Case File: Gabby Petito

Born in 1999, Gabby Petito was the eldest of six children and grew up in suburban Long Island, N.Y. While in high school, she began dating Brian Laundrie, who was two years ahead of her in school. Petito was described as a creative free spirit with a passion for travel. Laundrie was seen by friends and family as quiet and more withdrawn, but the pair shared a love of nature and the outdoors. 

In 2019, the couple moved to North Port, Fla., where the Laundrie family had relocated to, and Gabby and Brian moved in with his parents. Their relationship was marked by periods of closeness and tension, according to friends, and some would later note that Laundrie had become increasingly controlling toward Petito.

Despite this, the couple was engaged in 2020, and both were working a series of jobs to fund a future passion project. Drawn to the growing “van life” movement, popularized on social media for its promise of freedom and adventure, they converted a Ford Transit van into a camper and set out on July 2, 2021. They planned a cross-country trip to explore national parks, which Petito would use to launch a new career as a YouTube creator and blogger for pages called “Nomadic Statik.” She documented the first weeks of the trip, but would later text friends that Laundrie seemed increasingly dismissive of her work and interests as the trip progressed. 

Petito and Laundrie traveled through several western states, including Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. On August 12, 2021, police in Moab, Utah, stopped the couple after witnesses reported a domestic dispute. Laundrie had scratches on his face and arm, and Petito had visible marks on her face and arms, allegedly from the couple’s altercation that day. Body camera footage showed Petito visibly distraught and crying, telling officers she had anxiety and that she and Laundrie had been arguing.The officers classified the incident as a “mental health crisis” rather than domestic violence and separated the couple for the night, letting Petito keep the van while Laundrie stayed in a hotel. No charges were filed.

Petito continued to document their travels, but contact with friends and family became less frequent. She later told friends that Laundrie was unhappy with the journey and suggested Petito pay him for van to continue the journey on her own, which Petito dismissed. 

Petito posted for the final time from Ogden, Utah, on August 25. Two days later, she was reportedly seen with Laundrie in Jackson, Wyo., where witnesses said the couple had gotten into an argument at a restaurant. The couple was then captured on video surveillance at Whole Foods supermarket. That was the last time Petito was seen alive, and after August 30, all communication from her stopped. It was later revealed that Laundrie secretly returned home to Florida alone on September 1 and ceased any contact with Petito’s friends and family as they grew increasingly concerned that they could not reach her. 

Petito’s family filed a missing person’s report on September 11. Florida police discovered Laundrie was at his parents’ home along with the van. The Laundries refused to cooperate with police, leading many to surmise that his parents were trying to protect their son.  On September 15, Laundrie was officially named a person of interest, but not charged. Two days later, Laundrie’s family told police they had not seen him since September 14, though their lawyer stated the next month that the Laundries last saw their son on September 13. They claimed he had left to go camping in nearby Carlton Reserve to avoid the public glare of the case, but never returned. 

A massive search effort was launched, with the FBI, the National Park Service and law enforcement agencies using surveillance footage, witness accounts and digital evidence from Petito’s social media posts. They were aided by online sleuths and others in the “van life” community who contributed tips that helped investigators narrow their physical search for Petito. After vloggers told investigators that they had seen the white van near the Spread Creek campground in Wyoming the day she disappeared, search teams were able to locate Petito’s remains on September 19. The cause of death was homicide by strangulation. While Laundrie was never formally charged with Petito’s murder, police issued an arrest warrant on September 23 charging him with using her debit card after her death. Meanwhile, a second massive search was underway, as investigators tried to find Laundrie in the swampy Carlton Reserve. Finally, on October 20, partial human remains were found, along with a backpack and notebook that contained a handwritten “confession.” Laundrie claimed that Petito had sustained an accidental head injury that grew so painful that he had killed her as an act of mercy, writing, “I ended her life. 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.” The medical examiner later reported that Laundrie had died by suicide  from a gunshot wound.

Few in the public or law enforcement accepted Laundrie’s confession that his murder of Petito had been an act of mercy. In 2022, her parents filed a civil lawsuit against Laundrie’s parents, alleging they knew of Petito’s death and attempted to protect their son. They reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount in February 2024. Laundie’s parents also settled a wrongful death suit for $3 million in 2022. 

Upset by how Moab, Utah, police handled the August 12 altercation and in hopes of honoring their daughter, the Petitos created the Gabby Petito Foundation, which advocates for improvements in how law enforcement responds to such cases and provides support for organizations assisting victims of domestic violence and missing persons cases. 

Coverage of the Petito case has been criticized by many, with detractors noting that it received national attention, while the disappearances of minority and Indigenous women receive far less publicity, in what’s been called “missing white girl syndrome.” Many have also lamented the voyeuristic public reaction to the case, which became a social media sensation that proved both invasive to the victim and her family, and provided genuine leads that aided investigators in their search for Petito. The case underscored both the power and pitfalls of public involvement in active investigations.