Police searching for Gabby Petito in a national park in Wyoming have found a body they believe to be the 22-year-old who disappeared on a camper van trip across the US.
FBI Agents said the body was found in Grand Teton national park by law enforcement agents who had spent the past two days searching campgrounds.
The cause of death has not yet been determined, said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Charles Jones.
He said that while forensic examinations were yet to “confirm 100 per cent” that the human remains were those of Ms Petito, they were consistent with her description.
In a brief public statement on Sunday evening, he said “I would like to extend sincere and heartfelt condolences to Gabby’s family.
“As every parent can imagine, this is an incredibly difficult time for the family and friends.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We ask that you all respect the privacy as they mourn the loss of their daughter.”
Her father, Joseph, shared a tribute to his daughter on social media with a photo of her adorned with a pair of angel wings, and the caption: “she touched the world.”
Ms Petito, 22, was visiting the Grand Teton National Park with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, when she disappeared.
The pair had set out on a nomadic cross-country campervan trip in July, documenting their adventures on social media.
Police said Mr Laundrie was alone when he drove the van back to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, on September 1.
Mr Laundrie was declared a “person of interest” in the case, but not charged with any crime. He declined to speak to police, and has since disappeared.
He was last seen on Tuesday by family members in Florida, and investigators have been searching for him for the past two days in a 24,000-acre wildlife reserve near Sarasota, Florida.
The Laundrie family attorney released a statement, saying, “The news about Gabby Petito is heartbreaking. The Laundrie family prays for Gabby and her family.”
The autopsy of the body believed to be Gabby Petito is set for Tuesday to confirm identity and find out how she died, the Teton County Coronor’s Office said.
