A Heartbreaking Discovery: Body Found Consistent With The Description Of Gabby Petito

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WY — A federal agent delivered the heartbreaking announcement Sunday evening that a body consistent with the description of missing former Long Islander Gabrielle Petito had been found in Grand Teton National Park.

Special Agent-in-Charge Charles Jones started off a news conference by offering “sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby’s family” from the FBI, National Parks Service, and other law enforcement partners on the investigative team.

“Every parent can imagine this is an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Jones said. “We ask that you all respect the privacy as they mourn the loss of their daughter.”

FBI personnel, in coordination with partners at the National Park Service, the Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff's Office, and Jackson Police Department, investigated near the Spring Creek dispersed camping area, and human remains were discovered that were consistent with Petito’s description, Jones said.

The remains were taken for forensic identification that has not been completed “to confirm 100% that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified of this discovery,” Jones said.

The cause of death has not been determined at this time, he said.

“We appreciate your continued support and patience as we work through this process,” Jones added.

Rick Stafford, an attorney and friend of Petito’s family, personally requested members of the press “to refrain from contacting the Schmidt and Petito family,” in a statement on Sunday night.

“Due to today’s developments, we are asking the press and news media to have some decorum and sensitivity for Gabby’s family and allow them to grieve,” Stafford said. “I will be in contact with you when Gabby’s family is ready to make a public statement.”

A family member shared a symbolic post by her father, Joseph Petito, from Twitter that featured his daughter standing in front of a mural of multi-colored angel wings after the FBI made their announcement this afternoon.

It was posted to "Find Gabby," which later featured a photo of Petito sitting on a rock and looking off into the distance.

Stafford thanked the FBI, the Suffolk County Police Department, the North Port Police Department, as well as the Grand Teton Search and Rescue Team.

“Your tireless work and determination helped bring Gabby home to her parents. The family and I will be forever grateful.”

The police department in North Port, which is where Petito had been living and was also investigating the case, left a poignant message on its Facebook page on Sunday night.

“We are saddened and heartbroken to learn that Gabby has been found deceased,” the post read. “Our focus from the start, along with the FBI, and national partners, has been to bring her home. We will continue to work with the FBI in the search for more answers.”

The facility around Spread Creek campsite will remain closed to the public until further notice, as there is an “active and ongoing investigation,” according to Jones.

“So we ask everyone maintain distance from law enforcement personnel, equipment, vehicles, and related activity for their own safety, as well as to protect the integrity of our work, and respect privacy for Gabby's family,” he said.

Investigators appreciate the tremendous support from the public,” Jones said, adding, “the response to the request of tips “has been remarkable.”

“We continue to seek information from anyone who utilizes the Spread Creek dispersed camping area between the dates of Aug. 27 and Aug. 30,” he said, adding, “Anyone that may have had contact with Gabby, or her boyfriend, or who may have seen their vehicle in that area, please share any new information with the FBI at tips.FBI.Gov, or 1 -800 -Call-FBI.”

The Denver field office Direct can be reached at 303-629-7171. Photos and videos can also be uploaded@fbi.gov/Petito.

Jones thanked the agency’s partners at the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff's Office, and Jackson Police Department “for their collaboration and diligence in this investigation.”

He said they searched their resources, and in a very short amount of time, their personnel had intimate knowledge of the rugged terrain that investigators were dealing with, which “made the process much more difficult.”

The agency greatly appreciated the “invaluable skill and expertise” of the Teton County Search and Rescue Team, Jones said.

He also thanked the community of Jackson, and the surrounding areas, for their hospitality “and for accommodating a rapid influx of law enforcement personnel in the area.”

Jones said that to protect “the investigative process and increase the probability of successful prosecution” should that be necessary, there will be no additional comments.

“We appreciate your cooperation and respect for Gabby's family, loved ones during this difficult time,” he said, adding, “Thank you.”

Jones declined to comment with reporters as he exited the news conference, citing the ongoing investigation into her disappearance.

Earlier Fox News reported a body was found near the search area for Petito has been underway in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, but there was no confirmation on the identity of the person.

Teton County Coroner Brent Blue arrived in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and about 10 minutes after the coroner arrived, search dogs participating in the search left the search area, Fox News Digital confirmed.

Petito was one of three people who went missing in the park, according to The New York Post.

Meanwhile, NBC 2 is reporting Brian Laundrie drove a Ford Mustang to a Florida nature preserve where North Port police officials say it is possible that he may have hurt himself at the park.

Laundrie took his backpack to the Mykkahatshee Creek Environmental Park on Tuesday and has not been seen by his family since then, and his family picked up the car and drove it back from the park to their home, the outlet reported. It is not known if the muscle car is registered to Laundrie, or if anyone was with him when he went to the park.

The Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino of East Islip, told ABC News the family picked up the car, Laundrie was using on Thursday morning from the reserve after going out on Wednesday to look for him.

The family went out to the reserve Wednesday to look for him and spotted a note from the North Port Police Department on the car saying it needed to be removed, but the family left the car overnight in case Laundrie needed to drive back home, Bertolino told ABC. The family went back to get the car when he did not come back on Thursday, the outlet reported.

A team of over 50 law enforcement personnel set out on Sunday searching for Laundrie — a person of interest in the disappearance of Petito — in a roughly 25,ooo-acre nature reserve in Florida on Sunday, police said.

The team is "looking for anything of note" in the Carlton Reserve in Venice, FL, "after his parents say this is where he went," the department tweeted, adding, "We continue to corroborate all info in the search for him and Gabby."

Laundrie's parents reported to investigators "that he was last seen Tuesday when he went for a hike there," a statement on the department's Facebook read, adding that he was reported missing by his parents three days later on Friday.

Police investigators, along with the FBI are now working to corroborate that story, according to police.

North Port police, the FBI, and other agency partners began a search of the reserve for Laundrie, on Saturday morning, but did not find anything.

The department said there were false reports of a body being located where investigators were searching, and noted that they are "completely fake."

Channel 8 News in Florida reported there is a massive law enforcement presence at the reserve and that K-9 units are being used. Amphibious vehicles were called in to help with searching the property, which is infested with alligators, Fox News reported.

Laundrie was named a person of interest in Petito’s missing person case earlier this week. He returned home alone to North Port, FL, where he had lived with her and his parents before embarking on a months-long trip, in which the couple had taken to the road in a camper van.

Petito was reported missing on Sept. 11 and Laundrie has refused to speak with investigators based on the advice of his attorney.

His silence has drawn criticism from not only Petito’s family, but the general public. Protests have been held outside his home and his Instagram page has been flooded with comments from followers demanding to know where Petito is.

Additional reporting by Jacqueline Sweet.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.