Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - 'VAN-LIFE GIRL' GABBY PARENTS SPEAK OUT as Boyfriend Hides Out at Parents' Home

Episode Date: September 16, 2021

Nichole Schmidt, the mother of missing Gabby Petito, says she feels her daughter is still alive, but she admits that could be hope on her part. In the meantime, boyfriend Brian Laundrie still has not spoken to authorities. Stepfather Joseph Schmidt, who is in Wyoming working with authorities searching for Gabby, calls Laundrie's lack of action, an act of cowardice. Joining Nancy Grace Today: Nichole Schmidt - Victim's Mother Jim Schmidt - Victim's Stepfather Dale Carson - Criminal Defense Attorney (Jacksonville), Former FBI Agent, Former Police Officer, Author: "Arrest-Proof Yourself, DaleCarsonLaw.com Dr. Angela Arnold - Psychiatrist, Atlanta GA www.angelaarnoldmd.com, Expert in the Treatment of Pregnant/Postpartum Women, Former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology: Emory University, Former Medical Director of The Psychiatric Ob-Gyn Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital  Joe Scott Morgan - Professor of Forensics Jacksonville State University, Author, "Blood Beneath My Feet", Featured on "The Piketon Massacre: Return to Pike County" on iHeartRadio Mike King - Host: "ProfilingEvil" on YouTube, Former Police Officer (Ogden, Utah), Former Chief Investigator: Weber County Attorney’s Office, Former Chief of Staff: Utah Attorney General’s Office, Author: "Deceived, An Investigative Memoir of the Zion Society Cult", www.ProfilingEvil.com, Instagram/Twitter: @Profiling Evil, Garna Mejia [MEH-HEE-UH] - Reporter, KSL-TV in Salt Lake City (reporting from Jackson Hole, WY), Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @GarnaMejiaKSL, ksltv.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Gabby Petito, now called America's daughter. Where is she? How can we find her? Why are we not getting answers from her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, who's safe and sound, hidden away at his parents' home in Florida? Why did he travel all the way back from, we think, Wyoming without her? Why did he arrive in Florida around September 1st, but nobody knows Gabby's not with him?

Where is she? Can she be found? Joining me now, her mom, Nicole Schmidt, and stepfather, Jim Schmidt. Jim is there in Wyoming. He has flown out to look for her himself. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us here at Fox Nation and Sirius XM 111. I want you to first hear a family statement. Let's start friends at Fox 4. And a new statement from Petito's family reading,

Every day, the search for Gabby continues. The Smith and Petito family become more desperate They are frantically searching for answers and information in their daughter's disappearance While Brian sits in the comfort of his home this statement continues Brian How could you do this to Gabby you selfishly remain silent while Gabby is all alone in the wilderness Brian your silence is reprehensible We beg you to do the right thing and help bring Gabby home. The statement ending with, you tarnish your love for her with your silence.

You are hearing Gabby's family begging the boyfriend to speak out. First, straight out to Jim Schmidt there searching for Gabby on the ground. Joining us from Jackson Hill, Wyoming. Jim, it's almost like looking for a needle in a haystack because Laundrie, the boyfriend, is not telling anybody that we know of where he left Gabby. Yes, that's correct. You know, we're out here, you know, to say that, you know, we're actively out in the woods searching. Our reason for coming out here was to help assist law enforcement with any questions, put a face with the family and represent us out here.

But just the vast area out here, it's tremendous and it's surreal. I'm trying to figure out. We've heard so many different things straight to Gabby's mother, Nicole Schmidt, joining us. Ms. Schmidt, I practically had to make a flow chart to figure out where was Gabby last known to be? I know she checked out of a Salt Lake City hotel. She was seen there. She was seen at a gas station. Why, may I ask, do you believe her last known location is Wyoming?

Because the last time I spoke to her, she said she was going to the Grand Teton and she sent me a text that she was there. I just have a good feeling that that's true, and that's where she was. Let me ask you this, Ms. Schmidt. You got a text ostensibly from Gabby, but now you wonder that it's not Gabby who wrote that text. I agree with you. I believe the text said something like, no cell in Yosemite? Yeah, after finding out that the van was in Florida on the 1st of September,

if you do the math, if Gabby doesn't have her phone with her, I don't know. I think everybody can make their own conclusion from that. Let me understand the movement, Jim Schmidt, because you have strategically chosen for reasons known to you to search for her in Wyoming. Although her last text said no cell phone coverage in Yosemite. Yes. I thought that she was in Yellowstone. And that was that was their plan. The plan was to come up through the Grand Tetons and go to the go to Yellowstone. At no time was there a mention of her going to Yosemite, which is in California and completely off the track that,

you know, we thought that she was going on. Completely. Mr. Schmidt, I've taken my twins camping and RVing through Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Tetons. They're, I guess, 800 miles apart. Those were different trips, right? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So when Nicole, Ms. Schmidt, gets a text from Gabby saying no cell service in Yosemite. That's not even where she was supposed to be. And I believe that was on what, the 29th that you get that text, Ms. Schmidt? It was the 30th. The 30th. And if you get that on the 30th, no sales service in Yosemite,

and then the vehicle 30 days has September, two days later, less than two days later, the van is already in Florida. That doesn't make sense. Correct. Doesn't make any sense. Let me ask you regarding her lexicon, her jargon, her vernacular, Ms. Schmidt, would she have written that text? Would that, are those her words? No cell phone, no cell service, Yosemite. Would, would she have written that text? Now looking at it in retrospect, it's not her. I don't believe it's her. How would she have written that text? Now looking at it in retrospect, it's not her. I don't believe it's her. How would she normally write a text? I've been very curious. It would probably be more informal, like, hey, mom, you know, don't try to contact me. I'm, you know,

going to be in a place with no service for a day or two. You know, I'll call you when we get out. You know, it would have been more, like like personable. I bet she would have said something like, but I'm okay. Right. Cause she knows, she knows I was a worried mother and I would check on her constantly and she would, that's why she kept in touch with me. Would she have added emoji like a heart or a smiley face or a flower or something like that? Uh, she wasn't a huge emoji user, huge emoji user, but once in a while, but it was more the wording that I look at as not being her. Let me ask you this, Mr. Schmidt, everyone joining me is Jim Schmidt and Nicole Schmidt. These are Gabby's parents. Jim, do we know yet whether that last text was triangulated? Do we know from what part of the country it came?

I'm not sure. I know all the law enforcement agencies. It's multiple agencies that are involved in this investigation, and I know they are working every avenue possible to get as much information as I can. Unfortunately, they have to keep a lot of this information tight because they don't want anything to hamper their efforts or interfere. So, you know, we don't know that information. Guys, this in the backdrop of the boyfriend being named a POI person of interest. Now, I noticed when he was named a person of interest, authorities, law officers said until he speaks to us and tells us what happened and explains himself, he's a person of interest.

Will that cloud of suspicion be lifted once he finally does speak with police? Don't know yet. Take a listen to North Port Police Press Conference. You know, he's going to remain a person of interest until he starts speaking. He's that piece of the puzzle that we need. You know, I can't fathom why you refer to her as the love of your life on social media, but you won't speak out, you won't help, you won't do anything. It's absolutely absurd and it makes no sense to us. And he needs to speak out. You won't help. You won't do anything. It's absolutely absurd, and it makes no sense to us. And he needs to speak up, and we're not going to lay off.

We're going to keep pressure on him until he says something. Let's take a listen to that press conference. It just made more sense. You know, the family, first of all, the agency in Suffolk County has been fantastic. You know, no issues there this was just a situation where that happened to be where the family reported Gabby missing and the fact that the van is here and both of these people that were there surrounded in this case are North Port residents so it just made more

sense we definitely processed that vehicle yesterday with the FBI. Certainly there was some material in there that we'll be going through. I don't know that we're at a situation of releasing all those details. Crime stories with Nancy Grace. We definitely processed that vehicle yesterday with the FBI. Certainly, there was some material in there that we'll be going through. I don't know that we're at a situation of releasing all of those details. The kicker to that, Joe Scott Morgan, is any material that's found within the camper,

which Gabby herself worked out in the driveway. All of their neighbors saw her working and working and working, converting a 2012 Ford Transit into a travel camper. Her fingerprints and DNA and belongings would be in the camper anyway. So that may not indicate anything, Joe Scott. Yeah, yeah, you're right. And that's just day to day living. We're talking about touch DNA. Those things are left behind in common in common parlance. Yes, ma'am. Guys, more of the presser. Listen. So here's the situation that happened. We went to the door Saturday night. We asked to speak with Brian and his family. And we were essentially handed the information for their attorney.

That is the extent of our conversation with them. It's my understanding. We have had some conversations with his attorney, but certainly nothing to the level of providing us the details that we would like. Straight out to Nicole Schmidt. This is Gabby's mom joining us. Ms. Schmidt, were you surprised that when the cops go to the door to speak to your daughter's boyfriend, they hand him a piece of paper with the lawyer's name written on it? It's absurd. I don't understand it. She lived with them. She's part of their family. Why aren't they talking? I have heard from various sources, Ms. Schmidt, that Brian Laundrie actually flew home during the road trip and then flew back to where the camper was. Is that true? We've been told by the FBI that under investigation, we are not to discuss those things. Okay. I understand that. And anything that touches on the integrity of the investigation,

we do not want to tamper with that. So just tell me. Okay, those reports will remain just that, reports for right now. We are trying to figure out where they last were, where Gabby was last seen alive. Was she spotted on video? Was there an entrance to one of the national parks where we can see her? All the cards are being held right now by her boyfriend, Brian Launder, who refuses to speak. This, as we learn, that police in Moab, Utah, were called to an apparent domestic incident August the 12th. We've been reviewing with a fine-tooth comb that body cam footage. Take a listen, our friends, at CBS2 New York, R-Cup 47. For the first time, details of an altercation between the two in Moab, Utah, on August 12th.

According to this police report, police responded to a reported domestic assault, but concluded it was a mental-emotional health break. Quote, Brian explained he and Gabrielle had been traveling together for the last four or five months. That time spent created emotional strain between them and increased the number of arguments. After arguing, Gabrielle had gone into a manic state, telling police both suffer from a mental condition and were not taking their meds. According to the report, police determined the altercation did not rise to the level of domestic assault and the two were told to separate for the night. Laundry was given a hotel

room. Did he harm Gabby? Because if he did, you know, then he stole our car and drove it across state lines. I'm trying to figure this out. When I saw the footage, Nicole Schmidt, your Gabby's mom, Gabby did not look manic. She cried the whole time. And from what I could gather, she got locked out of the van. Laundrie locked her out of the van and had her cell phone. In fact, a witness claimed she was trying to get through the window to get back in the van. She's out in the middle of nowhere and gets locked out of the van is the way I understood it. Yeah, it's very upsetting to see my daughter in that state and to hear

what was going on. I'm not really going to comment on the incident any further, but it is very upsetting. You know, I want to go to Dr.ela arnold i understand miss schmidt you know to for a guy to lock the lady out of the van out in the middle of nowhere i've been exactly where they are and the that terrain is very rugged if you don't have your cell phone you're screwed and she got locked out of the van that's uh some power play huh yes no wonder she was crying and you know you know what else i wonder nancy i wonder what led up to that what led up to him locking her out of the van why had things gotten so out of control that he felt the need to lock this very small framed girl out of the van that she put together for this trip? Guys, we are discussing the very latest in the attempt to find Gabby, Gabrielle Petito, to Jim Schmidt there.

This is her stepfather. He's there in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, looking for his girl. Jim, tell me about the search for her that is going down right now. Right now, the search, everything right now is being handled by law enforcement agencies. You know, we're just here to support them. I'm here with a long-time family friend. And we're just here really in a support role to them. We're trying not to do anything or go anywhere that will, you know, negatively affect their investigation. So we're just here to let them know that we're here for them for whatever they need. Ms. Schmidt, you have been quoted as saying you have a gut feeling Gabby is alive.

Tell me about that. Yes. I would think it's along the lines of more of hope, but I do feel that my daughter is out there. And I think she might need help, but I do feel she's alive. Well, Ms. Schmidt, as I often say in criminal law, when you don't know a horse, look at the track record. Take a listen now to our Cut 45, our friends at Fox 13 Salt Lake City. The other officer who interviewed Brian wrote, Brian said Gabrielle, thinking he was going to leave her in Moab without a ride, went to slap him. As Gabrielle started to swing, Brian pushed her away to avoid the slap. They also described Gabby's demeanor, saying at no point did

Gabby stop crying, breathing heavily, or compose a sentence without needing to wipe away tears. They added Brian did not show any signs. Brian did not show any signs that he had been a victim in the least. What I'm getting at, Gabby thought she was going to be locked out of the van and left in Moab, Utah without a ride. If he had done that once, did he do it again? Did he take part in an argument and then just leave her? Do you have any reason to believe that is what happened to Jim Schmidt? You know, the only two people that truly know are Gabby and Brian.

We don't know where Gabby is and Brian's not talking. So we don't have answers to any of these questions. And this is what we need. We need answers to all of these questions. Ms. Schmidt, at any point in their relationship, had Brian Laundrie ever been violent with Gabby before? I know that she had broken off their engagement in the past. Not to my knowledge.

I think it wasn't really a broken off of the engagement more than a let's put it on hold and just go travel and stuff and not worry about planning a wedding. Not to my knowledge has he ever been violent. I mean, they had their normal couple quarrels. They're young, you know, but nothing that would shoot off a red flag that he would harm her in any way. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

I just am going back to what we know, and we know that cops said she was afraid he was going to lock her out of the van again and leave her in the middle of nowhere. And when I say nowhere, I mean it. Very rugged, rough terrain. Take a listen to our Cut 49. This is Justin Shecker, WFLA. The police report says Laundrie told officers their time together traveling created an emotional strain between them and increased the number of arguments. He added she went to slap him because she feared he was going to leave

her in Moab without a ride. The officers right. They decide the fight didn't rise to the level of domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis. Police recommended they spend the night apart so they could relax their emotions and regain control of their

anxiety potatoes stay with the van and police help laundry get a hotel room at Seekhaven Family Crisis Center. My next question to Mr. Schmidt, who is joining us from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to all of you listening to Mr. and Ms. Schmidt now, please call FBI 225-5324 if you know anything about Gabby's whereabouts or you think you know anything.

Repeat, 1-800-225-5324. 1-800-CALL-FBI. Or you can go online. There's a GoFundMe app. Help us find Gabby. Back to Ms. Schmidt. Ms. Schmidt, how often did you and Gabby speak? Frequently. If she was going to have that service for a couple of days, I knew it. And she would always

call me right after to say, you know, I'm back in civilization. I'm at a Starbucks, you know, trying to upload videos and, you know, get on my Instagram. She was really into the van life and trying to start her channel. And I talked to her at least three times a week, if not more. And that is a huge undertaking. In fact, I was watching in full the body cam video, Ms. Schmidt. And I was listening to Laundrie speaking and he says to the effect she's been really stressed out she's trying to launch her YouTube channel her travel blog and she's been working really hard on that yeah and I'm just thinking about her and in the video she's the one seemingly wronged she's crying she's up to set and she keeps saying things like i'm sorry i was in a bad mood yeah it's heartbreaking sweet little thing why is

she apologizing heartbreaking this sweet girl for being in a bad mood it's really hard for me to imagine her in a quote bad mood. She's in the back of this van trying to launch a travel channel and she was doing a beautiful job of it. Yeah it hurts my heart to see her in that in that position and I wish I could just go rescue her and hug her and you know save her from that heartbreak. When I just looked at her, Ms. Schmidt, this beautiful young girl, just a waif. She's about 110 pounds and she's, I think, around 5'5". And crying out there in that hot sun, crying, crying, crying. And the cops realize that they sit her down in their car. I think they've got some air conditioning going, trying to help her.

It just breaks my heart that now we don't know where she is. Back to you, Mr. Schmidt. You say law enforcement is looking for her right now. How are they doing it in that terrain? They're working collectively with every agency out here. They're very familiar with this area. They're following up every and all lead they have, checking any last known location. But a lot of it is very tight-lipped.

They can't divulge a lot of that information. But I know they're doing their best. We know Gabby was spotted. Let's cut our cut 41, our friends at Fox 13. Gabby was spotted at a local Fairfield Inn. Listen. We've reported the last place Gabby was seen alive was at a Salt Lake City hotel on August 24th. We can now tell you a family spokesperson says it was the Fairfield Inn and Suites on Admiral Byrd Road just west of the Salt Lake City International Airport. That's right. Fox 13 News did go to the hotel this evening where staff would not speak to us on camera, but did say the FBI and police officers have visited the hotel recently,

and Gabby stayed there for more than a day. So tell me, Mr. Schmidt, you are in Wyoming. That spotting of her at the hotel was in Salt Lake. You're convinced she actually made it to Wyoming. Why? you're convinced she actually made it to Wyoming why uh yeah we're convinced because um you know some of her last posts on Instagram showed that she was in Ogden Utah you know that would be you know leaving uh Salt Lake City and heading towards this way you know heading up towards the Idaho Wyoming border you know, right around that time, too. You know, she had some text communication with Nicole, our wife, just stating that, you know, she was up in this area,

and they were going here, and then they were continuing on to Yellowstone. So it was just something in our gut that tells her that this is where she is. Okay, so we need to get off Salt Lake City and be focused on Wyoming now. It's my understanding the Ogden, Utah is confirmed by her shot of Happy Halloween. It was kind of a joke because she was holding a little crocheted pumpkin in front of a monarch butterfly backdrop. Is that the one in Ogden, Mr. Schmidt? Yes.

Yes, I believe that's it. Okay. Yes, that was confirmed, yeah. Let me go to Garna Mejia, reporter, KSL TV in Salt Lake. Garna, we now know that she made it to Wyoming. What more do we know? I understand she was spotted at a gas station. Where was that?

Yeah, that information about the gas station, I'm not too certain about. I think one of the first sightings actually came from tourists that were coming through town, and they remarked, they noticed that this van was really unique. They were on this trip. I think they're actually from Florida, and they were some of the first to come forward and said, you know what, that van is really unique. We'd like to try something like that. And that really stood out to them. So when they started to see all of this come up just over the weekend, really,

they reached out to the family and said, hey, we know this. We have pictures. We were in that area. And I've been in contact with them. And they even took their phone to a Verizon store to see if they could spot, you know, Gabby in the background of one of their pictures. They couldn't. But they assure us, and I think the family can speak to that, that they saw the van. They saw them here.

And speaking of sightings of the van, take a listen to our Cut 48 CBS 2. Police releasing new images of the van, asking for information at a new FBI tip line. Police say they're using every technological resource to scour cell records, app usage, videos, tolls, and more. If she's out there, we're doing everything in our power to bring her home. Laundrie's attorney says he's the one advising the young man to remain silent, adding intimate partners are often the first person suspected. On advice of counsel, the Laundrie family is remaining in the background. That is not good enough. We need the details. In response, Gabby's family said in a statement,

Brian, your silence is reprehensible. We beg you to do the right thing and help us bring Gabby home. Whatever happened in Wyoming happened. The only thing you can control is what you do now. Meanwhile, Laundrie's attorney remains adamant. He says, you know, that statement, anything that you say will be used against you. He says that's true. And he's telling Brian Laundrie to remain silent. Crime stories with nancy grace to jim schmidt this is gabby's stepdad out there on the ground looking for gabby in wyoming i don't know if you're going to comment on this but it's just what are your feelings knowing that brianrie has the key to her last whereabouts? As you were out there scouring the Tetons trying to find her.

In my opinion, it's an act of cowardice. That's all it is. Stand up, be a man, and do what's right, and help us find her. That's all we're asking. Remaining in the background is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. And we need answers. You have the answers.

And you need to let law enforcement know. You need to let us know where Gabby is. If you love her, if you care about her, you need to speak up. I mean, Joe Scott Morgan, you and I have both been part of grid searches before. They're very difficult. I mean, in a cornfield, in a pasture, much less in rugged, rugged terrain, such as out west. The reality is he's got the key to where he last saw her. Yeah, needle in a haystack is the best analogy, Nancy. And you're right. You know, when we do grid searches, it's a very narrow area. And just think about all of the law enforcement agencies that are involved in this.

In order to do these grid searches, you need individuals that are familiar with that terrain. They couldn't plop somebody like myself or Mike or anybody else down in that area. We're not familiar with it. This guy has to come forward. And Mike King joining us, host of Profiling Evil, former police officer in Ogden, Utah. Mike, I don't get it. Why not at least just throw us a breadcrumb, right? Just where he last saw her. If they got into an argument and he drove off without her, That's one thing. Did she fall from a cliff? Did she lost on a trail? Why would they not, are the parents not letting him speak at all?

On the other hand, he's a 23, almost 24 year old young man. Why are his parents having to protect him? Yeah, I'm with you on that. Number one, you have to go back to the fact that it sounds like they were living in the parents' home. They're tripping around the countryside together. All of a sudden, she disappears, and he goes for 10 days that we absolutely know of, more likely 14 days, without reaching out and saying something happened.

Gabby disappeared. It is unconscionable that this kind of behavior is going on, and I just cannot understand his thinking behind it. I agree. Guys, I want you to take a listen to Gabby herself. This is our cut 59. She's talking to the cop. Listen.

Yeah, I don't know. Some days I have really bad OCD. And I was just cleaning when he was cleaning up the back of the van before and I was apologizing to him and saying, I'm sorry that I'm so mean because sometimes I have OCD and sometimes I'm here and I'm in a bad mood. And I was just saying I'm sorry if I'm in a bad mood. I'm really stressed. I had so much work. I was doing like a huge morning. What did you do for a living?

Well, I used to work at an organic juice bar, but I just quit my job. I was a nutritionist. That was my job. I just quit my job to travel across the country. And I'm trying to start a blog. Okay. So I've been building my website. So I've just been really stressed and he doesn't really believe that I can do any of it.

So that's kind of been like a... I don't know. He's like... I don't know. We just been fighting all morning and... And he wouldn't let me in the car before. Why wouldn't he let you in the car? Because of your OCD? He told me I needed to calm down. But I'm perfectly calm. I'm calm all the time. He really stresses me out, and this is a rough morning.

Straight out to Gabby's mother. This is Nicole Schmidt joining us. I've analyzed every single word, and I want to hear your thoughts on what Gabby's saying. It's breaking my heart. She sounds like she was just stressed and having a bad day. It hurts. It hurts to hear her pain. Did you hear her say, I'm building my blog, my website. I'm so stressed.

He doesn't really believe I can do any of it. He would not let her in the car and kept telling her to calm down. I'd be upset too. If I was out in the desert in Moab, Utah, and I'm not allowed back in my car, I'd be upset too. But it hurts me that she's working like a maniac, trying to launch something, trying to build a business. And she's the one having to apologize for quote, being in a bad mood because she had to work on her computer all morning? Yeah, it's so hurtful to hear that.

It seems like, you know, the officer was going to give her a fine or something for domestic, but they decided not to, and it just blows my mind that, you know, he was cool and collected in the video. But, I mean, I don't know what else to think about it. I'm just really sad for her. It hurts my heart to see it. I just hate hearing her so upset. Joining me is Gabby's mom and also her stepdad, Dale Carson.

Calm down. It's her van. She's the one building a business, and he's her to calm down i i i don't get it but my question to you is more of a legal one since you're the lawyer the defense lawyer joining us why can't the boyfriend just state very simply where he last saw her why did he come home and keep his arrival a secret he was there for about 10 days without her and with her van. He can very easily communicate through other channels to law enforcement, specifically what not necessarily what transpired, but where she was last seen. And the only reason I can fathom that a defense attorney wouldn't provide that information directly to law enforcement, okay, without a statement from his client, because he doesn't

have to give that. And as a result, it can't be used against him. But the only other reason is because there's physical evidence present at that location, which would implicate the client. Yes, because if it's just a matter of telling, well, I last saw her in Wyoming at this gas station. We had a fight. We had a blow up. I drove off. If it's that simple, why not say so?

Which tells me it's not that simple. Ms. Schmidt, what, if anything, can you tell us about moving Gabby's possessions into storage in Florida? I think there's some speculation and mixed up stories about that. We're kind of not going to talk about that situation right now. Okay. Okay. I completely understand that. Let me go to Garner Mejia, KSL TV. What do we know about some of Gabby's belongings being put in storage in Florida? She was living there in Florida. The boyfriend lives

there. The parents are there. What do we know about her items being put in storage? Is that correct? I actually can't confirm that either. I do know from our earlier conversation with Nicole that she had mentioned they had been saving for a long time to take this trip. This was kind of a dream of theirs to do. And they wanted to, you know, she mentioned that they had gotten rid of a lot of their things to be able to get in this van and go on this trip. And they were planning for this to last several months.

I mean, I don't think she was due back in Florida until late October. So, yeah. It concerns me to hear, quote, we've been fighting the words of the boyfriend, Brian Laundrie. Mr. Schmidt joining me. He's there in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, searching for Gabby. Did you know them to have a contentious relationship? No. Anytime they were together, they seemed to be pretty happy.

All of my interactions with him, he was always very respectful, very nice. The two of them always seemed to get along very well. If there was any indication, we didn't see it. Ms. Schmidt, what is your message today? What is your message to everyone out there? Don't quit. Keep trying. Keep looking.

Keep sharing her picture, her videos. Look for her and i plead with the laundry family to please say something anything to help us find her mr schmidt what is your message my message is to speak up tell us where she is we're not going to stop until you speak until you tell us what's going on what happened none of that matters at this point you speak, until you tell us what's going on, what happened. None of that matters at this point. All that matters is you tell us where she was left known to be or where she is. That's all we want to know.

And you are to speak up, please. You know, Ms. Schmidt, you and I agree on so many things. And one of them is there is nothing stronger than a mother's love. Do you feel in your heart heart does your intuition tell you your daughter is alive and out there to be found yes and i believe she she needs help and because i know her and she just wants somebody to help her and And I beg for everybody to just keep looking and, you know, do what you can. Everybody do what you can. Because now at this point, she is America's daughter. She's your daughter. She's my daughter. She's everybody's daughter. Let's just find her. You are hearing the voice of Nicole Schmidt, Gabby's mother and her stepfather, Jim Schmidt,

there in Wyoming, trying his best to find her, braving the elements along with police and searchers looking for Gabby. Won't you help us? If you have information or think you saw her or the boyfriend, Laundrie, or the converted 2012 Ford Transit white in color, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. The number is 1-800-225-5324. The search for Gabby goes on. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Our prayers continue. Goodbye, friend.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Our prayers continue. Goodbye, friend.