Brian Laundrie and his girlfriend Gabby Petito embarked on a cross-country trip in July, but only Laundrie returned home — in Petito’s white Ford Transit van.
Petito’s body was found last week in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, but Laundrie has been missing since last Tuesday.
The mysterious case has garnered nationwide attention, but authorities have had no success in locating Laundrie so far.
As various law enforcement agencies, bounty hunters and volunteers continue to search for Laundrie, here is the latest update on the case.
Another Body Found
Remains matching the description of Robert Bob Lowery were found Tuesday at the base of Teton Pass in Wyoming, as reported by CNN.
Lowery’s remains were discovered with the help of volunteer hikers and a search dog team.
The father of two from Houston was last seen more than a month ago, carrying a black duffel bag, a sleeping bag and a tent.
Teton pass is a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park, which is where Petito’s body was found.
Petito Effect
Petito’s disappearance and the search for Laundrie have helped shine a light on another missing person’s case and may bring closure to Lowery’s family, according to authorities.
"The widespread news coverage of the Gabby Petito search helped bring light to Lowery’s case, and resulted in at least two members of the public calling local authorities this past weekend with new information about his possible last seen point," the Teton County Search and Rescue said in a statement.
The cause of Lowery’s death is currently under investigation.
Lowery’s Family
In a statement, Lowery’s family thanked the search teams and asked the public for privacy.
"Bob has been a wonderful father, son, brother and friend. Our family wants to thank the news media and others involved in the search for our privacy at this difficult time."
Robert’s sister, Leigh Lowery, told NBC News she hopes the Petito disappearance and death will raise awareness about other similar cases.
"Hopefully, more tips will come in to help these other families," Teton County Sheriff’s Deputy Chad Sachse added.
Controversies
Though some are happy that the Petito case shined a light on other unsolved cases, others believe the press has been paying close attention to Petito for all the wrong reasons — mostly because she is a white woman.
Veteran KTVU anchor Frank Somerville reportedly wanted to address on air what is being described as the "missing white woman syndrome," but channel executives prevented him from doing so.
This allegedly resulted in Somerville’s suspension, and it remains unclear if he will ever return, as The Inquisitr previously reported.
