TRAGIC LOSS
What happened to Gabby Petito?
A new documentary looks at the tragic events surrounding Gabby's murder which shocked the US
THE disappearance of aspiring social media star Gabby Petito captivated the country during the summer of 2021.
She was reported missing in September 2021, and a few weeks later, her remains were discovered in a national park in Wyoming.
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What happened to Gabby Petito?
Gabby Petito went missing in August 2021 while on a road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.
At the time, the pair were traveling from New York to Oregon on what they called a "dream trip."
That dream ultimately turned into a nightmare for Gabby's family after they lost contact with her.
Her family filed a missing person report, and her remains were later found in Wyoming on Sunday, September 19, 2021.
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Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue ruled her death a homicide, stating that she had been strangled to death.
Who killed Gabby Petito?
The prime suspect in Gabby's death was her fiancé Brian, who had returned home to Florida without her.
Police described him as a "person of interest" because he was the last person known to have been with Gabby.
In a shocking turn of events, Brian also disappeared and his remains were discovered in October 2021 at the Carlton Reserve in Florida.
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He died as a result of suicide.
Along with his remains, a notebook was discovered that appeared to contain a confession.
Brian Laundrie's mom Roberta faced arrest and being perp walked by FBI just days after his girlfriend Gabby Petito's body found
"I ended her life," a line from the notebook read, via Fox2 Now.
"I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock. But from the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn’t go on without her.”
It is believed that Brian killed Gabby and then took his own life.
Gabby's parents filed a lawsuit against Brian's parents, alleging that they were aware their son had murdered her.
The Laundries denied having any prior knowledge of Gabby's death, but a judge ruled in favor of her mother, Nicole Schmidt, awarding her $3million in November 2022.
"The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer," Patrick Reilly, attorney for Petito’s parents, said in a statement, via CNN.
"No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie. Brian did not have $3 million; it’s an arbitrary number. Whatever monies they do receive will help Gabby’s family in their endeavors with the Gabby Petito Foundation.”
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How to watch The Disappearance of Gabby Petito
You can stream The Disappearance of Gabby Petito on Paramount+ right now and from ITVX in the UK from Thursday May 9, 2024.
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Exploring the sad story of Gabby’s disappearance and death, the docuseries is made up of three parts.
The programme includes interviews with her parents, as well as the internet sleuths who tried to solve the case.
Timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance
Here we take a look at the sad events surrounding Gabby going missing:
- July 2021: Brian Laundrie and his fiancé Gabby Petito leave for a grip across the country. The couple visit numerous national parks across the way.
- August 12: Police in Utah respond to an incident involving the couple. The bodycam footage is not released for another month but it shows a visibly upset Gabby talking to police after reports of a domestic violence incident outside a grocery store.
- August 24: Gabby is seen leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Laundrie.
- September 1: Laundrie returns to his home in North Port, Florida without Gabby.
- September 6: Laundrie joins his family on a camping trip about 75 miles from their home in North Port.
- September 11: Gabby's family reports her missing.
- September 13: Laundrie leaves home to go hiking in Carlton Reserve, Florida. His family had initially said he departed on September 14, but revised their timeline weeks later.
- September 15: Laundrie is named a person of interest in the case of Gabby.
- September 16: Bodycam footage is released regarding the incident between Gabby and Laundrie.
- September 19: The FBI announces a body found at a Wyoming national park is believed to be that of Gabby's.
- September 23: The FBI issued a warrant for Laundrie's arrest claiming he "used unauthorized debit cards after Gabby Petito's death."
- September 26: A funeral is held for Gabby in New York.
- September 27: Dog the Bounty Hunter announces he will lend a hand and help search for Laundrie.
- September 28: Gabby's family held an emotional press conference as the search for Laundrie continued.
- October 5: Laundrie's sister, Cassie, appeared on Good Morning America and urged her brother to come forward.
- October 7: Laundrie's father, Chris Laundrie, assisted law enforcement in the search to find his son.
- October 12: Gabby's autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie's personal items were found near the Myakkahatchee Creek Park trail in Florida. The medical examiner was called to the scene to investigate.
- October 21: Reports stated the human remains found in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park were bones.
- October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie's.
- January 21, 2022: The FBI released its final investigative statement on Gabby's case. The statement said, "The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito."