After the general certainty that the 22-year-old Gabby Petito is dead, the authorities are increasingly targeting her missing friend.

On Monday, the police and the FBI ransacked his parents' home in Florida, where the couple had temporarily lived.

The woman's 23-year-old friend came back alone from the couple's road trip through the United States in early September - and has not been found since last week.

Investigators found a body in a national park in Wyoming over the weekend and believe that it is most likely Gabby Petito.

An autopsy on Tuesday should bring certainty.

The 22-year-old last had contact with her family at the end of August.

The case is making waves in the USA and is also attracting international attention - not least because the Florida couple shared numerous pictures and videos from their trip on social networks.

Family assumes they have escaped

According to previous information, Petito's friend had refused to speak to the police about the events.

His family announced on Friday that he had already set out on a trip to a nature reserve in Florida on Tuesday last week.

On Sunday, the police looked for him there with drones and dogs, among other things.

This search operation was not continued on Monday.

Instead, a large police and FBI contingent moved forward at the home of Petito's friend's parents' home in Florida, as seen on live television images.

They stayed there for hours.

The family lawyer wanted to comment on Tuesday, it said.

While Gabby Petito shared pictures of happy moments against the scenic backdrop of American national parks on social media, there is now increased attention to an incident in which the police stopped the couple on suspicion of physical violence.

There are recordings of this from the police officer's body-worn camera.

The crying Petito said in the video that she has obsessive-compulsive disorder and an argument had broken out.

She slapped her boyfriend in the face.

However, in the call that triggered the operation, the eyewitness said he saw the man hit Petito, it became known on Monday.

Among other things, the broadcaster Fox News played the recording of the phone call.