QAnon conspiracy theorists say Gabby Petito was an 'actress' and a 'false flag' the mainstream media is using to distract Americans from 'Biden's failures'

Rumors were rife on QAnon Telegram channels, with commenters suspecting Petito of being part of a cover-up for the Biden administration.

• QAnon Telegram channels are awash with rumors about Gabby Petito's death.
• Conspiracy theorists floated theories about how Petito could be a "crisis actor" or a "false flag" attempt to distract from the Biden administration's failures.
• Some even alleged that Brian Laundrie was part of a smokescreen to obscure the truth around the 2020 election.
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The mystery surrounding Gabby Petito's death has taken on new life in QAnon conspiracy theorist circles, with people suggesting that Petito is a crisis actor and a '"false flag" to distract people from President Joe Biden's "failures."

Some even claim that Petito doesn't actually exist.

Petito's disappearance sparked a nationwide search and opened the floodgates for a sea of internet sleuths attempting to find her. Earlier this week, remains in Wyoming were confirmed to be Petito, and her death was ruled a homicide. Separately, her fiance, Brian Laundrie, has disappeared and been declared a person of interest in the case.

QAnon Telegram groups, however, have developed their version of events. Within an hour of the news breaking that a body fitting Petito's description was found at a remote campsite near the Grand Teton National Park, Insider saw multiple posts spring up on the QAnon-focused Telegram channels GhostEzra, which has more than 330,000 subscribers, and WeTheMedia, which has more than 246,000 subscribers, where comment threads spiraled into lengthy discussions about Petito's case.

"Somethings not right about this whole situation... this is clearly Black Ops to cover for Biden failures. Was he ever real? Is SHE? Another false flag right before the audits," posted a Telegram user with the ID SherRryWW1G, referring to the problem-plagued Maricopa County, Arizona, audit of 2020 election votes.

QAnon forums are rife with 'false flag' allegations about the Petito case

QAnon is a baseless far-right conspiracy theory that claims former President Donald Trump is secretly fighting a "deep state" cabal of satanic pedophiles and cannibals. It still boasts a healthy presence on Telegram, with multiple channels run by QAnon influencers posting at least 50 times a day to some 400,000 followers.

QAnon believers often claim that major news events are "false flags" - manufactured events designed to elicit social or political responses or pull attention away from "real" news.

Commenters on QAnon influencer channels attempted to draw connections between Petito and other significant events. One common conspiracy theory floated by some 600 commenters on a thread on the GhostEzra Telegram channel was that the FBI made up Petito's death to distract from the Arizona vote audit and cover up the "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

"This whole case was nothing but an FBI distraction, literally on every news channel," wrote a Telegram user with the ID OdinSon87.

Some users questioned why there was so much attention around a "missing white girl."

"This story is odd, it's too big mainstream for a white girl. I'm just being honest. [Mainstream media] don't play the victim game with Caucasians," wrote a user with the ID Diabeetus81. "Is it a sleight of hand trick? Look here, not here (Arizona audit)? Doesn't pass the smell test."

Such detailed conspiracies are par-for-the-course where QAnon is concerned.

After the January 6 Capitol riot, QAnon supporters suggested that Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed during the event, was still alive. Other QAnon conspiracy theorists have also suggested that George Floyd was a crisis actor.

Vice also reported on how QAnon convinced the father of one of the survivors of the Parkland shooting that the mass shooting his son survived was a hoax. The group has also claimed that the March shooting at a King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, that left ten people dead was a "false flag."

Some followers think the Petito story is a message from Q

Some Q followers seemed to think that Petito's story actually supports QAnon's alleged mission to prevent "crimes against children."

"Gabby's story is hitting every news outlet mainstream and alternative news. Q said crimes against children would unite us. Q also said the first arrest would be uniting us. I believe this is all connected in a story that's hopefully going to be mind-blowing for sleepers," a Telegram user with the ID HBNevergiveup said, referring to QAnon "sleeper cells" that have been waiting for concrete messages from Q.

Other Telegram users also tried to draw links between Petito, Laundrie, and common QAnon conspiracies about cabals of pedophiles who run the "deep state."

"Appears to me that BOTH the BF AND the authorities who last saw Gabby alive could be suspects in her case. For all we know the police who pulled them over, are as corrupt as some of these govt' agencies like CPS, who've also been known to be complicit, if not directly involved in mysterious vanishings like these. (sex trafficking or blood sacrifice)," wrote a user with the ID Hart_IQ.

Authorities continue to search for Brian Laundrie, who they believe is possibly hiding in a sprawling Florida nature reserve. He was last seen on September 17.