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Gabby Petito’s dad Joseph tweeted an emotional New Year’s Eve message and video to his daughter Friday night.
The grieving father, formerly of Selden, wrote, “Happy New year Gabby. Keep touching the world.” The video shows Joseph Petito looking up at two floating sky candles, released to honor Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old Blue Point native who was murdered in August while on a months-long cross country trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie.
The young blogger’s remains were found in a Wyoming national park in September, a week after she was reported missing and three weeks after Laundrie returned home from their trip — in her car without her. The local medical examiner determined she was strangled.
Laundrie was labeled by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance and death. He too went missing — later in September.
Laundrie’s remains were found near his home in North Port, Florida, in swampy lands of a state park in October, authorities said. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot, authorities said.
Joseph Petito’s New Year’s Eve post on Twitter touched the hearts of thousands.
“Forever America’s Daughter, we will continue to carry on in her name and legacy. Thanks to the Petito and Schmidt family for launching a awareness page and turning tragedy into a mission to help other families find their loved ones,” Twitter user Jeannie Brichetto wrote in a reply to Petito’s post.
In wake of Gabby Petito’s murder, her family established the Gabby Petito Foundation, to help “organizations that address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.”
A week ago, Joseph Petito tweeted a heartbreaking Christmas message to his “baby girl in heaven.”
Top image: Instagram/@gabspetito and Twitter/@josephpetito
