For the last month, Gabby Petito’s name has been all over the media as the world came together to try to solve the mystery of her death. As the pieces come to light, we now know that the 22-year-old died of strangulation, but her fiancé, and the main person of interest in the case, Brian Laundrie, remains missing.
While the hunt for Laundrie continues, the family that Petito left behind continues to mourn their loss and celebrate the young girl’s legacy. Yesterday, her father, Joseph Petito, tweeted out a sweet message to Gabby.
“I now know why you came here,” he wrote, alongside a photo of a beautiful blue lake, surrounded by trees and mountains. “#gabbypetito has a beautiful view from now on. Love you, and miss you.”
According to TMZ, the lake the Joseph visited was in Wyoming, not far from where Petito’s remains were discovered. The family is reportedly headed to the area to pick up their daughter’s ashes and take them back to New York.
At the end of September, the Petito family held a funeral for Gabby, during which Joseph encouraged people to live the way his child did – by being kind, and spreading love to everyone.
Her step-father, Jim Schmidt also shared kind words about the 22-year-old, saying that she taught him in a valuable lesson in learning how to value spending time with his loved ones over making money.
Earlier this month, a man hiking the Appalachian Trail claimed to have crossed paths with a disoriented Laundrie, who was reportedly headed for California. The wanted man’s father has also been aiding officials in the search, and his sister has publicly spoken out, asking Brian to “come forward.”
You can find more information about Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie in our story about the recently released bodycam footage that gives insight into the couple’s seemingly toxic relationship.
RIP Gabby.
[Via]