Woman Reveals She Gave Brian Laundrie a Ride After Spotting Him Hitchhiking
A woman has said that she picked up Brian Laundrie when he was hitchhiking in Wyoming, becoming the second person to claim they had given a lift to the person of interest in the disappearance of his fiancée, Gabby Petito.
Norma Jean Jalovec had just attended a church service about 1.2 miles from Jackson Lake Dam when she stopped to give Laundrie a lift about 6.30 p.m. on August 29 near Pacific Creek Landing in Grand Teton National Park.
"I picked him up," Jalovec told Fox News Digital, "Something just said, 'Hey, ask him where he's going.'"
Sitting in the passenger seat of her 4Runner vehicle, he asked her if she was going to Jackson. When she said she wasn't, he requested to be dropped off at the Spread Creek dispersed camping site, Jalovec said.
This was the area where Petito's remains were found on September 19. The FBI has ruled her death a homicide following an autopsy.
"Everything's legitimate. Everything's corroborated. I already talked to the FBI," Jalovec told Fox.
Jalovec, a seasonal Wyoming resident from Florida, said she did not realize who she had picked up until she saw a TikTok video from Miranda Baker describing how she and her boyfriend had given Laundrie a ride.
Jalovec connected the dots when she heard Baker's account, which included her saying she had dropped Laundrie off after he had "freaked out" at the place where Jalovec picked him up.
Petito, 22, went missing during a cross-country trip with Laundrie, 23, who returned home from the trip alone on September 1. Petito was reported missing on September 11 and Laundrie was last seen by his family members in Florida on September 14.
Jalovec and Baker are among those who have emphasized the significant role that TikTok and social media have played in the case. Petito had been documenting her trip on Instagram.
A major search continues for Laundrie who is considered a "person of interest" in the case but has not been charged with any crimes.
The FBI on Thursday said the U.S. District Court of Wyoming issued a federal arrest warrant for Laundrie, who is accused of unauthorized use of a debit card and several accounts, spending more than $1,000. The documents do not say who the cards or accounts belong to.
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said while the warrant allowed officers to arrest Laundrie, "the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide."
Newsweek has contacted the FBI for comment.
