The search for the boyfriend of the killed 22-year-old Gabby Petito is complete: body parts found in the US state of Florida have been identified as his human remains. This was determined with the help of a dental examination, said the federal police FBI on Thursday in Denver.
The 23-year-old was not explicitly considered a suspect in the Petito case, but the police classified him as a person relevant to the investigation. His death is likely to further complicate the investigation of Petito’s murder, which had been strangled.
The remains of the young man were found on Wednesday after a long search in the Carlton nature reserve in an area that until recently was still under water. Investigators also found a laptop and backpack there that belonged to the 23-year-old.
Petito had not returned from a trip through the United States with her boyfriend in the summer. The case is attracting attention both in the United States and internationally – not least because the Florida couple shared numerous pictures and videos from their trip on social networks.
After an intensive search, Petito’s body was finally found in September in the state of Wyoming. The couple had traveled there as part of their USA road trip. According to the coroner, the young woman was strangled. Her body lay outside near Grand Teton National Park for three to four weeks before she was found.
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Petito’s friend returned alone from the trip with the 22-year-old in September. A short time later, his parents reported him missing. Since then, the police have been looking for the man. The authorities issued an arrest warrant against him for bank fraud. He made unauthorized withdrawals of around $1,000 from a bank card, a court document said. It was unclear who owned the card.
Petito and her boyfriend had posted pictures and videos from their converted van during their trip. The two of them always looked happy. However, a body camera recording of a police officer left a very different impression than these images.
Police were called to the couple’s vehicle in mid-August over a possible case of domestic violence. Media reported that a caller reported to the police that a man had hit a woman. On the video itself, Petito can be seen in disarray and crying. She claims to have slapped her boyfriend. (dpa)