Gabby Petito's Stepfather Reveals He Created Memorial Of Stones Found In Shape Of Cross Where 22-Year-Old's Body Was Discovered
Oct. 6 2021, Published 5:41 p.m. ET
Gabby Petito's stepdad was the person who mysteriously placed rocks in the shape of a cross at the site where the 22-year-old's body was discovered.
Jim Schmidt appeared on Dr. Phil alongside Gabby's mom, Nicole Schmidt, her biological dad, Joe Petito, and Joe's wife, Tara, dropping the bombshell during part two of their interview that aired on Wednesday.
On September 19, an unidentified body was found in a remote area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Gabby's family had reported her missing on September 11, 10 days after her fiancé Brian Laundrie returned home to Florida from their cross-country trip in her van without her.
Two days after the body was discovered, a makeshift memorial appeared in the area. Helicopters captured aerial shots that showed at least 12 rocks laid out in the shape of a cross.
According to Jim, the move that made headlines was simply an act of love for his stepdaughter.
"It wasn’t until the day the sheriffs allowed us to go where they actually found her body, we wanted to go out there and we got flowers and I made the cross that everyone saw on the news," he told Dr. Phil.
Revealing that following Gabby's death a chipmunk began appearing, Jim said he saw the furry animal again at the site where her body was found.
"As I started placing the rocks, I looked up and a chipmunk came out of a hole right in front of me and sat at the edge of the cross, and just sat there and didn’t move as I placed all the stones and laid all the flowers," Gabby's stepdad explained.
On September 22, the FBI confirmed to the public that the remains found were Gabby's. The coroner ruling her death a homicide.
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Following her passing, Gabby's family has revealed that they believe she's sending them signs beyond the grave as the FBI continues their search for Brian.
On September 17, Brian's parents announced he was missing after allegedly going on a solo hike three days before. On Tuesday, that story changed with his family saying they made a mistake — he reportedly disappeared on September 13, not 14, as they previously claimed.
