Investigators in Florida are being criticized for allowing ‘person of interest’ Brian Laundrie to go into hiding without ever being questioned in the disappearance of his fiance, Gabby Petito, after the FBI announced it found the body of a person ‘consistent with the description.’
The FBI announced that it had used 'ground surveys' to locate a body that is likely that of Petito on Sunday. Investigators warn, however, that they are in a race against time as the long exposure to the elements could cause the body to decompose, making it more difficult to determine exactly how she died.
'We don't know when she died,' Lawrence Kobilinsky, a forensic scientist and professor emeritus of forensic science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told The Daily Beast.
'But we do know that she’s in an environment that's very hot. You can get decomposition in a matter of a week.'
Kobilinsky added: 'It leaves you wondering what the state of the body is.
'If it is Gabby, and if she's been deceased since around August 24, the body could be in really bad shape.'
Meanwhile, a woman driving through Wyoming days after Petito is believed to have last made contact with her family says she picked up Laundrie as he was hitchhiking through the state alone.
Baker told Good Morning America that she was informed by Laundrie that he had been camping alone while Petito stayed behind in their van and worked on their social media page.
As she started heading for Jackson Hole, she says Laundrie looked for another ride.
'He got out, and you know, he was thankful and he was kind of in a hurry. He said he was going to go across the street into the parking lot and find someone else to give him a ride, but, when we looked back 10 or 15 seconds after he got out of the vehicle he was just gone,' she said.
The body was found at the Spread Creek campground in Bridger-Teton National Forest on the eastern edge of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sunday afternoon.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. Investigators hope to confirm Petito's identity as well as nail down a cause of death.
Meanwhile, law enforcement is drawing scrutiny for allowing Laundrie to go missing. The police department in North Port, Florida said on Monday it 'currently has no plans to conduct a major search of the Carlton Reserve today,' according to Fox News.
North Port police were directed to the Carlton Reserve area by Laundrie’s parents, who reportedly told investigators that their son visited the area.
Police searched the area on Sunday.
Charles Jones, supervisory senior resident agent for FBI Denver, delivered the tragic news on Sunday evening. It remains unclear how investigators were able to locate her body in such amount of short time.
After Sunday's announcement, the Laundrie family attorney released a statement, saying, 'The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking. The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family.'
Missing van-life girl Gabby Petito's father, Joseph, shared a tribute to his daughter on social media Sunday with a photo of her adorned with angel wings (pictured) and the caption: 'she touched the world' as authorities confirmed that remains matching her description had been found in Wyoming
The Teton County Coroner was seen leaving the campsite Sunday afternoon with what is believed to be Petito's remains
FBI officials announced Sunday evening that they had found remains consistent with the description of Petito (left). The announcement came as authorities resumed their search for fiancé Brian Laundrie (right) in Florida. Laundrie is currently a person of interest in Petito's disappearance
Petito's parents shared a video on their 'Find Gabby' Facebook page early Sunday morning from YouTuber
