During a press conference on Sept. 28, the Petito and Schmidt family displayed new tattoos honoring their daughter and spoke about the need for the same attention to be shown to all missing persons as was shown for Gabby Petito.
The tattoos, which mirror the ones Gabby herself had say ‘let it be’ in cursive as well as a floral drawing that Gabby designed. The family said they all got the tattoos together the night before.
“I wanted to have her with me all the time,” said Gabby’s mother, Nichole Schmidt.
When asked how Gabby’s disappearance shed a light on all of the missing people throughout the country and how the world connected with her daughter and her vibrant spirit Schmidt said she was ‘so proud of her daughter.’
“I just hope that people are inspired by her.”
Gabby’s father, Joseph Petito, called on the news media at the press conference to cover other missing person cases with the same push with which Gabby’s case was covered.
“This same type of heightened awareness should be continued for everyone,” Petito said.
The Petito and Schmidt family have created the Gabby Petito Foundation that they hope can help other people with missing loved ones. More information can be found at gabbypetitofoundation.org
Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Petito was reported missing by her mother on September 11 at 6:55 p.m. Petito had embarked on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and her family had not heard from her in a few weeks.
After an exhaustive search Petito’s remains were found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Her death has been ruled a homicide by the Teton County Coroner but final autopsy results will be needed to determine a cause of death.
On Sept. 23, the FBI issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie for use of “unauthorized access devices related to Mr. Laundrie’s activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito.” However, Laundrie’s whereabouts are currently unknown and his parents said they have not seen him since Sept. 14 when he left with a backpack to go to the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve near Venice, Florida.
