# Van lifer goes missing on cross country trip with fiancee **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604 "2021-09-13T13:48:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/161 "2021-09-17T20:11:24Z")
Huh. Wonder if he left her in a huff/after an argument, flew down to Florida leaving her in the van. Couple days later he tries to call her/make up/whatever and she doesn’t respond. He goes back to where he left her. Somehow or other finds that she’s no longer with the van (dead? suicide? kidnapped? eaten by a grizzly? who knows?). Starts to panic. Winds up eventually driving the van back to Florida himself and doesn’t know what to do about it. Yes, it’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/162 "2021-09-17T20:39:47Z")
In that video, the woman narrating says that the distance from where they picked up B.L. (Colter Bay) to Jackson is “like 10 miles”. It’s actually around 40. I can’t make full sense of the part of the video that starts at 4:12. She says “This is the text I sent to him at 6:09, right when he got out of the car saying I was okay because she was freaking out.” The text of the message is: “Not dead He had to go back to his wife!”. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/163 "2021-09-17T21:31:44Z")
She said that was a text to her mom, who would be understandably concerned that her daughter picked up a hitchhiker and would want to know when he left her car. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/164 "2021-09-17T21:34:44Z")
I found the video confusing as well. Perhaps she meant Colter Bay to Jackson Dam is “like ten miles”? So are we to understand he wanted to go to Jackson Hole, and got mixed up when they said Jackson? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/165 "2021-09-17T21:58:24Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > . How long are these recordings stored? When you dispute your credit card bill, the credit card company may insist that the convenience store check their recordings to see who really was there. If the store has wiped the record, they have to eat the credit card loss. That’s an incentive to keep the recordings out to ~ 90 days, if you have the capacity to do so. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/166 "2021-09-17T22:26:06Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > She said that was a text to her mom … Right, thanks. (I misheard it as “to him” instead of “to my mom”.) ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/167 "2021-09-17T23:13:07Z")
> [@gnarator](#): > > So are we to understand he wanted to go to Jackson Hole, and got mixed up when they said Jackson? It’s confusing. Jackson is a small city; Jackson Hole is the valley, but most Wyomingites just use “Jackson” for both. Maybe he said “Jackson Hole” and they didn’t hear the “Hole” part? But why would he want to go to Jackson Hole? One other thing I’ve been wondering about: nights get pretty nippy in that area in August, as in not much above freezing. A long-sleeved shirt wouldn’t have kept him from hypothermia. Even a hoodie wouldn’t be much help. The woman who picked him up said his backpack wasn’t full. No sleeping bag, no warm coat? And as the woman said, it was odd that he wanted to go toJackson, which is south of Colter Bay, yet he’ was coming _from_ the south. There must be other people out there who gave him rides–not just that day, but on the return trip to get the van. Maybe one of them will come forward. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/168 "2021-09-17T23:20:46Z")
> [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > Video from a woman who says she & her boyfriend picked up Brian L. as a hitchhiker on Aug 29. > > [Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5KBdSf5TYs). This could be a big break in the case (if authorities confirm the tip). It puts Brian in a specific location a few days after Gabby stopped calling family. He even said the campsite is along the Snake River. That campsite is probably the last place the couple stayed. It’s important that whoever gave Brian a ride back comes forward. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/169 "2021-09-18T00:10:26Z")
There are reports that police have entered the Laundrie house in FL. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/170 "2021-09-18T00:14:16Z")
Looks like they’re talking with his parents at their request; Brian not present. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/171 "2021-09-18T00:24:20Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The problem is that if, hypothetically, that IS the truth, they argued and he left her, if she still turns up dead he will still be the first suspect even if someone else killed her, she committed suicide, a bear ate half of her, or whatever. He still bears some responsibility in this case, does he not? > [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > Video from a woman who says she & her boyfriend picked up Brian L. as a hitchhiker on Aug 29. > > [Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5KBdSf5TYs). That was interesting. I have no idea what it means, but it was interesting. > [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > There are reports that police have entered the Laundrie house in FL. Progress I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/172 "2021-09-18T01:35:51Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > He still bears some responsibility in this case, does he not? It would depend on what happened but most people would believe a guy that his girl friend was psychotic and hitting him so he left and when he came back she was dead. In that specific case I can’t see how he would bear responsibility but would probably still end up in jail. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/173 "2021-09-18T01:51:26Z")
Well, in that scenario, he left her in a vulnerable position, and he didn’t call for help later. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/174 "2021-09-18T01:53:10Z")
Is it established that he put her out of the van? Or did she leave of her own volition? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/175 "2021-09-18T01:55:56Z")
What I’m seeing via Google News is that Brian Laundrie’s family does not know where he is at present. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/176 "2021-09-18T02:00:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What I’m seeing via Google News is that Brian Laundrie’s family does not know where he is at present. So now if Gabby Petito shows up, we can accuse her of killing him. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/177 "2021-09-18T02:34:23Z")
I guess I’m not most people. Let’s say that’s what happened: he leaves in a huff. He hitchhikes to an airport (but not the airport in Jackson, apparently) and flies to Florida. She doesn’t post anything, even though she’s an influencer who’s always texting people and posting videos of her and Brian’s “van life.” After a week or two back in the comforts of home, he gets worried (to continue this scenario) and goes back to where he left the van. Then he drives the van back to Florida. If he’s worried, why doesn’t he contact their friends and her family to see if they’ve heard from her? Why does he head back to the spot where he left her and the van? Why would he assume that over a week later, she’d be in that same spot? And having found the van without her in it all that time later, why does he not sound an alarm? Why does he drive 2500 miles+ and not tell her family or anyone else that she’s missing? By all accounts, Petito was not someone who’d decide to leave the grid and hike alone. If you haven’t been in that part of Wyoming, that’s some very rugged country. It’s not like there are hiking trails and visitors centers all around. Did she even have a tent? (Accounts say they were camping, but I think most “van lifers” sleep in the van.) All that might not lead to “beyond a reasonable doubt” if I were a juror, but it sure as hell wouldn’t lead me to believe she killed herself or was murdered by some random person. At the very least, he’s a selfish asshole for putting his own fear of becoming a suspect (which he essentially is anyway) over Petito and her family. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/178 "2021-09-18T02:34:40Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Well, in that scenario, he left her in a vulnerable position, and he didn’t call for help later. Which means he owes her something? Leaving when your assaulted doesn’t give you a duty to care for the person who hit you. Hell, for that matter she’s an adult so I’m not sure how much duty of care he has in general, sure he couldn’t force her into a dangerous position but he shouldn’t have any duty to stop her from putting herself in one. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/179 "2021-09-18T02:38:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It puts Brian in a specific location a few days after Gabby stopped calling family. He even said the campsite is along the Snake River. But that’s assuming he was telling Miranda and her boyfriend the truth, as opposed to lying to keep LE off his trail. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What I’m seeing via Google News is that Brian Laundrie’s family does not know where he is at present. Well, they’re trying to protect him, so that’s not surprising. Maybe they know where he is, or maybe they just gave him some money and told him to go into hiding somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604/180 "2021-09-18T06:13:10Z")
He hasn’t been seen since Tuesday: > **[Agents search in Wyoming for woman, in Florida for boyfriend](https://apnews.com/article/florida-713487eef98d858653b3caa9ba66f94c)** > > Police in Florida searched a vast wildlife reserve near the Gulf Coast for 23-year-old Brian Laundrie, a person of interest in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito. > [@](#): > > Attorney’s for the Petito family released a statement saying “Brian is not missing.” > > “All of Gabby’s family want the world to know that Brian is not missing, he is hiding. Gabby is missing,” the statement from the law office of Richard B. Stafford said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/van-lifer-goes-missing-on-cross-country-trip-with-fiancee/950604.md?page=10)