(NewsNation Now) — Gabby Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, will speak with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield Thursday to share his thoughts on the investigation of his daughter’s death.
You can watch Banfield preview the interview in the player above. You can watch the interview tonight on “Banfield” at 10/9c on NewsNation.
Gabby Petito vanished while on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie in a converted camper van. The trip was well-documented on social media until it abruptly ceased, allegedly somewhere in Wyoming. The couple documented most of their trip, which started in July, on a YouTube Vlog called “VAN LIFE”. The last posts to both their Instagram accounts were from Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Petito, 22, was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days. Her body was discovered days later.
The Petito family held a press conference two weeks ago, marking the first time the family had publicly spoken since the 22-year-old YouTuber’s body was discovered in Wyoming.
Her mother, father, stepfather and stepmother all displayed matching tattoos they had gotten in honor of Gabby Petito, stating “Let It Be.” The tattoo was designed by Petito “in the way she had it written on her arm.”
Joseph Petito thanked the news media and social media for spotlighting his daughter’s disappearance, but he said all missing persons deserved the same attention.
“I want to ask everyone to help all the people that are missing and need help. It’s on all of you, everyone that’s in this room to do that,” he said, pointing to reporters and cameras in front of him. “And if you don’t do that for other people that are missing, that’s a shame, because it’s not just Gabby that deserves it.”
A search is underway for Laundrie, who is a person of interest in the case.
Brian Laundrie’s parents say they last saw him Sept. 13, when they said he took the car to the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve to go hiking. But, that date is a change from their original story. Up until Tuesday, they had been saying they last saw Brian Laundrie on Sept. 14.
Watch “Banfield” weeknights at 10/9c on NewsNation.
The Associated Press has contributed to this report.
