Gabby Petito cryptic odd last text made mother worry according to hard drive affidavit release. Search warrant cited growing tension between Gabby and Brian Laundrie.
Police have gained access to a hard drive found in the van belonging to Gabby Petito as details have emerged of the ‘odd’ last texts sent to her mum from her phone which led to alarm bells being sounded off.
A Florida court granted permission to investigators to access a hard drive that was recovered from the van during a search on September 14.
Investigators believe the hard drive could have information crucial to the disappearance.
The search warrant filing also includes the text of the last message Ms Petito’s mother received from her phone, sent on August 27, which reads: ‘Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.’
The text came one day after Petito’s final Instagram post and four days before her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, arrived in the couple’s van in Florida without her on Sept 1, according to an application for a search warrant made public Monday.
Will hard drive show a felony was committed?
Ms Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt said ‘Stan’ was meant to refer to Gabby’s grandfather, but since he rarely goes by that name, she found the text ‘odd.’ It also made her concerned there was something wrong with her daughter.
Ms Petito’s phone was turned off that same day the message was sent, more than two weeks (15 days) ago, the filing said according to WNYC.
‘This was the last communication anyone had with (Petito),’ the released affidavit stated. ‘Her cellphone was no longer operational, and she stopped posting anything on social media about their trip. Per her family, this was not normal behavior for (Petito), and they became more worried about her.’
The affidavit did not mention an Aug. 30 text that Schmidt said she received from her daughter’s phone.
‘No service in Yosemite,’ the message read – but Schmidt had previously said she didn’t believe her daughter sent the text because the van was back in North Port, Fla. by Sept. 1.
‘The van was in Florida on the 1st,’ Nicole Schmidt previously told the nypost. ‘I think I can do the math.’
According to the filing, the hard drive may also contain ‘evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed’.
The hard drive was recovered from the same van that Gabby’s partner, Brian Laundrie drove back to Florida alone from Wyoming 10 days before Ms Petito was reported missing.
The search warrant was granted based upon new information suggesting Petito was ‘unable to care for herself due to her increased anxiety,’ including footage of police stopping Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie on a Utah highway after they received a 911 call about the couple.
Results of Gabby Petito’s autopsy are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, possibly indicating the missing woman, since found deceased at a Wyoming campsite coming across foul play- and possibly murdered.
