Robert Lowery: Missing man's body found at Teton Pass thanks to Gabby Petito case
Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito, 22, went incommunicado late in August while on a cross-country road trip with her partner Brian Laundrie. On September 11, her family reported her missing.
Petito was found dead in an area of Grand Teton National Park & Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 21. But Petito was not the only one who went missing in the area. Two other persons had gone missing in or near Grand Teton National Park this summer. As per Jackson Hole News & Guide, the other missing persons are Robert Lowery, who was last seen toward the end of August; and Cian McLaughlin, who was reported missing in mid-June. Now, Lowery may have been found.
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Robert ‘Bob’ Lowery, 46, of Houston, Texas, had never been to Jackson before and potentially had plans to go camping, according to his sister. Lowery was reported to be seen on August 19 in a video at Piste Mountain Bistro at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village.
He was last seen carrying a black duffel bag and having a sleeping bag and tent, according to the Teton County Sheriff's Office. It is believed he took a Lyft to Pearl Street Bagels in Wilson the following day. The sheriff’s office reportedly pinged his cell phone — the last ping location was August 23 in Jackson. The phone reportedly is no longer working or trackable.
He was said to be on the Black Canyon Trail in Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Grand Teton National Park, which is known to be popular with hikers and mountain bikers in the summer, according to police.
A rescue team in Wyoming said the heavy attention paid to the Gabby Petito case helped them find remains believed to be of Lowery. The remains were found on Tuesday, September 28, at the base of Teton Pass, more than a month after he was last seen.
In the days since she was reported missing, Petito's story has made national headlines, constant TV reporting, and hundreds of thousands of online sleuths who have been trying to solve the mystery. In fact, the case of Lowery’s disappearance was also brought into prominence because of the Petito news coverage.
An investigation into Lowery's whereabouts had been ongoing but due to new tips, a search and rescue team was reportedly deployed on Tuesday, September 28. "The widespread news coverage of the Gabby Petito search helped bring light to Lowery's case, and resulted in at least two members of the public calling local authorities this past weekend with new information about his possible last seen point," the search and rescue team said. "At about 1 pm, a dog team located a body and black Nike duffel bag significantly off trail on a steep, wooded slope," said a news release. "Collectively, the search teams hiked more than 75 miles and covered 22,500 feet in elevation."
"Bob has been a wonderful father, son, brother, and friend," Lowery's family said in a statement. "Our family wants to thank the news media and others involved in the search for our privacy at this difficult time."
