Gabby Petito Press Conference Transcript – September 19, 2021
FBI confirm body found in Grand Teton National Park area of Wyoming is that of missing Gabby Petito.
[BEGIN GABBY PETITO PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT]
SPOKESPERSON: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us. We’ll have time for a brief statement, and because this is an ongoing investigation we won’t have time for questions. Please.
CHARLES JONES: Good afternoon. My name is Charles Jones. I’m the Supervisory Senior Resident Agent here in Wyoming for FBI Denver. Standing with me here today are Acting Chief Ranger Matt Wilber with the National Park Service, Hunter Bailey who is Chief of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch. We also have Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr and Jackson Police Chief Michelle Weber. First and foremost, on the behalf of the FBI personnel and our partners, I would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby’s family: Joe and Tara Petito and Jim and Nichole Schmidt. As every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We ask that you all respect their privacy as they mourn the loss of their daughter. As you are aware, FBI personnel in coordination with our partners at the National Park Service, the Forest Service, Teton County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson Police Department have been conducting investigative activity in the vicinity of the Spread Creek dispersed camping area. Earlier today, human remains were discovered consistent with the description of Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito. Full forensic identification has not been completed to confirm 100% that we found Gabby, but her family has been notified of this discovery. The cause of death has not been determined at this time. We appreciate your continued support and patience as we work through this process. The vicinity around Spread Creek campsite will remain closed to the public until further notice. This is an active and ongoing investigation, so we ask everyone maintain distance from law enforcement personnel and 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. We appreciate the tremendous support from the public. The support from the public’s response to request of tips has been remarkable. We continue to seek information from anyone who utilized the Spread Creek dispersed camping area between the dates of August 27th and August 30th. 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. And finally, the Denver Field Office direct is 303-629-7171. Photos and videos can also be uploaded at: fbi.gov/Petito. We thank our 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. They surged their resources in a very short amount of time and their personnel have been intimate… have intimate knowledge of the rugged terrain that we’re dealing with which made this process much more difficult. We greatly appreciate the invaluable skill and expertise of the Teton County Search and Rescue Team. We also thank the community of Jackson and the surrounding areas for the hospitality and for accommodating a rapid influx of law enforcement personnel in the area. In order to protect our investigative process and increase the probability of successful prosecution should it be necessary, we have no additional comments. We appreciate your cooperation and respect for Gabby’s family loved ones during this difficult time. Thank you.
[Gathers papers and exits the podium]
REPORTER: Sir, can you please tell us why you, uh, why you lead you to that campsite in particular as opposed to—-
CHARLES JONES: —it’s an ongoing investigation, sir. We cannot answer those, unfortunately, at this time.
[END GABBY PETITO PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT]
