The ground was disturbed at the site where Gabby Petito’s body was found and an apparent fire pit was located nearby, according to the first public images of the crime scene obtained by the Daily Mail.
The images also show various orange markings on trees and rocks, presumably spray paint used by investigators that processed the scene at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite in Wyoming.
One image obtained by the Daily Mail appears to show an orange marking on multiple holes made in knotty wood or the flesh of a tree.
Additional photos show the orange marking on a stone and dead tree that also have black dots or lines drawn on them.
Another orange spot is visible on a tree that appears to have a number written on it.
The photos from the Daily Mail also captured a memorial cross that Petito’s stepfather made out of rocks on the spot where the body was found.
The ground appeared to be disturbed under the stones, according to the Daily Mail, and it looked like a small fire pit was located nearby.
A retired law enforcement official told the news outlet that he had never seen the kind of orange markings that were photographed at the crime scene, but said the FBI has its own process to collect and analyze evidence.
Petito’s body was discovered Sunday and her death was later ruled a homicide, but the cause of death has not been released publicly. She had last talked with her family on August 25 in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Authorities are searching for Petito’s fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who had been traveling the country with her in a camper van over the summer.
There are multiple reports of Laundrie acting aggressively in the weeks leading up to Petito’s death.Body cam video captured an interaction the couple had with police in Utah on August 12, which showed Petito crying and telling officers that she had Laundrie had been “fighting all morning,” which had prompted Laundrie to lock her out of their van.
Then on August 27, Laundrie reportedly was arguing with a waitress and stormed out of a restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming.
Laundrie returned to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, on September 1 alone. He has refused to talk with police about Petito.
Laundrie’s parents say he told them he was going for a hike in a nearby nature preserve on September 14, but he has not been seen since. The parents reported him missing several days later, prompting a manhunt.
Earlier this week, federal authorities issued an arrest warrant for Laundrie after they say he fraudulently used someone else’s financial accounts between August 30 and September 1 after Petito’s death.Petito’s funeral is scheduled for Sunday in Holbrook, New York.
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