9. Public Records (National)

If you have had access to the internet for the past couple of months, there is a very big chance you have heard about the Gabby Petito case. In the instance you have no clue what I'm talking about, in August of 2021, Petito went missing while on a road trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie. Here is a link to the timeline, it goes into great detail on each step of the case.

As of September 28, The U.S. National Park Service has denied two requests for public records filed under the Freedom of Information Act. The records consisted of reservation data from Yellowstone National Park and ranger body camera footage from Arches National Park. Supposedly the records could interfere with "enforcement proceedings" and providing them could "afford a virtual roadmap through the government's evidence" and "prematurely reveal the full scope of the evidence that has been obtained to date." (KSL News Radio)

Teton County coroner: Gabby Petito died by strangulation

Gabby's body was found September 19, 2021. A search warrant affidavit revealed the van the couple were road tripping in was photographed exiting I-75 near Laundrie's home in North Port, Florida September 1, 2021. Laundrie is still evading police, but he is suspected to be the culprit of the crime. Authorities have not notably connected him to the crimes. 

Video Shows Gabby Petito's Van Door Closing 3 Days After Last Sighting

This case is one of very few examples in which it is okay to withhold records from the public. By withholding these files, it could help draw Laundrie out of hiding. It helps later on by having a leg up on the suspect while in court. I've seen a few episodes of Law and Order in my time and understand you can't release every detail about a case. 

This case is extensive and there is a lot of records out there that are public. Such as the coroner's autopsy, the search warrant affidavit that I talked about earlier, and eyewitnesses that spoke to the couple just a few days before. 

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