Gabby Petito told Brian Laundrie 'bad for your soul,' but cops said 'if he doesn’t have sense to stay away, it’s on him'

COPS told Gabby Petito that Brian Laundrie is "bad for your soul," and that if "he doesn't have sense to stay away, it's on him."

Bodycam footage shows Petito and Laundrie's interaction with cops after an altercation in Utah just weeks before the 22-year-old disappeared.


On August 12, cops in Utah pulled Petito and Laundrie, her fiancé, over after an altercation was called in by a third party, according to NBC-2.

Petito was last seen after leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City on August 24. The pair had been traveling across America in a 2012 white Ford Transit van since July 4.

In the footage, a visibly upset Petito is seen talking to officers about some sort of altercation she had with Laundrie, and one cop suggests he is "bad" for her soul.

"Maybe it's bad for your soul," the officer can be heard saying, after discussing Petito's anxiety with her.

"…I'm not telling you what to do with your life, but if you know you have anxiety, look at the situations you can get in," the officer adds.

While speaking to cops, Laundrie described the altercation the pair got into as a "squabble" over minor things like their van being dirty.

He told officers that they were walking outside of the van and Petito attempted to grab his keys, so he attempted to push her away.

The bodycam footage shows officers discussing the incident, and coming to the conclusion that Petito was the "aggressor" in the domestic incident.

Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the very latest news and updates…

While cops are discussing whether to charge Petito, they make the decision to instead separate the couple for the night.

"Another option is to not charge them and to separate them for the night," one of the officers says.

"If they find themselves together … if he doesn't have enough sense to stay away, it's on him," he adds.

While Petito remains missing, Laundrie has since returned to his home in Florida, hired an attorney, and is reportedly not cooperating with the cops.

The couple left from Blue Point, New York, and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, in August.

But they left amid heavy smoke from the wildfires and stopped in Grand Teton, Petito's last known location, before a planned trip to Yellowstone.

The pair were supposed to reach Portland, Oregon, and visit a family friend for Halloween on October 31.

She was reported missing on September 11, and cops opened an investigation.

Laundrie Named 'Person of Interest'

On September 15, Laundrie was named a "person of interest" in the case.

Since the start of the investigation, Laundrie has been uncooperative with investigators, police said.

Florida's North Port Police Department said in a statement on Wednesday: "Brian Laundrie is a person of interest in this case."

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 added: "The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out."

Van Taken in as Evidence

A police statement released on Wednesday also detailed how Laundrie returned to North Port on September 1.

"Gabrielle’s vehicle was recovered here in North Port at her home on September 11th. A home shared with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and his parents," the statement said.

"That vehicle was fully processed for evidence along with FBI agents Tuesday evening.

"As of now, Brian has not made himself available to be interviewed by investigators or has provided any helpful details."

Laundrie released a statement through his lawyer on Tuesday, saying the Laundrie family would remain "in the background" as the investigation unfolds.

"This is an extremely difficult time for both the Petito family and the Laundrie family," the statement said.

"I understand that a search has been organized for Miss Petito in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On behalf of the Laundrie family it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family.

"On the advice of counsel the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment."

Laundrie's Sister Speaks Out

Laundrie's sister, Cassie, spoke to Good Morning America on Friday, saying that she hasn't spoken to her brother since he returned from his trip.

"I've cooperated every way that I can," she said. "I wish I had information. I would give more. This is all I have, [what] I gave to the police."

She said her brother has always been a good, dependable person and she just hopes Petito's disappearance will turn out to be some sort of misunderstanding.

Petito Was Documenting Her Trip

Before her disappearance, Petito had been documenting their trip on Instagram, posting dozens of pictures from Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Arches National Park.

Her last post on August 26 was a series of images of her smiling in front of a colorful mural.

The couple had also started a YouTube channel to share their road trip.

One eight-minute video – titled "Beginning Our Van Life Journey" – was posted to the channel three weeks ago.

Nothing has been posted on Gabby's private Facebook page since her disappearance.




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