Gabby Petito Act Signed In Florida: Reports

ST. PETERSBERG, FL — A domestic violence bill spurred by the slaying of Gabby Petito was signed into law in Florida on Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to reports.

The Gabby Petito Act requires law enforcement officers who investigate allegations of domestic violence to administer a lethality assessment, which includes asking a series of questions to determine if a domestic violence victim is at a higher risk of death or injury.

The act was inspired by the 22-year-old Petito's 2021 death, who authorities say was at the hands of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who later killed himself while her disappearance was under investigation.

It was one of five bills that were signed and aimed at cracking down on crimes against children and strengthening penalties against sex offenders.

"People should just know that we are forthrightly committed. Whatever we need to do to maintain Florida as the best place to raise kids, we're going to do it," DeSantis told the Tallahassee Democrat. "We're going to make sure that we keep the bad guys at bay."

Petito's father, Joe, had pushed for the bill's passage, Desantis said, noting, "he has been supporting and pushing for the language in the legislation, as well as other members of the family and the foundation."

"Today, we honor those efforts by making this the law of the land in the state of Florida," he said.

Petito was reported missing by her mother in her hometown of Suffolk County in September 2021 after she lost contact with her while on a cross-country "Van Life" trip with Laundrie.

After contact was broken, Laundrie returned to his parents' house in Florida and refused to cooperate with investigators.

This sparked a massive inter-state, multi-jurisdictional investigation into her disappearance.

During the investigation, police bodycam footage captured officers responding to a reported domestic violence incident in Moab, UT, between Petito and Laundrie weeks before her death.

Petito's family are suing the Moab Police Department for $50 million under the belief that her death could have been prevented had officers investigated more thoroughly.

Red flags were leading up to Petito's death, said Salt Lake City attorney Brian Stewart, who is handling the family's lawsuit, in a previous interview.

Petito was seen fighting with Laundrie on Main Street in Moab after the couple left a cafe, which was followed by the widely publicized traffic stop captured by bodycam footage.

Witnesses reported seeing Laundrie slapping her, and after the pair took off in her van, it bumped into a curb and they were pulled over by police.

During her interview with officers, Petito admitted to slapping Laundrie and was nearly arrested as the main aggressor, but the officers opted not to charge her and instead deemed the incident a mental health crisis before separating them for the night.

Petito's family and Stewart have contended the police did not investigate thoroughly enough to determine if Petito was the victim of domestic violence and that her life was in danger, though one officer speculated Laundrie could be emboldened if she was charged in the incident.

In the bodycam footage, Petito can be seen anxious and constantly sobbing as she spoke with officers.

Laundrie is believed to have killed her around 16 days after the traffic stop on Aug. 28, 2021.

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