Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito got matching tattoos to 'represent their love' prior to heading off travelling together.
Laundrie and his fiancée, 22-year-old Petito, had been driving around national parks in the US in their van, all the while documenting their trip on social media.
She was reported missing on 11 September and her body was eventually found in Bridger-Teton National Park on 19 September, with her death being declared as a homicide. However, the whereabouts of Laundrie is still not known.
It has now emerged that back in October last year, prior to embarking on their trip, the couple got matching tattoos as a symbol of their love.
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Tattoo artist Danny Nostrom - who owns a studio in Venice, Florida - told the Daily Mail: "Gabby and Brian came in super excited about getting new tattoos. They had texted for an appointment and were referred by a friend.
"They knew exactly what they wanted. They said they wanted a couple of vines around each one of their fingers to represent them and their love and the fact they were planning this big trip together. They said they had been together two years.
"I said, 'OK, easy enough'.
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"And then she added a couple of other things she wanted - a ghost riding a skateboard, a little Pisces zodiac sign and a little scorpion on her other fingers. So we just whipped them together and got it taken care of."
Danny added that the couple seemed very excited about their upcoming trip.
He said: "All they talked about was their relationship and how they planned on travelling."
"They were super excited, very eager about their trip. They didn't specify where they were going or when. They just said they were planning this trip to go live out of a van for a little while.
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"I'm assuming it's the same trip that Gabby never returned from. I remember them saying they didn't even have the van yet, they were working in a Publix supermarket and saving up for it.
"Gabby came across with a very bubbly personality, very happy. She didn't seem like she was troubled at all or anything out of the ordinary. She seemed happy to be in the shop, she seemed super, super friendly.
"He was a little more standoffish, but we had a nice conversation anyway. He wasn't totally socially awkward or anything. He was just a little more quiet."
Authorities have extensively searched for Laundrie across nature reserves and wetlands in Florida to no avail.
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Dog the Bounty Hunter has joined the search, and believes Laundrie is 'alive but not well'.
He has also turned over evidence to the FBI, which he hopes can be examined for DNA to prove that Laundrie had been hiding in Fort De Soto Park in Florida.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@gabspetitoTopics: US News, crime, Tattoo