According to Dr. Brent Blue of Teton County, Gabby Petito was killed by "manual strangulation". He previously declared her death a murder.
Priya Banerjee is a board-certified anatomical and forensic pathologist. She described manual strangulation to be "up close and personal. It's a lot anger and very targeted towards the victim."
Manual strangulation can be done with your hands or any other body part. Banerjee said, "You don't need any other than that."
Blue said that he believed Petito died between three and four weeks before search teams found her body in a Wyoming camping area. The location was near Jackson, Wyoming. Blue stated that he cannot comment on the autopsy report, except the cause and manner, because Wyoming state law prohibits him from doing so.
Banerjee said to CNBC's "The News With Shepard Smith” that it was remarkable that Petito's injuries were recognized by the coroner, considering the time Petito had been dead.
Banerjee stated, "It's crucial to know that they were able tell her that she still had severe internal injuries, even though she had decomposed. The body is not in a normal state after three to four weeks.
In July, the 22-year old left for a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. Laundrie, who returned home to Florida with Gabby a month ago, is being sought by the FBI for debit card fraud.
Laundrie has not been seen since September 14, when he said to his family that he was going on a hike in Florida’s Carlton Preserve.
For any information regarding the Gabby Petito case, a national hotline is available at 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324)
