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Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito disappeared while traveling across the United States with her boyfriend in a converted RV
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Uncredited / dpa
The case of Gabby Petito, who was missing in the USA for weeks and was later found dead, has apparently been solved: According to the US Federal Police FBI, Petito's boyfriend at the time claimed responsibility for killing the young woman before he committed suicide.
The investigation did not identify anyone other than Brian L. who was involved in the 22-year-old's death, said FBI agent Michael Schneider.
L. confessed to the crime in a notebook that was secured after his suicide.
The investigation would therefore be terminated shortly.
"All logical steps of the investigation have been completed in this case," said Schneider.
Petito had not returned from a trip across the United States with her 23-year-old boyfriend last summer.
The case attracted attention both in the United States and internationally – not least because the Florida couple had shared numerous pictures and videos from their trip on social networks.
Petito's body was found in the state of Wyoming in September after an intensive search.
According to the coroner, the young woman was strangled.
Her boyfriend had driven away in his car shortly after Petito was reported missing.
At the end of October, body parts of the 23-year-old were discovered in a nature reserve in the state of Florida.
According to the forensic medicine, L. died as a result of a shot that he had inflicted on himself.
Even after Petito's body was found, he was not explicitly considered a suspect, but the police classified him as a person relevant to the investigation.
jso/dpa
