Gabby Petito's last text ... who sent it?

The words we use carry more information than we intend them to do. From a single sentence we can learn more about the writer’s situation and personality than they ever intended.

In this case we’re going to see how four single words can reveal a whole cache of information.

The last text Gabby Petito sent her mum read “no service in Yosemite”. This came after days of no communication, something that was unusual for Gabby.

By now, you probably have your own ideas of who sent the text and what it means based on the mum’s doubts or your own hunches. Can we formalise that?

A couple of caveats here: we don’t know for sure those words were all that was in the text as law enforcement sometimes keep information back. Also, texts can be harder to read as many people go short with them and use abbreviations and shorthand.

“No service in Yosemite”

The first step is to think about what you’d expect to read. But don’t just project what you *want* to read. Base it on experience, either your own on others, including what you may have seen in factual media such as the news or documentaries.

In this case most of us have been in situations where we haven’t been able to communicate with others or others haven’t been able to talk to us. How is that usually explained?

I’d expect to see a “sorry”, I’d expect to see what you’re sorry for. I’d expect to hear an explanation for the radio silence. I’d expect to see something else, like an answer to a previous question or a timescale for when the next communication could come.

Here there is just the explanation. Nothing else

Where did the text come from?

It wasn’t sent from Yosemite that’s for sure. We need to believe every word we read and if we do it’s a plain statement of fact: There is no cell service in Yosemite.

I could write than here in northern England. Someone could write that in Florida or Moscow. I’m not going to write that if I’m at or near Yosemite.

If it was sent from Yosemite, we’d expect it to say “here” or “here in Yosemite”. I’d go further and writer has never been to Yosemite as it would then say, “been to Yosemite, no service there”.

People don’t like lying, they’ll do all sorts of linguistic gymnastics to avoid an out and out lie. That’s why, if we unpick the gymnastics, we can see what is going on.

Who did send it?

There’s plenty to suggest it wasn’t Gabby. There’s not one pronoun in the text. No “I’m in Yosemite” or “we’ve been to Yosemite”. Some are suggesting it was Brian Laurdrie who sent the text. If he did, it would be easier for it to state “we’re in Yosemite” or “we’ve been to Yosemite” BUT only if they had been to Yosemite.

Someone who is being deceptive and is calculating could go through Gabby’s previous texts and try to mimic her style when she texts her mum. That this hasn’t happened suggests someone who’s not too smart or someone who is in panic mode.

Who would you send a four-word text with very little information and no warmth too? Well, people you don’t like or people who are on your back. Here I’m thinking of people who are pushing to places you don’t like, partners you’ve fallen out with, friends you’ve lost patience with”

“Hey Brad, have you managed to file that report yet. I been asking for three weeks now?”

“Doing it tomorrow”

The only logical explanation is that the sender of the text wanted to perpetuate the story that Gabby was alive. Therefore, the sender most definitely knows she is dead and therefore has knowledge of her death.

From just four words we can reasonably say: it wasn’t sent from Gabby; it wasn’t sent from Yosemite or nearby. It was sent by someone in panic mode, someone who knew she was dead and who views Gabby’s mum as a threat.

What would you like to look at next? Leave a comment down below.