Month: September 2021

On Wednesday, police in Florida named the boyfriend of a missing woman as a ‘person of interest’ in her disappearance during a road trip taken by the couple. The North Port Police Department said Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of the missing woman Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, returned to North Port, FL on Sept. 1 —  10 days before was reported missing by her family.  North Port police Chief Todd Garrison said that Laundrie “has not made himself available to be interviewed or has provided any helpful details. We are pleading with anyone, including Brian, to share information with us on her whereabouts in the past few weeks. The lack of information from Brian is hindering this investigation. The answers will eventually come out. We will help find Gabby and we will help find anyone who may be involved in her disappearance.”  Petito is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 110 pounds, with blonde hair, blue eyes and several tattoos including one on her finger and another on her forearm that reads “Let it be.”

Petitio, 22, and Laundrie, 23, traveled from Florida to New York before they were set to visit national parks out west in July. Petito’s family said they last heard from her on Aug. 25 when she was believed to have been in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.  Gabby had consistently documented the trip on social media, including her YouTube channel “NomadicStatik” but her last Instagram post was also on Aug. 25.  On Wednesday, police said Petito’s van, which the couple had been traveling in, was recovered at a home she shared with Laundrie and his parents on Sept. 11 and was “fully processed for evidence along with FBI agents Tuesday evening.”

Laundrie’s attorney, Steve Bertolino, released a statement on Wednesday saying: “It is our understanding that a search has been organized for Miss Petitio in or near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On behalf of the Laundrie family, it is our hope that the search for Miss Petito is successful and that Miss Petito is reunited with her family. On the advice of counsel, the Laundrie family is remaining in the background at this juncture and will have no further comment.”

U.S. Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman testified before Congress Wednesday about what they say were failures in FBI’s handling of the sexual abuse case against Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor who was sentenced in 2018 to up to 175 years in prison are pleading guilty to sexually assaulting hundreds of girls and women. The hearing was held as the Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating the FBI’s handling of the case.

Biles said during her testimony: “We have been failed, and we deserve answers. Nassar is where he belongs, but those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable. If they are not, I am convinced that this will continue to happen to others across Olympic sports.” Raisman cited failings of USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, saying: “It took over 14 months for the FBI to contact me despite my many requests to be interviewed by them,” she said. “I felt pressure by the FBI to consent to Nasser’s plea deal. The agent diminished the significance of my abuse and made me feel my criminal case wasn’t worth pursuing.”

Maroney accused the FBI of delaying documenting her claims against Nassar and of making false claims, saying to the senators: “Today, I ask you all to hear my voice. I ask you please do all that is in your power to ensure that these individuals are held responsible and accountable for ignoring my initial report, for lying about my initial report and for covering up for a child molester.”  Nichols added, “I reported my abuse to USA Gymnastics over six years ago and still my family and I received even few answers and had even more questions why this allowed to occur and why dozens of other little girls and women at Michigan State had to be abused after I reported. In sacrificing my childhood for the chance to compete for the United States, I am haunted by the fact even after I reported my abuse so many women and girls had to suffer at the hands of Larry Nassar.”

A Justice Department inspector general report released in July found the FBI made “fundamental errors” in its response to allegations against Nassar that were first brought to the agency in July 2015.

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