Was Gabby Petito struggling with mental health issues? Cops reveal new suspicions
MOAB, UTAH: As the mystery over Gabby Petito's disappearance deepens, every day we are learning something new about the case. On September 15, the Moab Police Department in Utah published a report, indicating all was not well between Petito and boyfriend Brian Laundrie. According to the report, the two got into a physical altercation and Petito reportedly suffered from some mental health condition.
The stunning new revelation adds to the pressure on Laundrie, who has firmly refused to cooperate with the inquiry, despite growing evidence linking him to the case. On September 14, we reported that he left Petito alone in a collapsing tent due to heavy rain in Utah, as documented on their YouTube account. That video got many to believe things weren't good between the two. A day before that, we reported on Laundrie's eerie post where he said "Till death do us part" in July 2020.
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Laundrie has now officially been named a person of interest in the investigation by the North Port Police Department in Florida. We know the van the couple used was confiscated from Laundrie's home in Florida, but his mysterious silence over the case has many speculating just what happened. That's where the Moab PD report comes in. It confirms many people's belief that things weren't well between the couple, and in fact so bad that the police had to intervene.
Was Gabby Petito OK?
Here's what we know. On August 12, the Moab PD responded to a report of disorderly conduct near the Moonflower Co-op in the town. The report clearly identifies Laundrie and Petito as those involved, along with the Ford van at the heart of the mystery. "I believe it was reported the male had been observed to have assaulted the female," the reporting officer Eric Pratt wrote. The couple was stopped at the Arches National Park, where the officer briefly spoke to Laundrie and Petito. The duo confirmed the story reported by an eyewitness, identified only as Chris.
Reportedly, Laundrie asked Petito to "go take a walk and calm down", to which Petito responded by slapping Laundrie. "He grabbed her face and pushed her back," the report says before Laundrie attempted to lock Petito out of the van. However, she managed to force her way inside via the driver's door, and the two then drove off. "No one reported that the male struck the female," the report added. Officer Pratt also reported that "Gabbie suffers from serious anxiety." Therefore, the officer believed the incident was more of a "mental/emotional health break" rather than a domestic assault.
Another officer, Daniel Robbins was the first to stop the duo at the entrance of the park. "Gabrielle, who was in the passenger seat was crying uncontrollably," Officer Robbins wrote. He reported that she suffered from some condition that was redacted, and that "she was struggling with her mental health." When Robbins interviewed Laundrie, he also confirmed that Petito and he also suffered from some mental health condition, and that "issues between the two had been building over the last few days." The officer noted that Laundrie's statement was slightly different from Petito's, which he claimed suggested "her confused and emotional state."
LIke Officer Pratt, Office Robbins believed the situation to be a mental health crisis. He also reportedly asked the couple to spend the night apart and drove Laundrie to the Safe Haven motel. Petito "maintained possession of the van," Robbins wrote. He also noted that they both had their phones. It's unclear what happened next. After the August 12 report, the next time Petito is heard from is on August 21, when she FaceTimed her father from Salt Lake City. "No red flags that popped out," father Joe said in an interview.