The message was labelled as ‘odd’
Police officials have revealed that Nichole Schmidt received a mysterious message from her daughter Gabby Petito amid her recent disappearance.
As seen in a warrant obtained by E! News on September 20, Schmidt received an “odd text” from her daughter on August 27. The text read: “Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.”
Though her mother says Petito’s grandfather is named Stan, she also mentioned that her daughter has never called him that.
“The mother was concerned that something was wrong with her daughter,” read the warrant by officer Daniel Alix.
“This is the last communication anyone had with the subject.”
Petito, a 22-year-old Instagram influencer, was reported missing on September 11 after she failed to return from a road-trip with fiancé Brian Laundrie. With Laundrie returning home alone, he has since become a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance – but has himself since disappeared.
Schmidt states that – until the arrival of the ominous text message – she and her daughter reportedly spoke a lot regarding the trip. “During these conversations there appeared to be more and more tension between her and Laundrie,” wrote Alix.
He continued to say that her phone was no longer operational, and had remained that way for 15 days leading to the release of his warrant which was issued on September 15.
Thanks to a YouTube video that seemed to show Petito and Laundrie’s van, FBI and Police officers discovered a body on September 19 that matched the description of the missing influencer. Though the identity has not yet been confirmed, an autopsy is due to take place on Tuesday September 21.
FBI agent Charles Jones told the press of the findings: “I would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby’s family.
“As every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for her family.
“The cause of death has not been determined.”
Brian Laundrie, the fiancé of the missing YouTuber, is still missing. Having previously refused to cooperate with negotiators, Laundrie left his family home on September 14 for a hike in a 25,000 acre Sarasota nature reserve and never returned. His parent’s house has since been labelled a crime scene.
“As far as hurting himself in there, we don’t know that one way or another. I think it’s a possibility certainly,” North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor told the New York Post.
At the time of writing, Laundrie is simply a person of interest and not wanted for a crime.
Related links:
- Accidental footage may have helped FBI find body in Gabby Petito search
- Brian Laundrie’s family pay tribute to Gabby Petito after ‘matching’ body found by FBI
- TikToker ‘picked up Gabby Petito’s fiance alone’ days after she went missing
