Gabby Petito Autopsy Results Press Conference Transcript
Dr. Brent Blue, Coroner of Teton County, WY held a press conference on October 12, 2021 announcing the results of Gabby Petito’s autopsy, including cause of death by strangulation. Below is a transcript of this event.
[Begin Gabby Petito Autopsy Results Press Conference Transcript]
DR. BRENT BLUE: Thank you for joining us. I am Dr. Brent Blue, Teton County, Wyoming coroner. After detailed investigation by our forensic pathologists, our anthropologists and local law enforcement — with assistance from the FBI, the Teton County Coroner office is filing the following verdict in the death of Gabrielle Venora Petito. We hereby find the cause and manner of death to be: the cause, of death by strangulation, and manner is homicide. By Wyoming State statute, no other information will be released about the autopsy. The only thing that is released in the state of Wyoming is cause and manner of death.
KRISTEN WATERS [Assistant to Dr. Blue]: I think they said they can’t hear you, just one second.
DR. BRENT BLUE: Should I start over then?
KRISTEN WATERS: Sure.
DR. BRENT BLUE: [Lightly laughing] Thank you for joining us. Sorry about the audio issue. I’m Dr. Brent Blue, Teton County Wyoming corner. After the detailed investigation by our forensic pathologist, our anthropologist, and local law enforcement — with assistance from the FBI, the Teton County Coroner’s Office is filing the following verdict in the manner of death of Gabrielle Venora Petito, we find the cause and manner to be: Cause, death by strangulation, and manner is homicide. By Wyoming State statute only the cause and manner of death are released. Their autopsy findings and photographs and that sort of material is not released by state statute, and I’ll be glad to entertain some questions at this time.
REPORTER 1: Hi, Brad. This is Alex with the News and Guide. Can you hear me?
DR. BRENT BLUE: Yes.
REPORTER 1: I’m curious whether you’re able to pinpoint a date of death and when… if you know whether — or when — Gabby’s remains will be returned to her family?
DR. BRENT BLUE: The remains have been returned to the mortuary here, and the mortuary is dealing with the family at this time, as far as the disposition of the remains. As far as the time of death, we are estimating three to four weeks from the time that the body was found. That is actually determined more by the law enforcement folks than our office.
KRISTEN WATERS: Chris Vivian, you are able to ask your question.
DR. BRENT BLUE: What’s the question? I didn’t hear a question.
KRISTEN WATERS: Uh Chris, I believe that you are muted. You can unmute yourself.
REPORTER 2: Okay, it’s John Walsh from In Pursuit with John Walsh on Discovery ID. Dr. Blue, thank you for your time. I think everybody in the world believes that Brian Laundrie killed Gabby. With your extensive work on the body, are you sure that it’s Brian Laundrie? And will the FBI issue a nationwide homicide warrant now that they know the cause of death?
DR. BRENT BLUE: We are only tasked with the determination of cause and manner of death. Who committed the homicide is up to law enforcement, and I cannot answer the question about the FBI. You would have to contact them.
KRISTEN WATERS: Jeremy Copas, you are now allowed to ask your question.
REPORTER 3: Yes, Hello Doctor. If you could please… can you comment on any other bruising, maybe on the body that possibly was healing, possibly older bruises or cuts that might have been healing over the last couple of weeks before her passing?
DR. BRENT BLUE: By Wyoming State statute, no other information about the autopsy was released, just the cause of death.
REPORTER 4: Hi there this is Heather Leigh, reporter at ABC Action News in Tampa, Florida. I just wanted to know if you could explain why it took about a month for this process to finish? I think a lot of people were hoping that they would learn this information sooner so I just think if you could just explain the process and why it took a month?
DR. BRENT BLUE: Well, the main reason was that we were very exacting our examination and the detail by which that examination was done. We were waiting for various specialists to come in and help us with this investigation. We were waiting on toxicology to be returned. And it was just a matter of making sure we have everything right.
REPORTER 4: Thank you.
DR. BRENT BLUE: Is there another question.
KRISTEN WATERS: Brian Entin? I believe you’re unmuted right now.
[After not receiving a response, Ms. Waters moves on]
Okay. Steve Fabian?
REPORTER 5: Yes. Hi, Doctor, how are you? I am curious if any DNA samples were taken from Gabby’s remains. And also, if the body was intact, are you able to tell us the condition of Gabby’s remains?
DR. BRENT BLUE: I can tell you the DNA samples were taken by law enforcement. And all I can tell you about her remains is that the body was outside for three to four weeks.
KRISTEN WATERS: Chris Vivian, do you have your hand up?
DR. BRENT BLUE: Was that a question? I didn’t hear the question there.
REPORTER 2: Dr. Blue?
DR. BRENT BLUE: Yes?
REPORTER 2: It’s John Walsh again from In Pursuit with John Walsh. You will probably be the most important witness at the trial, and I asked you before how confident you feel that Brian Laundrie — and you know they use the semantics he was a ‘person of interest’. I’m old school, he was the only suspect, ever. And I, I just wonder, you’re going to be the most important guy at the trial, probably. Do you have any doubts it’s Brian Laundrie?
DR. BRENT BLUE: I can’t make any comment about any suspects because we are not involved in that part of the investigation. We are only involved in the investigation of the body of the deceased. So, who committed the homicide is really to be determined by law enforcement.
REPORTER 2: Right. But I thank you for your hard work and I always say in so many cases I’ve been involved in, let the pathologist and the coroner do their work, no matter how long it takes. So I think you’ve probably done a really good job on this case. Thank you for your time.
REPORTER 6: Hey there, Doctor, this is Rochelle Alleyne with ABC Action News in Tampa. Just a quick question. Can you kind of walk us through the process to how you arrived at this specific manner of death?
DR. BRENT BLUE: In the state of Wyoming, there are four possibilities for a manner of death. They are homicide, suicide, accident, and natural. And those are the four choices. When we do an investigation and we look at a crime scene — or the scene of death — the scene of the body, the condition of the body and findings at autopsy and toxicology. And that is how we arrive at the manner of death. So, it really depends on lots of different circumstances.
REPORTER 5: Doctor, Steven Fabian again from Inside Edition. Can you tell us if the body was buried when it was discovered or it was… if the body was on the surface?
DR. BRENT BLUE: I can’t tell you that that would be something you’d have to ask the FBI, because we’re not allowed to release that information.
KRISTEN WATERS: Kelly Vaughn. Do you have a question, Kelly Vaughn?
[No response]
We have Brian Entin in the chat, who has a question. What’s your question, Brian?
[Reading question from chat box]
“Was there any impact on her body from weather, or wild animals in the National Park?”
DR. BRENT BLUE: I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the question.
KRISTEN WATERS: “Was there any impact on her body from weather, or wild animals in the National Park?”.
DR. BRENT BLUE: All I can really comment about that is that her body was outside in the wilderness for three to four weeks.
KRISTEN WATERS: KSL Assignment, you are unmuted. KSL Assignment?
REPORTER 6: Hello, Dan Rascone here from KSL TV in Salt Lake. Dr. Blue, can you tell us at all whether or not… was it believed that she was murdered there at that location or is there any indication that her body was drugged there or taken there, or can you give us any indication there?
DR. BRENT BLUE: I can’t comment on that would be something you’d have to speak with either law enforcement or the FBI.
KRISTEN WATERS: Matthew Cella. Matthew Cella, do you have a question?
REPORTER 7: Hey, Doctor Blue. It’s actually Jimmy from DailyMail. com in New York here. What were the results of the toxicology reports, and is there any suggestion that Gabby had any drugs in her system and if so, what were they?
DR. BRENT BLUE: The results of the toxicology are not public knowledge [crosstalk] so I can’t comment about that.
REPORTER 7: Thank you.
KRISTEN WATERS: We have a question from the chat: “Was Gabby Petitto pregnant?”
DR. BRENT BLUE: She was not pregnant.
KRISTEN WATERS: Thomas Taupe?
REPORTER 8: Hi, Doctor. My question — did you seek the advice of forensic entomologists or forensic botanists during the course of your investigation?
DR. BRENT BLUE: The FBI has sent materials to a forensic entomologist.
KRISTEN WATERS: WPBF 25 News?
REPORTER 7: Hi, Doctor. This is Terry Parker from WPBFM in Palm Beach County, Florida. I’m wondering if — you said you were very thorough in this autopsy and examination, could you give us an example of the type of test and analyses as you performed?
DR. BRENT BLUE: This autopsy included a whole body CAT scan, an examination by a forensic pathologist, an examination by a forensic anthropologist and toxicology evaluation. So yeah, it was, we pretty much covered all the bases.
