JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Teton Coroner Dr. Brent Blue conducted a 25-minute press conference today beginning with the revelation Gabby Petito was strangled to death.
The bulk of the presser was Q&A in nature.
Blue did divulge that he estimated the time of death as 3-4 weeks prior to the remains being discovered on September 19. Petito’s remains are now with a local mortuary. Plans for her body to return home are being made with the family.
Blue fielded some two dozen questions during the brief conference, many from Florida news outlets where person of interest Brian Laundrie’s family lives, and where the couple was residing before their cross-country trip out West.
John Walsh, of America’s Most Wanted fame, pestered Blue for details on Petito’s killer—something Blue said he could not provide, citing state statute.
“Everybody in the world believes Brian Laundrie killed Gabby. But are you sure Brian killed Gabby?” Walsh asked, pointedly.
“I can provide no other information pertaining to the autopsy per state statute,” Blue replied.
Blue shared that the autopsy was time-consuming due to several reports—pathology, toxicology, DNA sampling.
“All these took time to come together,” Blue said in answering ABC’s Heather Leigh on why it took a month to release a cause of death.
Blue did confirm Petito was not pregnant. He would not disclose what, if any, drugs or alcohol Petito had in her system at the time of death.
Blue also would not comment on what led him to determine strangulation the cause of death, nor whether an instrument, such as a rope, was used in strangling Petito. He did say that a determination was not immediately evident at the scene. It was reached only after careful analysis.
“Nothing is obvious in a situation like this,” Blue said more than once in reference to the state of decomposition of the body after 20-30 days outdoors.
The autopsy was conducted entirely at the Teton County morgue. Some test samples were sent to an outside lab.
Blue’s longest answer was in response to KHOL’s Will Walkey regarding what it’s been like working under the national spotlight on this case.
“It’s been quite the media circus and continues to be. This was one of many deaths of people involved in domestic violence and it is unfortunate that others don’t get as much coverage as this case. Deceased was a blogger and maybe that is why,” Blue said.
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