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Gabby Petito Case: YouTuber Who Submitted Footage of Her Van to FBI Speaks Out

As the search for Brian Laundrie continues, investigators find themselves continuing on their journey to piece together Gabby Petito’s disappearance. Shocking revelations over the past 24 hours include a body matching Gabby’s description found in the Teton National Park. Additionally, the FBI officially declared the Laundrie residence a crime scene Monday morning.

The body’s discovery is at least partially attributed to a YouTuber family whose accidental footage helped narrow down the officials’ search. Officials already knew to search Grand Teton National Park as they attributed Gabby’s last appearance to the area. However, the park spans over 500 square miles, making a general search quite difficult. The footage came from the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite, allowing the FBI and police to hone in on a much smaller area.

After telling the proper authorities everything they know and cooperating with the investigation, the YouTuber family is now speaking publicly on the matter.

The Bethunes Connect With Gabby Petito’s Family

Jenn Bethune, one member of YouTube’s “Red, White, and Bethune” talked to Fox 13 News about her family’s discovery. The family found themselves in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camp area and Jenn remembers stumbling across a white van from Florida before news of the Gabby Petito case even broke out. She recounts:

“We passed by their van — or a white van — and the white van had a Florida plate. We were excited because we’re from Florida, you know, hometown Tampa Bay. So we wanted to stop and talk to them but the van was dark and it was all closed up.”

During a routine editing session weeks later, Jenn stumbled upon an accidental video taken by her husband which clearly showed the same van. After corroborating the van’s details, she quickly turned the video over to authorities. She kept it on the Internet to encourage any other campers from the area to check their photos and videos from the site, too. While they recovered a body, officials still need to piece together what exactly happened.

Since sharing the video, the Bethunes got the opportunity to personally connect with Gabby Petito’s family. Jenn describes their interactions:

“I just want to say that Gabby’s family is so amazing. I talked to her mom and her dad. [They’re] such wonderful kind-hearted, beautiful people that I am blessed to know. They are just hurting right now.”

The Bethunes Attribute the Tip to Their Son’s Spirit

The Bethune family is made up of Jenn, Kyle, and their three children. They tragically lost their fourth child, Ethan, on a trip to Disney World for his 7th birthday back in September of 2011. Jenn found the footage of Gabby Petito’s van which lead to a promising lead for the investigation on the anniversary of her son’s passing. She has a hunch he’s been watching over her:

“He would’ve turned 17 [Sunday] and I fully believe that Ethan had a hand in bringing Gabby home for sure.”

Shortly after the discovery of the body, a rainbow also appeared over the site, pointing to perhaps another sign from above.