Authorities Credit Coverage Of Gabby Petito Case With Helping Find Remains Of Missing Texas Man
WESTERN WYOMING (CBSDFW.COM/CNN) — A rescue team in Wyoming is crediting the attention paid to the Gabby Petito case with helping them find remains believed to be that of a 46-year-old Texas man who has been missing for more than a month.
Remains matching the description of Robert "Bob" Lowery were found September 28 at the base of Teton Pass, in the same area -- Bridger-Teton National Forest -- where Petito's remains were found. The father of two from Houston reportedly traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on August 19.
Lowery, 46, was last seen on August 20 carrying a black duffel bag and having a sleeping bag and tent, according to the Teton County Sheriff's Office. He was said to be on the Black Canyon Trail in the forest, near Grand Teton National Park. The trail is popular with hikers and mountain bikers in the summer, according to police.
In the days since Petito was reported missing, her story has made national headlines, spurring digital detectives to comb through her online trail to try to solve the case.
The story has also further highlighted the tens of thousands of missing persons stories that do not garner such intense interest; there were nearly 90,000 active missing person cases in the US as of the end of 2020, according to the National Crime Information Center.
A Break In The Case
An investigation into Lowery's whereabouts had been ongoing but due to new tips, a search and rescue team was deployed Tuesday, according to a news release from Teton County Search and Rescue.
"The widespread news coverage of the Gabby Petito search helped bring light to Lowery's case, and resulted in at least two members of the public calling local authorities this past weekend with new information about his possible last seen point," the search and rescue team said.
Remains matching Lowery's description were discovered with the help of volunteer hikers and a search dog team.
"At about 1 p.m., a dog team located a body and black Nike duffel bag significantly off trail on a steep, wooded slope," reads the news release. "Collectively, the search teams hiked more than 75 miles and covered 22,500 feet in elevation."
The cause of death is under investigation.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The CNN Wire™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company contributed to this report.)
