Who is Gabby?

On August 27, 2021, at Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest, Gabby Petito was murdered by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old aspiring social media influencer and travel blogger. She was born in Blue Point, New York, on March 19, 1999, to Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito. In July 2021, Gabby left for a four-month cross-country van trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. The trip was intended to launch Petito’s career on social media. However, she disappeared on August 27, 2021. Her parents officially reported her missing on September 11, 2021, after not receiving responses to calls or texts from the family. After a search, authorities discovered Petito’s remains in Wyoming, and a coroner ruled her cause of death to be strangulation.

Background:

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie met in high school through mutual friends, where their relationship started. In the early days of their relationship, she never admitted to dating Brian despite them being together all the time. By the time Gabby admitted to dating Brian, it was clear that their relationship was serious between the two. Later, they broke up, dated other people, and soon rekindled their relationship. In March 2019, the two got back together for a total of two years and four months. Brian ended up proposing to Gabby a year and three months into the relationship in July 2020. Gabby posted about the engagement, but it appears there was no engagement ring at the time he proposed. Her family found it weird, but they never thought anything of it because Gabby seemed to be happy. Petito’s family described Brian as interesting, as he was very soft-spoken and didn’t talk much. However, Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, said that she liked him and overall “he just seemed like a nice person.” It was to their surprise when Brian proposed to Gabby, he never asked her father, Joseph Petito, for her hand in marriage, as he was always very respectful toward them and the rest of their family.

Relationship:

While Gabby and Brian’s relationship appeared loving from the outside, it was increasingly toxic and abusive behind closed doors. Within the two years of them dating, their relationship with each other was toxic. Brian was extremely controlling, manipulative, and abusive, trying to constantly hide Gabby away from her loved ones. Gabby was in love with Brian, so she was oblivious to what he was doing. No matter how much Brian put her through, she stuck by him because she couldn’t imagine herself without him. As soon as Gabby got a job or made a new friend, Brian would text her, call her, and say that she was distancing herself from him, as well as saying that it didn’t feel like she loved him as much anymore. Gabby caught onto this but never stuck up for herself, and instead quit her job or stopped talking to her best friend as much. Brian ended up taking her away from everyone after he proposed; the two bought a van and went on a cross-country road trip. On the trip, the police received complaints of Brian being seen hitting Gabby across the face and driving out of control. He also started to get frustrated with Gabby when she wanted to start vlogging their expedition on YouTube. He didn’t want her filming in case he slipped up and didn’t look like a good person anymore. Oftentimes, he would because of his impatience with her.

Gabby’s Murder: 

Gabby’s murder took place on August 27, 2021, at Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest. Specifically, her remains were discovered at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, located near Grand Teton National Park. Her body was found on September 19, 2021. It is estimated that her body had been in the wilderness for three to four weeks after her death. She was found by authorities searching for her, who were investigating her disappearance. She was then identified by her stepdad, Jim Schmidt, as he was in Wyoming helping authorities look for her. An autopsy was performed to determine what happened, and there is evidence, against Brian’s claims, of blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation. Brian wrote in his notebook that killing her was a mercy killing after she suffered a head injury in a fall. He wrote that she was in pain and he thought the killing was “merciful.”

Brian’s Suicide: 

On September 13, 2021, Brian Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found in a nature preserve in Florida. His remains were found under three feet of water before being discovered by his father, Chris Laundrie, as both of Laundrie’s parents joined the search for their son in the Carlton Reserve. The FBI confirmed it was him by using dental records for identification. The FBI also confirmed that Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in a notebook that was found with his remains. In the notebook he had when he was found, it was written, “I’m amending my life not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can’t stand to live another day without her.”

Aftermath: 

Gabby Petito’s parents say they have reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the parents of Brian Laundrie. The resolution of the lawsuit was not disclosed to the public, but we do know Gabby’s parents received three million dollars in a wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s estate. A domestic violence bill was filed in the state of Florida in 2023 called the “Gabby Petito Act,” to mandate a set of questions for law enforcement officers to ask potential victims of domestic abuse when responding to calls. Gabby Petito’s family also filed a lawsuit against the Moab Police Department, claiming they failed to protect her during a traffic stop that occurred weeks before her death. The lawsuit argued that police negligence during that encounter increased the likelihood of her harm, ultimately leading to her murder by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. They claimed the police were not thorough enough in their investigation of the domestic violence report and did not recognize the potential danger Petito faced. The lawsuit against the Moab Police Department was unsuccessful for the Petito family, and a Utah judge dismissed their wrongful death lawsuit, citing Utah’s governmental immunity law. Gabby Petito’s death sparked a national conversation about domestic violence awareness. Her family continues to advocate for change, hoping her story will help save others.

Works Cited

• Louallen, D. (2025, February 21). Gabby Petito’s parents reveal text messages she sent her fiancé before she died. ABC News. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-interview-gabby-petitos-parents-reveals-disturbing-details/story?id=118933322
• Sederstrom, J. (2024, November 7). The Gabby Petito-Brian-Laundrie Case, Explained. NBC. Retrieved April 23, 2025, from https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-case-detail
• Thorne, K. (2022, June 24). Brian Laundrie confession: Notebook appears to contain Gabby Petito cause of death. ABC7 Chicago. Retrieved April 25, 2025, from https://abc7chicago.com/brian-laundrie-confession-letter-gabby-petito-notebook-cause-of-death-parents-lawsuit/11993530/