Gabby Petito Case: What to Know After Discovery of Remains FBI Believes Are Missing Woman's

Remains found in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming have not been formally identified, but FBI agent Charles Jones expressed condolences to Gabby Petito's family

Gabby Petito
Gabby Petito. Photo: Gabby Petito Instagram

On Sunday, authorities announced they had discovered a body in a Wyoming national park they believed belonged to Gabby Petito, the Long Island, New York, woman who last had contact with her family on Aug. 25 and was reported missing on Sept. 11.

While the body has not been formally identified, FBI agent Charles Jones said at a Sunday press conference that the bureau "would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby's family."

Gabby, 22, vanished while on a cross-country trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, 23. The couple had been traveling in a converted white Ford van and had been documenting their trip on YouTube. During the trip, the couple lived their van; prior to the trip, they had been living with Laundrie's parents in Florida.

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Last Wednesday, Laundrie was named a person of interest in the case. Authorities have said they have not been able to talk to Laundrie about Gabby's disappearance, and on Friday, they announced Laundrie is currently considered missing.

On Monday, the FBI announced they were serving a search warrant at the Laundrie family home.

RELATED VIDEO: Utah Police Release Body Camera Video of Gabby Petito and Fiancé 2 Weeks Before Her Disappearance

Here are the latest developments in the tragic case.

1. Remains 'Consistent with Description' of Gabby Found in Wyoming National Park

Jones, the FBI agent, announced the remains discovered by officials were "consistent with the description" of Petito. The remains were found on the east boundary of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The location is significant: Police in North Port, Fla., where the Laundrie family lives, have said they believe Petito was in the national park when she last had contact with her family on Aug. 25.

Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie
Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie. Find Gabby/Facebook

No cause of death has been determined, and authorities have not formally identified the remains as belonging to Gabby. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue told CNN that an autopsy on the remains is scheduled for Tuesday.

2. Gabby's Fiancé Still Missing After Being Named Person of Interest

Laundrie was named a person of interest in Gabby's disappearance on Wednesday. On Friday, police and the FBI announced Laundrie — who had refused to speak with investigators — was missing and had not been seen since Tuesday.

After Gabby last made contact with her parents on Aug. 25, authorities discovered that Laundrie had quietly returned to his parents' home in Florida without her on Sept. 1, and 10 days passed before she was reported missing.

Laundrie has not been named a suspect in the case.

In a statement on Friday, North Port police wrote they had been frustrated by lack of information from Laundrie's family: "For six days, the North Port Police Department and the FBI have been pleading with the family to contact investigators regarding Brian's Fiance Gabby Petito. Friday is the first time they have spoken with investigators in detail."

On Monday, the FBI announced it was serving a search warrant at the Laundrie family home.

3. Woman Says She Picked Up Laundrie Hitchhiking in Grand Teton National Park

In a series of viral videos posted to TikTok, a woman claimed that she and her boyfriend picked up Laundrie while he hitchhiked in Wyoming in August, after Gabby was last heard from.

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie
Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito. North Port Police Department/Facebook

The woman, who identifies herself as Miranda Baker, said she picked up a hitchhiking Laundrie on Aug. 29 at Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park. Baker said that she and her boyfriend had been in contact with authorities after hearing about Gabby's missing persons case.

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North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor confirmed to PEOPLE that officials had in fact spoken with Baker "and have collected her information."

In the TikTok video, Baker claimed that Laundrie approached the couple in need of a ride to Jackson, Wyo., where she said they happened to be heading. Baker said Laundrie got in their Jeep, and after the couple exchanged small talk with their hitchhiker, Laundrie mentioned he had been camping "for multiple days without his fiancée," who he said was "working on their social media page back at their van."

Baker said that when she told Laundrie they were driving to Jackson Hole, Laundrie "freaked out" and ask them to pull over, whereupon he exited their vehicle.

Gabby Petito
Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie. Gabby Petito Instagram

"It was a weird situation," Baker said. "When we picked him up he was wearing a backpack, he had a long sleeve, pants, hiking boots, and he had like, scruff. Um, but, he didn't look dirty. For someone who was camping for multiple days, like, he didn't look dirty, he didn't smell dirty. So that part was kind of weird."

4. Father Honors Gabby: 'She Touched the World'

After the FBI's announcement, Petito's father, Joseph Petito, honored his daughter in a heartfelt Instagram post: "She touched the world," wrote Joseph, posting a photo of Gabby with angel wings.

In a Sept. 15 interview with PEOPLE, Joseph described his daughter as an "amazing" person.

"She's so artistic. She's an amazing artist. She loves to draw," he said. "She has a great eye with decorating ... She's that flower child type of personality. The old soul, you know?"

"If Woodstock was still going on, she'd still be there, man," Joseph added. "She's a hippie from the '60s, all right? She's a Beatles fan, round glasses ... a free spirit."

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