How Publicity From Gabby Petito’s Case Led To The Discovery Of 7 Other Missing People
The Petito's aren't the only family to have lost someone like this.
Twitter Ever since Gabby Petito’s disappearance and the subsequent discovery of her body in Grand Teton National Park there has been a nationwide manhunt by law enforcement and private individuals.
The sole purpose of their search is to locate the only person of interest in connection to Gabby’s death, her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie.
However, the search has also brought clarity on to the cases of several other missing people.
While, hundreds of other women have gone missing in recent years in Wyoming alone and haven’t seen a fraction of the coverage Petito's case received, some families are closer to justice thanks to the fallout of the case.
RELATED: Why Gabby Petito's Official Cause Of Death Was Tragically Predictable
7 other missing people found in the aftermath of Gabby Petito's disappearance.
The interest and search for Brian Laundrie are so widespread that the search has indirectly or directly resulted in the discovery of several other bodies.
Robert Lowery
One body was reportedly recovered due to an increase in tips being to sent to law enforcement because of the nationwide search for Petito.
The body was found to have no connection to the case but the body belonged to 46-year-old Robert Lowery.
Lowery’s family had been looking for him for weeks without success by the time that his body was found near Grand Teton National Park.
Lowery’s trail had largely gone cold by the time that new tips started coming in regarding his last known sighting.
Based on the tips that were coming in, volunteers searched for Lowery in Grand Teton National Park.
Teton County Search and Rescue specifically credited the nationwide coverage of Gabby’s case as the source of some of the tips in a statement.
“The widespread news coverage of the Gabby Petito search helped bring light to Lowery’s case, and resulted in at least two members of the public calling local authorities this past weekend with new information about his possible last seen point. The new information put Lowery on the Black Canyon Trail, wearing a black baseball cap with a gold P, and carrying a duffle bag with the Nike logo.”
Josue Calderon
Not long after claims that Laundrie was seen in North Carolina, the body of a 33-year-old man was discovered.
Calderon was ruled a victim of a stabbing and while his homicide is tragic, police will at least be one step closer to finding answers with the discovery of his body.
Lauren Cho
Cho's disappearance, and the lack of attention it received, sparked outrage when Petito's story began to take off.
Increased attention on Cho led to the discovery of remains that may be linked to her.
Cho vanished on June 28 after setting out for a solo walk in California's Yucca Valley desert.
Gabby’s family seems to be acutely aware that there are other victims like Gabby that go missing never to be found.
Sara Bayard
Many who followed Petito's case also turned their attention to the case of a missing 55 year old from Colorado.
Petito had checked in on Instagram at nearby Monument Rocks on the same day El Paso County Sheriff’s Office received the missing report on Bayard.
Bayard's body has been found but her cause of death is not yet known.
Kylen Schulte and Crystal Turner
The missing newlywed couple had already been found stabbed to death in Utah by the time Petito was reported missing.
However, as sleuths looked for possible connections between their cases, more focus was given to their murders.
While their deaths remain unsolved, Schulte's father has welcomed the attention as he seeks more information on his daughter's tragic final days.
Gabby's family are trying to take the media attention that Gabby’s case is receiving and turn it into something positive.
The Gabby Petito Foundation is an organization dedicated to helping families and victims. Their mission statement reads, “The mission of the foundation is to address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.”
While the search for Brian Laundrie goes on, it is important to remember that there are others, families and victims that have and will experience the same tragedy that has befallen the Petito family and that they are just as deserving of the outpouring of support that Gabby’s case has received.
Dan O'Reilly is a writer who covers news, politics and social justice. Follow him on Twitter.