The Shocking True Story of American Murder: Gabby Petito
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Dive into the heartbreaking true story of Gabby Petito, a young woman whose disappearance and murder shocked the nation. Explore the tragic events, the investigation, and the impact of her case on domestic violence awareness and missing persons reporting. The Netflix docuseries "American Murder: Gabby Petito" reveals the disturbing details of her relationship with Brian Laundrie, their cross-country trip, and the ultimate tragedy that unfolded.
The Shocking True Story of “American Murder: Gabby Petito”
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re taking a deep dive into the devastating story behind the Netflix true crime docuseries “American Murder: Gabby Petito.”
Born in Blue Point, New York in March 1999, Gabby Petito grew up in a large, blended family, as her parents separated when she was a child and went on to marry other people. While attending Bayport-Blue Point High School, Petito became friends with Brian Laundrie, but it wasn’t until March 2019, after they had both graduated, that they officially began dating. Although Petito had resided in New York her entire life, she decided to pack everything she owned and move with Laundrie to North Port, Florida to live with his parents. This decision left her friends and family puzzled, but as she was already an adult, there was little they could do to change Petito’s mind.
After they started dating, Petito and Laundrie bonded over their shared love of nature, National Parks, and a strong desire to travel across the United States. This passion inspired them to embark on a cross-country adventure and document their journey for their social media followers. To fund their travels, they worked long hours in various jobs, including at a supermarket chain, Taco Bell, and an orange juice bar. The year 2020 was particularly eventful for the couple. In June, they got engaged, and in December, Petito purchased a 2012 Ford Transit Connect van, which they converted into a camper for the trip. She documented the entire process on her Instagram account, and planned to share more through a travel blog and YouTube channel.
Although Petito and Laundrie portrayed a picture-perfect relationship on social media, those close to her have said the reality was quite different. After moving in with Laundrie’s parents, Petito struggled to get along with them, particularly his mother, Roberta. Apparently, Roberta became jealous of the time Laundrie spent with Petito and made her feel increasingly unwelcome. At one point, she even changed Petito’s mailing address back to her mother’s home in New York, seemingly ensuring she never received her mail. Meanwhile, Laundrie himself gradually became more controlling, and would often get jealous when Petito spent time with friends. This behavior got so bad that he reportedly once stole her wallet and ID, to prevent her from going out with her friend, Rose Davis.
Their long-awaited cross-country adventure began in July 2021, but it didn’t take long for things to go south. Just one month later, police in Moab[a], Utah received a call reporting an altercation between a couple. According to the witness, the man physically attacked the woman before driving off together in their van. When police located the van, they found a panicked Petito and a rather calm Laundrie. Their accounts led officers to conclude that Laundrie was the victim of domestic violence. Since he declined to press charges, police separated the couple for the night, escorting Laundrie to a hotel and instructing them not to contact each other. However, they still reunited afterwards. About a week later, Petito uploaded their first and only vlog to their YouTube channel.
On August 25th, about two weeks after the Moab incident, Petito shared what would be her final post on Instagram, posing in front of a butterfly mural in Ogden[b], Utah. That day also marked the last time her mother spoke to her. On August 27th, CCTV cameras at a Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming captured the last known footage of Petito alive. Later that day, her mother received a text from her, in which she mentioned helping her grandfather, Stan. This message stood out because it referred to Stan by name, which Petito never did. For over two weeks, her family heard nothing from her and saw no updates on her once-active social media, which was highly unusual. With no progress in locating her, they reported her missing on September 11th.
What made Petito’s disappearance even more baffling, especially for her family, was that on September 1st, Laundrie returned alone to his parents home in Florida, driving their van. All attempts to contact him for any information about Petito’s whereabouts were met with silence. To make matters worse, his parents lawyered up and refused to cooperate with the police investigation. This was highly suspicious behavior, to say the least, and it led Petito’s family to believe Laundrie had something to do with her disappearance. Four days after they reported her missing, Laundrie was officially named a person of interest. As the case began to gain traction in the media, the Laundrie home was inundated with reporters and concerned members of the public, all demanding the same answer: Where was Gabby Petito?
The investigation into Petito’s disappearance was a massive effort, with police searching various areas in Wyoming, where she was last seen alive. As the search progressed, authorities received numerous tips from the public, while online sleuths attempted to piece together the case themselves. On September 17th, a TikToker named Miranda Baker reported picking up Laundrie hitchhiking alone at Grand Teton[c] National Park on August 29th. Around the same time, a nomadic blogger turned in footage that appeared to show Petito’s van parked at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area. Finally, on September 19th, nearly a full month after her family last heard from her, Petito’s remains were found at Spread Creek. Investigators determined she had died about three to four weeks earlier.
Before returning to his parents’ home alone, Laundrie attempted to create the illusion that Petito was still alive. He sent texts from her phone and transferred money from her account to his, bidding himself farewell. On September 13th, Laundrie left his parents’ home for a hike and never returned. Following another extensive search, his remains were found at a park in Florida, where he had taken his own life. At the scene, authorities discovered a notebook in which he confessed to killing Petito, claiming it was a mercy killing after she had fallen and injured herself. However, that account was inconsistent with Petito’s autopsy. Police also found a letter from Laundrie’s mother, expressing her unconditional love for him, even stating she would help him dispose of a body.
The three-part Netflix series “American Murder: Gabby Petito” effectively chronicles Petito’s life and the tragic events leading to her death. However, it omits key developments following the closure of the case. As the administrator of her estate, Petito’s mother brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of Brian Laundrie, which ended in a $3 million judgment. Petito’s parents also sued Laundrie’s parents and their attorney, claiming they withheld information about their daughter’s death, which caused them severe emotional distress. This case was settled in February 2024 for an undisclosed sum. Additionally, they sued the Moab Police Department for $50 million, alleging that officers failed to protect Petito during the aforementioned traffic stop. Although the lawsuit was dismissed in November 2024, the family plans to appeal the ruling.
Losing a child is an unimaginable tragedy, and for Gabby Petito’s family, the pain remains despite some of the legal victories they have had. Determined to turn their grief into a purposeful mission, her blended family established the Gabby Petito Foundation. The non-profit organization helps raise awareness about domestic violence, supports efforts to combat it, and aids groups that work to locate missing people. Petito’s father also co-produced the series “Faces of the Missing,” which shines a light on missing persons cases involving marginalized groups, in a bid to address the issue of “missing white woman syndrome.” Through this work, Petito’s family hopes to prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy.
[b]https://youtu.be/3l7Ca8lLajk?si=mKKLSzZUWN_c4J_b&t=1
[c]https://youtu.be/udvXwLdj8g8?si=3dggr79OP_O3RSZy
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re taking a deep dive into the devastating story behind the Netflix true crime docuseries “American Murder: Gabby Petito.”
Born in Blue Point, New York in March 1999, Gabby Petito grew up in a large, blended family, as her parents separated when she was a child and went on to marry other people. While attending Bayport-Blue Point High School, Petito became friends with Brian Laundrie, but it wasn’t until March 2019, after they had both graduated, that they officially began dating. Although Petito had resided in New York her entire life, she decided to pack everything she owned and move with Laundrie to North Port, Florida to live with his parents. This decision left her friends and family puzzled, but as she was already an adult, there was little they could do to change Petito’s mind.
After they started dating, Petito and Laundrie bonded over their shared love of nature, National Parks, and a strong desire to travel across the United States. This passion inspired them to embark on a cross-country adventure and document their journey for their social media followers. To fund their travels, they worked long hours in various jobs, including at a supermarket chain, Taco Bell, and an orange juice bar. The year 2020 was particularly eventful for the couple. In June, they got engaged, and in December, Petito purchased a 2012 Ford Transit Connect van, which they converted into a camper for the trip. She documented the entire process on her Instagram account, and planned to share more through a travel blog and YouTube channel.
Although Petito and Laundrie portrayed a picture-perfect relationship on social media, those close to her have said the reality was quite different. After moving in with Laundrie’s parents, Petito struggled to get along with them, particularly his mother, Roberta. Apparently, Roberta became jealous of the time Laundrie spent with Petito and made her feel increasingly unwelcome. At one point, she even changed Petito’s mailing address back to her mother’s home in New York, seemingly ensuring she never received her mail. Meanwhile, Laundrie himself gradually became more controlling, and would often get jealous when Petito spent time with friends. This behavior got so bad that he reportedly once stole her wallet and ID, to prevent her from going out with her friend, Rose Davis.
Their long-awaited cross-country adventure began in July 2021, but it didn’t take long for things to go south. Just one month later, police in Moab[a], Utah received a call reporting an altercation between a couple. According to the witness, the man physically attacked the woman before driving off together in their van. When police located the van, they found a panicked Petito and a rather calm Laundrie. Their accounts led officers to conclude that Laundrie was the victim of domestic violence. Since he declined to press charges, police separated the couple for the night, escorting Laundrie to a hotel and instructing them not to contact each other. However, they still reunited afterwards. About a week later, Petito uploaded their first and only vlog to their YouTube channel.
On August 25th, about two weeks after the Moab incident, Petito shared what would be her final post on Instagram, posing in front of a butterfly mural in Ogden[b], Utah. That day also marked the last time her mother spoke to her. On August 27th, CCTV cameras at a Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming captured the last known footage of Petito alive. Later that day, her mother received a text from her, in which she mentioned helping her grandfather, Stan. This message stood out because it referred to Stan by name, which Petito never did. For over two weeks, her family heard nothing from her and saw no updates on her once-active social media, which was highly unusual. With no progress in locating her, they reported her missing on September 11th.
What made Petito’s disappearance even more baffling, especially for her family, was that on September 1st, Laundrie returned alone to his parents home in Florida, driving their van. All attempts to contact him for any information about Petito’s whereabouts were met with silence. To make matters worse, his parents lawyered up and refused to cooperate with the police investigation. This was highly suspicious behavior, to say the least, and it led Petito’s family to believe Laundrie had something to do with her disappearance. Four days after they reported her missing, Laundrie was officially named a person of interest. As the case began to gain traction in the media, the Laundrie home was inundated with reporters and concerned members of the public, all demanding the same answer: Where was Gabby Petito?
The investigation into Petito’s disappearance was a massive effort, with police searching various areas in Wyoming, where she was last seen alive. As the search progressed, authorities received numerous tips from the public, while online sleuths attempted to piece together the case themselves. On September 17th, a TikToker named Miranda Baker reported picking up Laundrie hitchhiking alone at Grand Teton[c] National Park on August 29th. Around the same time, a nomadic blogger turned in footage that appeared to show Petito’s van parked at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area. Finally, on September 19th, nearly a full month after her family last heard from her, Petito’s remains were found at Spread Creek. Investigators determined she had died about three to four weeks earlier.
Before returning to his parents’ home alone, Laundrie attempted to create the illusion that Petito was still alive. He sent texts from her phone and transferred money from her account to his, bidding himself farewell. On September 13th, Laundrie left his parents’ home for a hike and never returned. Following another extensive search, his remains were found at a park in Florida, where he had taken his own life. At the scene, authorities discovered a notebook in which he confessed to killing Petito, claiming it was a mercy killing after she had fallen and injured herself. However, that account was inconsistent with Petito’s autopsy. Police also found a letter from Laundrie’s mother, expressing her unconditional love for him, even stating she would help him dispose of a body.
The three-part Netflix series “American Murder: Gabby Petito” effectively chronicles Petito’s life and the tragic events leading to her death. However, it omits key developments following the closure of the case. As the administrator of her estate, Petito’s mother brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of Brian Laundrie, which ended in a $3 million judgment. Petito’s parents also sued Laundrie’s parents and their attorney, claiming they withheld information about their daughter’s death, which caused them severe emotional distress. This case was settled in February 2024 for an undisclosed sum. Additionally, they sued the Moab Police Department for $50 million, alleging that officers failed to protect Petito during the aforementioned traffic stop. Although the lawsuit was dismissed in November 2024, the family plans to appeal the ruling.
Losing a child is an unimaginable tragedy, and for Gabby Petito’s family, the pain remains despite some of the legal victories they have had. Determined to turn their grief into a purposeful mission, her blended family established the Gabby Petito Foundation. The non-profit organization helps raise awareness about domestic violence, supports efforts to combat it, and aids groups that work to locate missing people. Petito’s father also co-produced the series “Faces of the Missing,” which shines a light on missing persons cases involving marginalized groups, in a bid to address the issue of “missing white woman syndrome.” Through this work, Petito’s family hopes to prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy.
Did you watch “American Murder: Gabby Petito”? What was the most startling detail from the case? Let us know in the comments below.
[a]https://youtu.be/iNlCI2dW0ZI?si=sREGrZ-BRN8wTM8n&t=3[b]https://youtu.be/3l7Ca8lLajk?si=mKKLSzZUWN_c4J_b&t=1
[c]https://youtu.be/udvXwLdj8g8?si=3dggr79OP_O3RSZy
