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Parents of Gabby Petito help Patchogue family search for missing daughter

Gabby Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt and stepfather Jim Schmidt are helping to spread the word about missing 14-year-old Emmarae Gervasi.

News 12 Staff

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Jan 1, 2025, 5:13 PM

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A Patchogue family’s search for their missing daughter continues nearly a month after she was first reported missing.

Now, the parents of Gabby Petito are hoping to help raise awareness for the teen and other missing children nationwide.

Gabby Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt and stepfather Jim Schmidt are helping to spread the word about missing 14-year-old Emmarae Gervasi.

“It is important to get these stories out there and to help elevate the voices of people searching for their loved ones,” said Jim Schmidt.

In the summer of 2021, Gabby Petito disappeared, and her body was later found in Wyoming.

The Gabby Petito Foundation now aims to prevent similar tragedies from happening to others and to support parents like Frank Gervasi in locating their missing children.

“He has been looking for her nonstop. Doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, I know how that feels,” said Nichole Schmidt.

Gervasi was last seen on Terrell Street where leaving her house on Dec. 9.

Three weeks later, over 50 people from the community came together to search for her on Tuesday.

“Just to see the community pull together and spend their time trying to help me find my daughter means the world to me because she's a beautiful little kid and she just needs to be home,” said Frank Gervasi.

The Schmidts use their voice to help bring Emmarae home.

“It was really Gabby that made us have a voice, we speak because we understand as parents how it feels and having a missing loved one is the worst feeling in the world,” said Nichole Schmidt.

Anyone with information on Emmarae’s whereabouts is asked to call the police.

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