It was the ending that everyone feared. The human remains found this weekend in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park appear to be those of Gabby Petito.
For days now, the entire country has been captivated by this story. A missing woman. The fiancé back in Florida while not talking to anyone about what happened. Not about her disappearance. Not about why he left her there.
Now, he’s missing. Brian Laundrie’s family says he’s been missing for several days. The search for him in a preserve continues.
This story is a tragedy. We may never get the answers as to what happened to this young, beautiful couple.
From a sociological perspective, I’m curious. Why this story? What about it has everyone so fascinated?
Dr. Andrea Bonior is a psychologist. She spoke with Fox in Washington about why this and other true crime stories capture our attention.
“I think there has always been a fascination, but what’s different now is that we can really see this curiosity all the time. The explosion of podcasts, all the different websites and message boards that are specifically devoted for this — and now it’s become more of a social activity to discuss these cases together. But I think the fascination has always been around.”
It’s an interesting piece. If you get a chance, read it at the Fox 5 Washington website.
One thing is for certain about this story… the fascination and online interest helped investigators find Gabby Petito. Now, where is Brian Laundrie, and what does he know?
As I write this, my phone is blowing up with breaking Covid vaccine news.
Pfizer says its vaccine, in lower doses, has shown to be safe in young children ages 5 to 11.
The New York Times is reporting that this news should help ease anxiety among parents and teachers about when kids will be shielded from Coronavirus.
The Times says children now account for one in five new Covid cases. The Delta variant has sent more kids to hospitals and intensive care units than at anytime during the pandemic.
The FDA could be studying Pfizer’s results by the end of the month.
As for the other vaccines, one seems to be more effective at keeping people out of the hospital. It’s Moderna’s. The CDC says it found the Moderna vaccine is slightly more effective than Pfizer’s. 93 to 88 percent at keeping people out of the hospital. J&J comes in third with more than 70 percent protection against going to the hospital.
That’s where I start my week. Some big vaccine news and a sad ending to the Gabby Petito case.