Speculations about the possibility of Gabby Petito being pregnant at the time of her disappearance were rife after photographs of a sonogram were spotted near the couple's abandoned van. Images of Petito's Pinterest account, featuring a baby-themed board also went viral.
Laundrie was named a person of interest in Petito's disappearance last week, following which he disappeared. On Sunday, a woman's body was found in Wyoming national park that resembles the body of Petito.
Sonogram Images Found Lying Near the Van
The rumors surrounding Petito's pregnancy started after users shared images of a sonogram lying on a log near the spot.
The screenshots were believed to be taken from the shared by travel bloggers, which revealed the location of the couple's abandoned van parked in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The series of sonogram images was lying among a couple of other discarded items.
Another thing which led to many social media users believing that Petito was pregnant were the viral screenshots of her Pinterest board which featured a baby-themed pictures and ideas including images of mothers and toddlers, baby clothes, and pregnancy photos.
The board titled, "Oh Baby", was a subsection of a larger board called "Life Goals."
Was Petito Using 'Stan' As a Code For Danger?
It was also speculated that the word "Stan" used by the victim in one of her last text messages sent to her parents, was a code word for being in danger. "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls," the Aug. 27 text message reads. Petito's grandfather's name is Stan.
The online sleuths deduced that Petito was trying to reveal that she was in danger without her boyfriend noticing the same. "Stan" is the name of an Eminem song about a man who shuts out his pregnant girlfriend and obsessively tries to contact his idol for advice.
Petito's death was ruled as a homicide after the county coroner confirmed that human remains found in remote northern Wyoming along the border of Grand Teton national park belonged to the Long Island native.
However, the exact cause of her death was not disclosed pending final autopsy report. In a tweet, FBI field office in Denver wrote, "Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed the remains are those of Gabrielle Venora Petito, date of birth March 19, 1999. Coroner Blue's initial determination for the manner of death is homicide. The cause of death remains pending final autopsy results."
