Sheriff: Double homicide of Utah newlyweds and Petito missing person case not linked
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MOAB, Utah — Utah officials are now saying they don’t believe the double homicide of a newlywed couple and the missing person’s case centered around Gabby Petito are linked.
In a one-line press release on Friday evening, the Grand County Sheriff’s office in Utah said, “It has been determined that the Gabby Petito missing person case is not related to the double-homicide case involving Crystal Turner and Kylen Schulte.
Twenty-two-year-old Petito has gained national attention after she went missing during a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend. According to North Port Police in Florida, Brian Laundrie came back home to Florida on Sep. 1 in the van that Petito and Laundrie were traveling in. However, he did not come home with Petito. He has since hired a lawyer and has not spoken publicly about Petito’s whereabouts.
Schulte, 24, and Turner, 38, were found dead on Aug. 18 near Moab in the South Mesa area of the La Sal Mountains. Authorities had been looking into the cases as possibly connected due to the proximity of all four people being in the same place at about the same time.
RELATED: Slaying of newlywed women at Utah campsite investigated
On Friday evening, police officers in Florida went inside Laundrie’s home. It’s not yet known why officers are inside.
Police just went into Brian Laundrie’s house https://t.co/6O9quGmTNo
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) September 17, 2021
According to a reporter outside of Laundrie’s home, there are protesters with bullhorns shouting, “Where’s Gabby?”
RELATED: A timeline of events in the case of Gabby Petito’s disappearance
Petito is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and is 110 pounds. She has blonde hair and blue eyes with several tattoos including one on her finger and one on her forearm that reads, “let it be.”
The FBI has set up a national hotline to receive tips, 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324).