CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The Gabby Petito case continues to pick up national attention and concern about someone so social media savvy going missing in 2021.
The search for 22-year-old Petito intensified with protestors outside her fiancé Brian Laundrie's home in Florida on Friday demanding to know her whereabouts by shouting, "Where is gabby? Where is gabby?"
The couple left from New York on July 2 for what was supposed to be a four-month cross-country trip to visit national parks, as they documented it on social media.
California licensed private investigator of nearly 30 years, Bill Garcia says authorities are using cell phone pings, tracking devices and license plate readers to help.
"There is a lot of the technology out there to be utilized, it's just that we are not hearing about it as much because of the concerns for Gabby at this point,” Garcia said from Lake Tahoe.
Garcia has assisted in high profile San Diego County searches, including Danielle Van Dam, Jahi Turner, and more recently Maya Millette, the Chula Vista mom, who has been missing since January 7 with weekly searches conducted.
"When we went into multiple areas, but with her, there were several days that went by before she was actually determined to be missing, and that always makes it more difficult when you have that lag time,” Garcia said.
In Gabby Petito's case, Garcia says there has to be gas station surveillance somehow for Brian Laundrie to have driven from Wyoming to Florida.
“A very long section of this country to search for, that is why I'm sure law-enforcement is being very diligent about tracking the cameras,” Garcia said.
Petito is believed to have last been seen in Wyoming's Grand Teton national park, and her parents reported her missing on September 11.
Police bodycam footage shows when the couple was stopped by officers in Utah last month following a domestic dispute, where Petito said they had been fighting and Laundrie said he locked the car and walked away from her.
Police named Laundrie a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has since gone missing himself.
"The best thing would be for the boyfriend to come forward and say what happened what happened and when he last saw her. He needs to step up, especially if he left her without supplies or anything way to defend herself in a remote area,” Garcia said.
In Florida, the North Port Police Department and FBI continue to search for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve, where he is believed to have gone missing there himself according to his parents.
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