MERCHANDISE about murdered vlogger Gabby Petito is being sold on Amazon and Etsy for profit just hours after her remains were identified by investigators.
The body of Gabby, 22-year-old, was found in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Sunday. It was officially identified by the coroners on Tuesday.
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The FBI tweeted that Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled the manner of death a homicide in his preliminary findings.
Gabby’s husband Brian Laundrie is missing. He was with her on a cross country road trip at the time of her disappearance.
Laundrie, currently considered a person in interest in her disappearance, was last seen on Tuesday. He told his parents that he was going to go hiking in a reserve near Venice, Florida. But he never returned.
CASHING IN ON TRAGEDY
As a police hunt continues, independent sellers on Etsy and Amazon appear to be attempting to cash in on the tragedy by selling Gabby Petito-branded merchandise on each of the websites.
Amazon lists at least four items related to Petito’s disappearance when you search for her name.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the very latest news and updates…
Three of the items are listed by a seller named SHANZEI, a third-party apparel merchant that appears to either be based in or linked to China.
SHANZEI sells black cotton tshirts for men and women for $12.98.
The t-shirts come in a range of prints, which include images of Gabby lifted from her Instagram page and the words “#FindGabby” or “Praying for Gabby Petito” emblazoned across them.
Petito-branded women’s and men’s hoodies are also offered by the seller in similar designs. They retail at $29.98.
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SHANZEI has limited information on its seller profile but indicates that the items will shop from Yuanqu County Jianfeng Trading Company.
It seems that the clothing was initially listed for sale Monday, the day Gabby’s remains had been found.
A self-published book entitled Gabby Petito, Everything You Need to Know About the Missing Travel Influencer by Victor Micah is the fourth item for sale on Amazon.
The book, listed in “Memoir short reads”, is being sold on Amazon’s Kindle Store for $2.99.
In a description of the book, Micah pledges to tell readers “Who Gabby Petito really is; [about] Gabby’s disappearance; Where and how her dead body was found; and proof that Brain Laundrie [sic] – Gabby’s boyfriend – killed her.”
Brian Laundrie is not currently considered a suspect in Petito’s murder. It’s unclear what “evidence” Micah’s book details.
The author’s Amazon page reveals a host of other short “biographies” Micah has written on the back of celebrity deaths or trending news stories.
His most recent self-published works include biographies of Norm Mcdonald, and Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones. Micah recently published an ebook titled Afghanistan: The Fall of The Taliban and the Fall of The US Government.
Central Recorder reached out to Amazon regarding the listing items.
‘IN LOVING MEMORY’
Meanwhile, on Etsy, a bevy of T-shirts and hats memorializing Gabby Petito are being sold for between $21 and $33.60.
“In Loving Memory of Gabby Petito” or “Justice for Gabby Petito” is written across the vast majority of the items.
One t-shirt, the most expensive on the website and listed by TumblerBrat, bears the slogan “#GabbyPetito Never Forgotten”.
The seller claims the shirt is being sold to benefit the Petito family, claiming “ALL PROCEEDS” will be sent to Gabby’s loved ones. It is not clear how the money will go to them.
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The majority of the other items listed for sale appear to be being sold for profit.
One t-shirt, sold by HumorousInventor, writes in the description of the product: “This t-shirt is everything you’ve dreamed of and more.”
The same seller also has an “In Loving Memory of Gabby Petito” cushion for sale at $31.14.
“A strategically placed accent can bring the whole room to life, and this pillow is just what you need to do that,” The product description says.
Central Recorder also contacted Etsy to comment on the products.
Social media users have expressed outrage at the fact that sellers were allowed to profit from Gabby’s death on Amazon and Etsy.
“People are actually selling Gabby Petito merch online. What is wrong with people? I want to call their parents and tattle on them,” Danielle Starry wrote.
FAMILY HEARTBREAK
After Gabby’s death was confirmed by coroners on Tuesday, a Facebook page her family set up in the hopes of finding her alive released a statement sharing their heartbreak.
“Our hearts are broken,” The post contained four words and was accompanied with a release from Denver’s FBI offices. It stated that the remains found in Wyoming Sunday belonged to Gabby, a van-life blogger. She had last been seen August 24th.
A second post, uploaded roughly 90 minutes later and to thesame Facebook page, read “#justiceforgabby” and featured artwork of the 22-year-old with angel wings, a halo and surrounded by two white doves.
Petito’s disappearance and news of her death has gripped the nation over recent days, with authorities still searching for her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.
Petito and Laundrie were about two months into their four-month-long adventure when Laundrie returned to Florida with their van on September 1st.
Laundrie has also gone missing. Police began searching a 24,000-acre Florida preserve over the weekend but were unsuccessful.
HUNT FOR LAUNDRIE
On Tuesday, a woman claimed she spotted a man who she is now certain was Laundrie “acting weird” around the Wyoming campsite where Petito was found dead.
After Gabby’s body was discovered on Sunday, an attorney for the family said: “We are asking the press and news media to have some decorum and sensitivity for Gabby’s family and allow them to grieve.
“I will be in contact with you when Gabby’s family is ready to make a public statement.”
Laundrie’s family also made a statement via their attorney, saying: “The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking.”
The statement added: “The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family.”
Petito was last seen on August 24, 2021, checking out of a hotel with Laundrie in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Her mother, Nicole Schmidt, revealed that she heard from her daughter on August 27 and 30, but she toldFox Newsshe is not sure if it was actually her as only text messages were exchanged.
“It was just a text. I did not verbally speak to her,” She told the media outlet.
‘FIGHT’ WITNESSED
On the day of the autopsy results, awitness statementtaken by Moab County Police, in Utah, came to light, where a man said he saw Petito and Laundrie fighting on August 12.
The witness said “something seemed off” and “it appeared that he didn’t want her in the white van.”
“I heard her say ‘why do you have to be so mean,” the witness added. “It was as if the guy was trying to leave her, and maybe take her phone? Not sure but wanted to help out,” the witness added.
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Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito’s disappearance:
- June 2021 – Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 – Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 – Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 – Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah’s Zion National Park.
- August 12 – Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. According to police, there were no injuries.
- August 19 – Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip. This video is viewed more than 250,000 times.
- August 24 – Gabby is last spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- September 1 – Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 – Gabby’s parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 15 – Florida’s North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He has not been charged.
- September 16 – Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 – Brian’s parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days.
- September 18 – Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police say they haven’t found anything.
- September 19 – Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. Although the FBI believes that the body is Gabby’s, a full forensic identification must be done before it can be confirmed.
- September 20 – Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie’s home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain “evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed.”
- September 21 – Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Laundrie was also retraced by police, this time at the Venice end of Carlton Reserve.
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