Gabby Petito documentary update – Brian Laundrie ‘had no red flags’ Peacock show reveals as Gabby’s parents speak out
GABBY Petito's relationship with Brian Laundrie is uncovered in a new documentary in which her parents admitted they didn't notice any "red flags" with their daughter's fiancé before she went missing.
Her mom Nichole Schmidt and stepdad Jim said Laundrie would often visit their home and seemed like a nice, polite young man.
"I didn’t see anything in him that would worry me at all. No red flags," Nichole said.
The documentary, now streaming on Peacock, “sheds new light on the tragic story, the unanswered questions, and the shocking conclusion,” with exclusive interviews from her family.
Petito, 22, went on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, and never returned. The 22-year-old was reported missing on September 11, just days after Laundrie returned home without her, and her remains were later discovered on September 19.
Autopsy results revealed she was strangled to death and Laundrie was named a person of interest but disappeared himself and was found dead of an apparent suicide on October 22.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the latest news and updates...
Was Gabby Petito pregnant?
Gabby’s autopsy confirmed that she was not pregnant at the time of her death.
Online sleuths had speculated that Gabby may be pregnant after discovering a Pinterest board titled: “Oh Baby”.
The board was also shared by Brian Laundrie’s mom, the International Business Times reports.
The page contains several links to items of clothing that were previously for sale including onesies and crocheted bibs.
There are several snaps of toddlers playing on the beach and cute family photos.
What does the Gabby Petito Foundation do?
On October 3, 2021, Gabby’s family announced that they had launched the Gabby Petito Foundation in honor of their late daughter.
According to the website, the organization's mission is "to address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.
"We wish to turn our personal tragedy into a positive," the mission statement reads.
"It is our hope that Gabby’s foundation will bring these important issues into the forefront of the public eye to the benefit of all our communities."
The foundation's tagline is a phrase coined by Gabby’s dad in an Instagram post after her remains were found at a Wyoming campsite on September 19: “She touched the world.”
Family saw 'no red flags'
When asked about Brian, Nichole and Jim Schmidt said he would often visit their home and seemed like a nice, polite young man.
"Brian would come to my home and he was very polite, very kind," said Nichole.
"I didn’t see anything in him that would worry me at all. No red flags."
Jim said Brian was "respectful" and even made the effort to speak to Gabby's younger siblings and color with them.
Mom: 'She was so happy'
Gabby's mom Nichole Schmidt and stepdad explained in the documentary that Gabby and Brian met in high school in Blue Point, New York, and were just friends at first.
"They were in the same group of friends in school, [had] common interests, they liked to do things together, [they were] both artistic," said Jim.
Nichole added: "They started dating after the first road trip, when they took the car to California."
"They were kind of friends when they left. They came back dating. She was so happy."
Gabby's family on her engagement
Gabby's stepdad Jim said he was excited about the young couple.
"You know as a dad, you're like, okay, you know, that's great, you know, you can settle down a little bit.
"You're happy for her, you know, that she's found who she wanted to be with," Jim shared.
However, Joe and Gabby's stepmom Tara refused to speak about their daughter's engagement on camera, simply saying: "We're not going to talk about that."
Why did Gabby visit Grand Teton?
Petito had quit her job and packed her life into a camper van for a cross-country adventure with Brian Laundrie, starting in July, documenting their journey in a stream of social media posts.
In images shared by the couple online they are all smiles — barefoot in a canyon or surveying the ochre rocks of state and national parks.
In one YouTube video published during their trip, Petito and Laundrie are shown kissing tenderly, enjoying a sunset together and strolling on a beach.
But the young woman’s family filed a missing person report on September 11 after the 22-year-old mysteriously vanished, and Laundrie returned home to Florida without her.
Gabby’s last texts and post
Gabby Petito’s remains were found less than 1,000 feet (300m) from where, on the evening of August 27, another pair of travel bloggers caught video images of the couple’s 2012 white Ford Transit van parked along a dirt road.
Petito, who was documenting the couple’s “van life” road trip on social media, posted her final photo to Instagram on August 25, the same day that she last spoke to her mother by phone.
The family believes the couple was headed to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming at the time.
Schmidt received text messages from Petito’s phone on August 27 and August 30, but suspects that someone other than her daughter sent them, according to investigators.
Chilling warning from Gabby’s mom
In the hour-long documentary, Gabby’s mom Nichole Schmidt revealed that she warned Gabby about getting married to Brian Laundrie, 23, too young.
“They were engaged, so it was exciting, but I was like ‘well, just make sure this is … you know you’re young, and make sure its what you want.’
“But I couldn’t tell her, you know, you can’t get married now because I got married very young,” Nichole said.
Her stepfather Jim was excited about the young couple.
“You know as a dad, you’re like, okay, you know, that’s great, you know, you can settle down a little bit. You’re happy for her, you know, that she’s found who she wanted to be with,” Jim shared.
On the other hand, Joe and Gabby’s stepmom Tara refused to speak about their daughter’s engagement on camera, simply saying: “We’re not going to talk about that.”
‘I hope she did not suffer’
In a heartbreaking interview with 60 minutes, Gabby’s distraught mom Nichole said: “I hope she did not suffer and she was not in any pain.
“That she was in a place she wanted to be, looking at the beautiful mountains.”
She added: “You never, ever think it is going to be yours. It is surreal.”
Gabby’s father on Brian Laundrie
Gabby’s dad Joe Petito called for Laundrie to be imprisoned for the rest of his life before his remains were found in a Florida reserve.
He told Dr. Phil: “I want to look him in the eyes. I want to see him in a jail cell.”
Prior to the determination of Brian's cause of death, Joe also claimed that Laundrie was too “cowardly to kill himself”.
Joe said: “He is a coward. I would use some other words but I can’t use them on this show.”
Laundrie’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot to the head.
Family friend on Gabby’s legacy
Petito family friend Steve Campo told the Sun that Gabby’s “going to be looking over her family now and taking care of her brother and two sisters and looking over them.”
He added that Gabby’s case has resonated with women everywhere.
“Just speaking to other women and stuff when they saw the video of her, they knew that she was in trouble. I wouldn’t.”
“I don’t know but they were in relationships that that happened and they saw that you never want to see that again.”
“Again it’s somebody’s sister, somebody’s daughter, wife, you know, no one should ever feel that way again, that they can’t escape.”
‘Tragic for two families’
Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino spoke of the loss suffered by both the Petito and Laundrie families.
“There are two young people that have now lost their lives,” Bertolino said. “These are parents that are suffering.
“Now, I understand that whatever happened or whatever didn’t happen,” he added. “This is tragic for two families.”
“And anybody with a child, and anybody with a sense of humanity can understand the frustration that both families feel on that point.”
Where was Gabby’s body found?
On September 19, 2021, authorities in Wyoming announced a body was found in the area where the search for Petito had been underway.
The Petito lawyer later confirmed on September 21, that the body was identified as Gabby.
The remains were discovered in Grant Teton National Park, where she had been camping with her fiancé when she disappeared.
“I want to personally thank the press and news media for giving the Petito and Schmidt family time to grieve,” lawyer Richard Stafford said in a statement.
“We will be making a statement when Gabby is home. I will contact you to arrange a time and location.”
How did Brian Laundrie die?
The District 12 Medical Examiner’s office finally reported its results in November, confirming that Brian Laundrie died by suicide from a single gunshot wound to the head.
“Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide,” Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told The Sun.
“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families.”
It’s currently unclear where the gun Laundrie used to kill himself came from and whether or not investigators know where it is.
Were drugs involved in Brian's death?
Sleuths have speculated drugs may be involved in the Gabby Petito case after it emerged the couple sold merchandise emblazoned with the words “too high”.
Sweaters and hats with the reference were listed on the tragic vlogger’s depop site.
However, there is no indication that drugs contributed to Brian’s death.
Wedding had been postponed
Gabby’s stepfather Jim Schmidt previously revealed that Gabby and Brian Laundrie had planned a small beach ceremony to tie the knot, however, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic thwarted their plans.
“Covid happened so they put [the wedding] on hold,” Jim told Fox News last month. “They said they were going to live life.”
Ultimately, the couple decided to put their plans for marriage on the back burner and instead began planning what would later prove to be an ill-fated trip across the US, touring the country’s national parks.
According to Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, the pair also decided they were too young for marriage and opted to call off their engagement and went back to dating while plotting out their trip.
Gabby’s wedding plans
The 22-year-old vlogger had mapped out several design schemes and alfresco ideas for her nuptials on her Pinterest page in an album poignantly titled “Life goals”.
The curated collection of images, which include photos of outdoor ceremonies and beachfront banquets, is shared with Brian Laundrie, his mother Roberta, and a fourth account by the name of “PinJunkeeMama”.
A sub-folder within the album, titled “Oh Baby” and shared between the same four people, indicates that Gabby and Laundrie may have been planning to eventually have a child together.
What is the name of the documentary?
A new documentary on the Gabby Petito case was released Friday on Peacock.
The documentary is called The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media.
When did the Gabby Petito documentary air?
The documentary, The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media, was released on Friday.
It was released on NBC's streaming service, Peacock, so it doesn't have an "air time" the way that a show on cable would.
Was Brian Laundrie ever charged?
Although Brian was not charged with any crime in relation to Gabby’s murder, the FBI issued a warrant for his arrest for the unauthorized use of Gabby’s debit card.
Bank records show that from August 31 to September 1, four days after the couple was spotted at the Merry Piglets restaurant, Brian swiped Gabby’s Capital One card, running up a balance of $1,000.
Domestic violence resources
If you are being abused in a relationship, anonymous and confidential help is available.
For help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
However, if you are actively in danger, call 911.
The ‘GABZ’ license plate
Gabby’s mother Nicole Schmidt said a third sign came when she was driving.
She said she looked up and noticed the car in front of her had a Wyoming sticker and the letters GBZ on the license plate – which she interpreted as “gabz.”
“It’s hard to put into words, but it means a lot to me that she’s touched so many lives already and it’s only weeks into it and I’m so proud of her,” Nicole said.
Gabby’s stepdad describes rainbow ‘sign’
Stepdad Jim Schmidt said a rainbow helped lead authorities to Gabby’s body.
“It’s wild stuff,” Jim told Dr Phil. ”When they started with the grid search in the area where she was found, it had to be called off at the end of the day because of the weather.
“But as the weather started to break, a rainbow was over the area and stopped over the area where she was found the next day.”
Gabby’s family believes in signs
Gabby’s family believes she is sending them signs through chipmunks appearing to watch them.
“A chipmunk was following me along the path where I went out to where the body was found,” stepfather Jim Schmidt said.
“And when I was placing the rocks to make the cross a chipmunk came out from a hole and sat there and watched me.
“I thought maybe that was Gabby watching me.”
Are the Laundries selling their home?
Brian Laundrie’s parents are not selling their home and a “for sale” sign that appeared on their lawn was put up as "a hoax”, according to their lawyer.
Previous photos showed the sign wedged in the grass outside their North Port, Florida house, fueling speculation that the property may be on the market.
But Steven Bertolino, who represented the Laundrie family during the search for Brian, told The Sun: "It's untrue. The sign is a hoax."
"It was either photoshop or someone put the sign, took the picture, and then took the sign down. We don't know nor do we care."