In the footage, Moab, Utah, police officersresponded to a reported domestic dispute between the couplein Arches National Park. Petito was last seen alive about two weeks later.
In the footage, Petito appears highly agitated and admits to striking Laundrie. She also says she has obsessive compulsive disorder and blames her condition, in part for sparking the fight.
Police classified the incident as “disorderly conduct” rather than domestic violence, and determined Petito was the aggressor. But information that has come to light since then belies this assessment.
An eyewitness who called 911 to report the incident told the dispatcher Laundrie had been slapping Petito.
Another eyewitness, who provided awritten statement, told police he saw the couple in the middle of “some sort of dispute” and that “something definitely didn’t seem right.”
That witness also said it appeared Laundrie was possibly trying to lock Petito out of the van and take her phone.
Cornell University forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ziv Cohen reviewed the footage for PEOPLE in its latest issue. While he has never met or treated Petito or Laundrie, he was able to use his experience to observe the couple’s body language and demeanor — and make a speculative assessment on their relationship.
“When you look at the discrepancy between the two of them, it does raise alarm bells about a potential domestic abuse situation,” Cohen says.
During the incident, Petito told officers she was having a panic attack. “She’s upset and scared,” Cohen tells PEOPLE. “She’s looking at the other officer and nodding almost like a little child nods when you’re trying to calm them down. She doesn’t seem to be reassured.”
Cohen notes the difference between the demeanor of Petito and Laundrie.
“On the other hand, he is very calm,” Cohen says. “And he just doesn’t seem to be particularly forthcoming, at last not from what I saw in the footage. His behavior doesn’t match the situation in terms of the level of concern you would expect a partner to show towards his girlfriend.”
Police determined Petito drove Laundrie to a hotel alone, advising the couple cool off for the night — a decision that Dr. Cohen says may not have been in Petito’s best interests.
“He’s sent to a hotel room for his protection,” Cohen says. “But she’s the one saying that she has mental health issues. She’s very upset; she can’t calm herself down. She identifies herself as not being competent in terms of caring for herself, like being able to drive. They’re on a road trip in the middle of Wyoming. So I find it distressing because I think it was not meeting the needs of the situation.”
If you have information on this case, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
