Cops investigating the disappearance of Gabby Petito have revealed they are “not ruling out” a potential link between the missing case and a couple’s murder near where she fought her fiancé.
Utah investigators reportedly said on Wednesday they are “not ruling out” the possible connection between the 22-year-old traveler who was reported missingon September 11 and two newlyweds who were fatally shot at a campground near Moab.
Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie, who cops have named as a person of interest in her disappearance, reportedly got into a fight on August 12, just days before she went missing.
Days after the “incident,” which cops were called to, a married couple was found shot dead at a campsite — shortly after texting friends that a man had allegedly been “creeping them out.”
Kylen Schulte, 24, and Crystal Turner, 38, were found dead by a friend in the La Sal mountain range in Utah on August 18, five days after they were last seen at Woody’s Tavern in Moab August 13, according to Fox News.
The couple had been married for just four months and lived in a camper van,Fox13reports.
On Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for the Grand County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News: “We’re looking at everything.
“I mean, anything and everything suspicious around that time, or we’re not ruling anything out at this time.
“So we’re just investigating the information as it comes in.”
According to the spokesman, no suspect was identified in the fatal shooting of the newlyweds.
Additionally, Schulte held a job at a grocery store called Moonflower — the exact location where Petito and Laundrie got into an argument.
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Investigators have speculated that the incidents may be related due to their proximity in time and place.
On Wednesday, a newly revealed report said Petito was in hysterics after a physical fight with her fiancé that led police to stop their van on August 12 in Moab, Utah.
The entire police report of the incident between Petito and Laundrie revealed that Petito was sitting in the van’s passenger seat “crying uncontrollably” after their “fight” when a cop pulled up to their vehicle.
Police stopped Petito and Laundrie after they were seen driving at 45 mph in a 15 mph zone.
After driving away from an incident at Moab’s Moonflower Co-op, where a witness claimed he saw Petito hitting Laundrie in a verbal fight, they were pulled over.
Officer Daniel Scott said a witness noticed Laundrie and Petitio “arguing over a phone” before the pair drove away.
“Witness says he saw Gabby hitting Brian in the arm through the driver’s window as if Brian had locked her out,” According to the police report.
According to the police report, Petito climbed back in the van via the driver’s side windows before the pair drove off.
The Moab City, Utah police report, obtained by The Sun, states: “At no point in my investigation did Gabrielle stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears.”
It also notes: “There were no significant injuries reported, and both agreed that Gabby suffers from severe anxiety, etc.
“It appeared that this incident was more accurately categorized as a mental/emotional health ‘break’ than a domestic assault.”
“Both the male and the female reported they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn’t wish to see anyone charged with a crime,” According to the report.
The officer was told that Laundrie had been traveling with Petito for four to five-month and that their arguments escalated.
“That time created emotional strain between them and increased the number of arguments,” The report says.
The police report also stated that following an “evaluation of the totality of the circumstances,” the situation was not believed to reach a level “of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis.”
“I then determined the most appropriate course of action would be to help separate the parties for the night so they could reset their mental states without interference from one another, and although they did express a desire to remain together, they both ultimately agreed,” the report adds.
After the incident, Petito spent the night in his van while Laundrie stayed in a nearby hotel. The police report also stated that Laundrie and Petito both had their phones for emergencies.
And now, weeks later, officers say Laundrie is “hindering this investigation” by not cooperating with them.
Florida’s North Port Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday: “Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in this case.”
North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison added: “As a father, I can imagine the pain and suffering Gabby’s family is going through.
“We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks.”
Garrison said, “The lack of information from Brian is hindering the investigation. All the details will eventually be revealed.
“We will help find Gabby, and we will help find anyone who may be involved in her disappearance.”
Cops also confirmed in a statement that Laundrie returned to his parent’s house in Florida on September 1, almost two weeks before Petito’s family became concerned and reported her missing.
Petito, 22, and Laundrie (23) were traveling together in a white van taken from his parents’ house on Saturday.
As Laundrie refused to talk to them, local police sought witnesses who might have seen the van over the past weeks.
Her family stated that the couple had lived in Florida for two years together, meeting at a high school in New York.
They documented their “Van Life” travels on their social media accounts and set up a YouTube channel just three weeks ago to chronicle their adventures through national state parks.
A map depicted Petito’s final movements before her disappearance last month.
The white fan was seized on Saturday