Gabby Petito Case: Vlogger Mom Says Dead Son Guided Video Evidence for FBI

A YouTube vlogger from Florida believes that her dead son was instrumental in helping the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) locate the missing body of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who disappeared in the middle of her cross-country trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.

Mom Jenn Bethune shared on her Instagram that they provided the FBI video footage of their GoPro capture of Petito's white van at the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. A few hours later, the FBI confirmed that they had discovered a woman's body near the area, which will be subjected to an autopsy at the coroner's clinic.

Bethune believed that her son, Ethan, guided them to look for the van to help "bring Gabby home." The mom lost her son to a car accident in 2011.

"He led me to the footage we had from our GoPros and I found it at 12:05 a.m. on September 19," the mother said, adding that September 19 is Ethan's birthday. "He would have turned 17 today."

Discovering Gabby Petito's Van

Bethune and her husband, Kyle, then went live on YouTube to detail what they discovered when they located the van. The mom vlogger said that the footage was taken on August 27.

They thought of greeting the owners of the white van since they recognized the plate from the same home state. However, the Bethune family found no one and figured that the owners were out hiking.

In hindsight, the couple said they realized they captured an important clip as Petito's story unfolded in the press and then informed the FBI.

Throughout the summer, Petito and Laundrie enjoyed their van adventures and documented their journey across America's national parks on social media. However, in late August, Laundrie returned to Florida without his girlfriend. The couple was living together at the home of Laundrie's parents in North Port, Florida, for two years and had plans to get married.

The boyfriend also refused to talk to Petito's family when they hadn't heard from her since the end of August. Laundrie lawyered up when the police investigated the missing person's case filed by the Petito family. As of Monday, September 20, Laundrie was nowhere to be found and was tagged as a person of interest in his girlfriend's case.

Petito's father, Joseph Petito, said in a touching tribute after discovering a body that his daughter "touched the world." The Laundrie family also issued a statement through their lawyers, saying they are praying "for Gabby and her family."

Where is Brian Laundrie?

Police searched the Laundrie family's home in the hopes of finding clues to the whereabouts of the boyfriend. The search used dog trackers and drones. According to the cops, Laundrie told his parents last week that he was going to a local nature reserve, but he hasn't returned home since then. His family has also refused to talk and coursed all communications through their lawyers.

Laundrie has not yet been charged for the crime, but the police are determined to find him as a person of interest. The case has captured national interest, especially after the Utah police released footage of the pair.

They were stopped after the authorities received a report that a man and a woman in a white van had been fighting and getting physical. However, the police assessed that their situation didn't escalate to domestic violence. Petito and Laundrie were headed to the Grand Teton National Park next after the brief police encounter.