Gabby Petito

[Stratman50th]

I don't understand. How can he get away with not answering questions? Lawyer or no lawyer, doesn't he have to answer police questioning since he is the last person to have seen someone alive that is now missing and if he doesn't answer can't they arrest him for not cooperating in a missing person case?

A missing person is not a crime. People aren't required by law to cooperate.

Also, the only reason this is getting so much attention is the parents are pushing the news cycle to keep it out there, which good for them. Whatever works. Officially, she is over 21, an adult and can do whatever she wants. Unless there is evidence of foul play the police really don't have to investigate. Again, good on the parents for keeping it out there. We never even took reports on MPs over 21 years old until they had been gone for 72 hours. Understood, she's been gone longer but trying to insert some perspective. You have no idea how many adults walk away not wanting to be found. Some have mental issues and turn into one of the anonymous homeless drifters and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Even if LE happens to run into one that's homeless and been reported as missing there isn't anything they can do. I mean, they can notify the family but that's all.

 

[GreatLakes]

So he stole her van?

I'm not sure. If he is on the title, a co-signer on the loan, she gave him permission to drive it, or some other legal technicality maybe not. He drove it home and the police have searched it. Since they haven't issued an arrest warrant for vehicle theft, which would at least get him into the station, I'm guessing not.

 

[mrs. magoo]

Would you do it again?

Absolutely I would do it again but I can totally see how a police officer can make you nervous and make you think did I do something wrong? I was very weirded out by the conversation especially when they told me he had a serious head injury. I mean he literally fell off his bike and hit his head on the pavement and was not wearing a helmet. I kept thinking. I didn't even touch him. I just stood guard over him while yelling sir and preventing him from being hit by a car. It was actually one of the scariest things I have ever done and when he was administered 2 doses of narcam it just hit me hard.
This case makes me wonder if she got angry and wandered off and now he is going to be blamed for her death. I understand that he should have contacted the authorities right away but if he is on the spectrum then his brain may not think that way. I have a daughter who is on the spectrum and while you might think that she is a normal 20 year old she has lots of things that she deals with everyday. She has learned to mask so many things that it is exhausting just to get through some days.

ETA: I would never allow my daughter on the spectrum to speak to the police with out a lawyer present. She can make herself believe things that not true so easily.

 

[penn19]

Or maybe they are responsible for those murders and he was afraid she was going to talk, so he killed her.

I agree the death of the other couple is super fishy in the context of what's going on here.

This is exactly what I was thinking!

 

[DisneyLover1217]

A missing person is not a crime. People aren't required by law to cooperate.

Also, the only reason this is getting so much attention is the parents are pushing the news cycle to keep it out there, which good for them. Whatever works. Officially, she is over 21, an adult and can do whatever she wants. Unless there is evidence of foul play the police really don't have to investigate. Again, good on the parents for keeping it out there. We never even took reports on MPs over 21 years old until they had been gone for 72 hours. Understood, she's been gone longer but trying to insert some perspective. You have no idea how many adults walk away not wanting to be found. Some have mental issues and turn into one of the anonymous homeless drifters and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Even if LE happens to run into one that's homeless and been reported as missing there isn't anything they can do. I mean, they can notify the family but that's all.

I get that, but at the very least he has her van. I doubt he has anything saying he had her permission to drive it, so they could at least arrest him for stealing the van.

 

[Stratman50th]

I get that, but at the very least he has her van. I doubt he has anything saying he had her permission to drive it, so they could at least arrest him for stealing the van.

Not without it being reported stolen they can't. You can't make up crimes. It doesn't work like that.

 

[Wendy31]

I get that, but at the very least he has her van. I doubt he has anything saying he had her permission to drive it, so they could at least arrest him for stealing the van.

I would think, if they had anything at all on him that could force him to come in for questioning, they would have done it.

Is the van hers or are they considered co-owners? And, even if it’s her van, there’s nothing to prove that he stole it.

In the scenario that they killed the couple, he’s then the creepy guy that the couple saw, right?

And maybe he’s not talking NOT because of Gabby’s disappearance but because of their (or just his) connection to the couple.

 

[ParklandDISDad]

So he stole her van?

A reporter asked the NPR detective that the other night, whether they are considering charging Brian with theft of the vehicle. The answer provided was basically that they don't care about a stolen vehicle, they are only concerned with finding Gabby. Whether the charges of vehicle theft would stick (without more damning information) is highly unlikely. They were traveling together, and resided together, so the use would be essentially be deemed permissive unless proven otherwise.. sure there is the loose argument (albeit rational) that there is no way she would have given him permission to leave her on the other side of the country and drive her van home.. but, hey, innocent until proven guilty and all of that.. he could counter that she had an awakening moment and decided that she wanted to live the rest of her life in the woods with the squirrels foraging nuts and told him its over and he can have the van.

What I think they are missing is that the van and charging him with theft, regardless of whether it would stick or not, would be a great precursor to getting him into custody, which would apply pressure on him and his attorney to start answering some questions about what the heck went on and where Gabby possibly is. Probably cause is all that is needed for an arrest which, in a very loose and elementary sense, is a fair probability.

 

[JimMIA]

I would think, if they had anything at all on him that could force him to come in for questioning, they would have done it.

Police can't "force him to come in for questioning," LOL.

They can, and probably have, invited him to come voluntarily -- which he declined to do.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

Not without it being reported stolen they can't. You can't make up crimes. It doesn't work like that.

It's not making up a crime. If the van was hers and he comes back without her, where is his permission to use it? It can't be reported stolen if she is missing. I know all of this is circumstantial, I guess as a parent, I feel for her parents as this guy is not cooperating. If he is innocent, then for God sakes tell them the last thing you know, it may help them find her. He knows what his last interaction was with her and where it was, why not say. Again, I know that doesn't mean he did anything, but why not help her parents find her. Doesn't he want her to found if he is innocent.

 

[Wendy31]

Police can't "force him to come in for questioning," LOL.

They can, and probably have, invited him to come voluntarily -- which he declined to do.

Right.

I said it wrong

What I meant is, if they had anything on him at all, they’d bring him in, right?

 

[a1tinkfans]

If you didn't do anything to her why would you refuse to tell police where you last saw her?
So you either did something to her, or you are a POS for not helping find her.

Not disagreeing … what IF he is covering for Her..?
more likely
Whatever happened, was done back in August. ESP after that “ coincidental” being at the same store where the other deceased woman worked at the same time they were there.?? Too co-incidental if u ask me. Perhaps He’s the creepy guy the two women spoke to their friend about??
lots of questions … no answers Yet… praying for her family a Living Hell, so sad

 

[JimMIA]

What I meant is, if they had anything on him at all, they’d bring him in, right?

They can't "bring him in" either.

They could arrest him. But they can only arrest him when they have "probable cause" to believe that a crime occurred AND that he committed the crime.

 

[Stratman50th]

One last comment here. You can't "force" someone to come in for questioning. You can ask. If they say yes, fine. This guy is lawyered up so he's acting on advice of counsel. I can promise he won't be in for questioning without his lawyer. Also, if he goes in and they question him, he can just sit there like a speed bump and say nothing. If he isn't in custody, he can get up and leave. If he is in custody, he can play like a clam and say nothing. Back to square one and the lawyer.

 

[ParklandDISDad]

It's not making up a crime. If the van was hers and he comes back without her, where is his permission to use it? It can't be reported stolen if she is missing. I know all of this is circumstantial, I guess as a parent, I feel for her parents as this guy is not cooperating. If he is innocent, then for God sakes tell them the last thing you know, it may help them find her. He knows what his last interaction was with her and where it was, why not say. Again, I know that doesn't mean he did anything, but why not help her parents find her. Doesn't he want her to found if he is innocent.

The only reason that makes any sense that I can come up with for not cooperating with the investigation is a fear of making statements that would potentially amount to incriminating himself.

I've come up with some other scenarios but they are too far fetched to be considered actual possibilities.. e.g., she fell off of a cliff, he laid on the ground crying inconsolably for hours or days then, still in a state of shock and despair, drove back across the country, walked in his parents front door and collapsed on the floor. His parents confronted him and his story seemed to them as crazy and implausible as this paragraph likely does to you so they hired an attorney and locked him in his room.

Unfortunately, the obvious answer is usually the right one.

 

[Wendy31]

They can't "bring him in" either.

They could arrest him. But they can only arrest him when they have "probable cause" to believe that a crime occurred AND that he committed the crime.

I know… I watch too much TV.

”Let’s bring him in for questioning.”

 

[a1tinkfans]

Right.

I said it wrong

What I meant is, if they had anything on him at all, they’d bring him in, right?

Nope… they need a solid case… there is no crime, yet… no body, just a missing girl. They need Something and I’m thinking that whatever happened it wasn’t in that van… her dna will be all over it, it was hers.
so the most we can pray for are those Cell records, the pings.. then know when and where he traveled/gas stations/tolls.. video along the way. Was she In the vehicle at that point. I think the Crux is to Pinpoint the LAST ping/text/photo.. not the 8/30 ( ?) text her mom says she’s not sure was Even from her daughter. But IF it wasn’t.. that Location would be a good start to then work backwards.
so sad. Living hell for her family.
mom not feeling sympathy for that other family… they either Know the sons story OR he didn’t tell them either BUT.. they and he are saying nothing which SCREAMS guilt imho. They re trying to save their kid, throwing her away

 

[piglet1979]

I've come up with some other scenarios but they are too far fetched to be considered actual possibilities.. e.g., she fell off of a cliff, he laid on the ground crying inconsolably for hours or days then, still in a state of shock and despair, drove back across the country, walked in his parents front door and collapsed on the floor. His parents confronted him and his story seemed to them as crazy and implausible as this paragraph likely does to you so they hired an attorney and locked him in his room.

Unfortunately, the obvious answer is usually the right one.

I have thought of this scenario as well.

 

[Stratman50th]

I know… I watch too much TV.

”Let’s bring him in for questioning.”

I was going to say that. Not only about you, but to a whole bunch of folks that have been commenting. You are honest and I applaud you. Way too much speculation in here from TV sleuths that really have no grasp of how the law works and what a crime actually is. People have way too much emotional investment in a story in which they don't have all the facts. Everybody should sit back and let things develop.
Just my suggestion and simple opinion.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I get that, but at the very least he has her van. I doubt he has anything saying he had her permission to drive it, so they could at least arrest him for stealing the van.

They are a couple and engaged..that's pretty much permission. Did you never drive your significant other's vehicle? Would you want someone to question that and make you prove on a piece of paper that your significant other gave you permission to drive it? It's pretty much an implicit understanding that couples have permission to drive each other's vehicles. And him driving it without her in itself is not suspicious. What is is the rest of the stuff but not the fact that he's driving it nor does it make it a stolen vehicle.