In a bizarre twist to the Gabby Petito investigation, the travel blogger's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, is now missing.
The FBI has been searching for 22-year-old Petito since she was reported missing on September 11. In a news conference on Thursday, it was revealed that Petito's last contact with her family was on August 30 via a text message - but her mother has since told the Daily Mail that she believes the message was fake and not from her daughter.
Per the New York Post, Petito was last seen on August 30 while traveling in the couple's white van with Laundrie.
Petito and boyfriend Laundrie had been traveling in their converted van on a cross-country trek. Laundrie, 23, returned to his parents' home in North Port, Florida, in the van on September 1.
It has been reported that Laundrie did not cooperate with authorities regarding the search for Petito, with North Port police chief, Todd Garrison saying: "The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out."
Now, as reported by CNN, Brian Laundrie is missing and hasn't been seen by his parents since Tuesday.
North Port police spokesperson Josh Taylor told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Friday: "We've been trying all week to talk to his family, to talk to Brian, and now they've called us here on Friday, we've gone to the home, and they're saying now they have not seen their son."
"So we are working through those details as we speak. It is another twist in this story," Taylor said.
In a statement on Friday, Taylor said: "We are not currently working a crime investigation. We are now working a multiple missing person investigations."
The Laundrie family lawyer has further confirmed the 23-year-old's disappearance.
Per The Independent, Gabby and Brian were childhood sweethearts who first met while growing up on Long Island.
The couple has been sharing their trips across the country together since 2019 - on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Petitio's most recent Instagram post was published on August 25. There has been nothing since.
Police in Moab, Utah, reported an encounter with the couple on August 12. Officers described the pair as having "engaged in some sort of altercation".
A report from officer Eric Pratt read: "Both the male and female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime."
Officers suggested that the couple separate for the night, adding that each individual had their own cell phone in case of an emergency. Laundrie was brought to a hotel, while Petito stayed in the van. Both were told to "take advantage of this time apart to relax their emotions, and regain control of their anxiety."
Petito was described as "confused and emotional", and reported "serious anxiety" that was made worse by "little arguments she and Brian had been having all day".
Laundrie claimed that Petito had become "manic" from fear that he would leave her stranded in the desert. During the argument, Petito reportedly scratched Laundrie's face and arms. He said that he felt safe and did not appear to have hurt his fiancée physically — as concluded by law enforcement.
"After evaluating the totality of the circumstances, I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis," officer Daniel Robbins said.
No charges were filed, and the altercation was labeled as a "mental [or] emotional break".
