Gabby Petito Case: Mom Believes Her Missing Child Did Not Send Final Text From Yosemite

While authorities pursued several leads in the search for Gabby Pepito, the 22-year-mother old's said she doesn't believe Gabby sent the last text she got from her daughter's phone.

Petito's family had voiced frustration with Petito's lover, Brian Laundrie, who traveled with her when they reported her missing on September 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks. Since July, the two have been on a months-long road journey in their converted camper van. They recorded their outdoor adventures in state and national parks for Petito's Instagram account.

"She doesn't believe it was from her daughter," Rick Stafford, an attorney for the family, told Insider, or the last text Schmidt received from Petito's phone. "Looking back now with all the facts...she believes it's not her daughter."

The Instagram photos stopped on August 25. It was just a few days before her phone sent its final text to the influencer's mother, Nicole Schmidt, on August 30, which read: "No service in Yosemite."

Schmidt had previously told reporters that she and her daughter FaceTimed on August 25. Schmidt had previously stated that she and her daughter were in regular communication.

According to Schmidt, Petito informed her mother she and Laundrie were on their way to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming.

That was the last time she saw or heard her daughter's face.

"I don't know if it was technically her or not, because it was just a text, I didn't verbally speak to her," Schmidt told Fox News.

By Wednesday, authorities had announced that the vehicle, along with Laundrie, had returned to Florida, but that Petito had not. According to Stafford, Schmidt now doubts her daughter sent her the August 30 text, who cited this new evidence.

Stafford added, "She's not going to say who she believes it was from."

On Wednesday, North Port, Florida, police designated Laundrie a "person of interest" in Petito's disappearance. He has hired a lawyer and has rebuffed demands to be interrogated by authorities as of Thursday.

Petito's family released a statement on Wednesday, calling Laundrie's refusal to cooperate with detectives regarding her abduction "reprehensible."

"Brian, how could you do this to Gabby? You selfishly remain silent while Gabby is all alone in the wilderness," the statement obtained by Fox5 Atlanta read. "Brian, your silence is reprehensible! We beg you to do the right thing and help us bring Gabby home."

Police records have revealed evidence of a fight between the couple shortly before Petito's disappearance, including police bodycam video embedded on the top of the article.