missing immediately.'
She went to report Gabby missing later that day but police initially blew her off. The next day, she was allowed to file a report with the Suffolk County police department.
'Detective Tracey Barry of the Suffolk County police department has been our angel taking on this case. She was the only one who listened and cared enough to take this on,' Schmidt said.
Petito, who grew up in Blue Point, New York, was reported missing by her mother on September 11, and was last seen on August 24 checking out of a hotel with Brian in Salt Lake City, Utah .
The above map illustrates the places Petito and Laundrie visited since the start of the trip leaving New York on July 2 to when she last spoke to her family on August 25 from Grand Teton National Park.
Police said on Wednesday that Brian Laundrie, 23, returned to his parents' North Port, Florida, home without 22-year-old Gabby Peon September 1 in the couple's van they had used to travel the country
On Wednesday police officially named Brian a 'person of
