WHEN American vlogger Gabby Petito failed to contact her family for days during a romantic cross-country trip in 2021 they grew anxious.
But when her parents discovered her fiancé Brian Laundrie had returned home to Florida – in her van – without her, they were sick with fear.
ITVAmerican vlogger Gabby Petito’s story has been revisited in an eye-opening new Netflix documentary[/caption]
NetflixGabby went missing during a romantic cross-country trip in 2021 with her fiancé Brian Laundrie[/caption]
Gabby’s parents were sick with fear when they discovered Brian had returned home without her
APBrian talks to police after being pulled over while traveling with Gabby near the Arches National Park in Utah[/caption]
Brian’s parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, refused to speak to police and quickly lawyered up as suspicions grew.
This is when I began covering one of the most fascinating missing persons cases of my career.
More than three years on, the story has been revisited in an eye-opening new Netflix documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito, which was released on February 17.
It features unseen texts from Gabby, and an interview with an ex-boyfriend who claimed she called him before she died, telling him she wanted to leave Brian.
But the three-part series left out many of the shocking twists and turns of the case – here I lay out nine of them.
Global firestorm
In late August 2021 there were a lot of questions: Where is Gabby? Why won’t Brian show his face? What are his parents hiding?
These were not only asked by journalists but the countless web sleuths who had made it their mission to trawl through social media for clues linked to her case.
The story went global and exploded into a media firestorm when information leaked that Brian had gone missing from his parents’ home.
At that point, he was not accused of anything, but was a person of interest in her disappearance.
How police failed to keep tabs on him is something that baffles me to this day.
What the Netflix doc left out was that North Point Police Chief Todd Garrison told a press conference on September 16 that he knew where Brian was.
But days earlier, his family lawyer allegedly reported him missing to the FBI, claiming he went out for a hike on September 13 and never returned home.
These facts are not mentioned in the series, although there is a focus on the outrage surrounding Brian’s disappearance.
Viewers only learn of a 911 call for a welfare check at the Laundrie’s house and bodycam footage shows officers arriving on September 17.
Brian’s parents informed them he was not home and they didn’t know where he was.
NetflixBrian went missing from his parents’ home and a nationwide manhunt was launched[/caption]
Christopher and Roberta Laundrie initially refused to speak to policeRex
Gabby’s family at a news conference for their missing daughterGetty Images – Getty
North Port Police DepartmentRoberta and Christopher being questioned at their home by police shortly after Gabby went missing[/caption]
It was reported the police allegedly confused him for his mother coming and going from the home.
Gabby’s stepfather Jim Schmidt found out Brian was missing during a live TV interview and was lost for words.
“I don’t think I’ve even had a moment to fully digest it yet,” he told the reporter.
The case became a mess, and authorities launched a nationwide manhunt, which reportedly cost millions of pounds after Brian managed to slip out unnoticed.
When police searched the house, they discovered a letter to Brian from his mom entitled ‘Burn After Reading’, in which she told him she would always love him.
If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags
Letter to Brian from his mom entitled ‘Burn After Reading’
“If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags,” it read.
The doc does not include Roberta’s comments about the letter, which was only made public months later.
She said in an affidavit that she wrote it at a time when their relationship was “strained,” claiming it was given to him before he left for his trip.
“I was trying to connect with Brian and repair our relationship as he was planning to leave home — and I had hoped this letter would remind him how much I loved him,” she wrote.
She said that Gabby had given her son a book entitled “Burn After Writing” that they had joked about.
Dashcam footage shared by a YouTuber emerged of Gabby’s van parked suspiciously at the side of a campsite in Wyoming, around the time she stopped answering her phone.
On September 19, it was confirmed police had found her body nearby at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground in the Bridger-Teton National Forrest.
Days later, Brian was officially a wanted man, although her cause of death had not yet been confirmed.
He was under investigation for illegally using Gabby’s Capital One debit card to withdraw money several times between August 30 and September 1 – a huge red flag.
The story’s focus switched to finding Brian after I exclusively revealed Gabby’s parents had her cremated before a memorial in New York.
Police were inundated with tips regarding Brian’s whereabouts and Twitter, now X, was flooded with memes as the case became something of a joke.
American TV personality Dog The Bounty Hunter even flew to Florida to try and help find Brian as it appeared authorities were no closer to tracking him down.
Every bald man in the back of a photograph was seen as a possible sighting, and speculation reached fever pitch.
Bizarre note
Sleuths even peddled a conspiracy that Brian was hiding under a flower bed in his parents’ garden.
Some of the amateur sleuths were genuinely helping the case, while others I fear caused more harm than good.
Those following the case were furious with the police and Brian’s parents for staying silent.
Weeks went by with no sign of Brian until his parents were seen with officers searching a park at the Carlton Reserve, which was previously closed because of flooding.
This was a shocking move and eyebrows were raised when within an hour his father discovered Brian’s discarded backpack.
Authorities also found Brian’s notebook, along with his skeletal remains which were three feet underwater.
Autopsy results revealed Gabby died as a result of strangulation and blunt force trauma, while Brian’s death was ruled as a suicide after he shot himself in the head.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito’s disappearance:
June 2021 – Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
July 4 – Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
July 8 – Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
July 18 – Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah’s Zion National Park.
August 12 – Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
August 17 – Brian flies home to Florida to visit his parents, stock up on supplies, and close a storage unit.
August 19 – Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
August 22 – Gabby texts her ex-boyfriend, Jackson.
August 23 – Brian returns to meet Gabby in Salt Lake City.
August 24 – Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
August 25 – Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed “more and more tension” between her and Brian.
August 25 – Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
August 27 – Gabby messages Jackson for the final time.
August 27 – Gabby is seen for the final time at a Whole Foods. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
August 27 – Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple’s van “abandoned” on a dirt road.
September 1 – Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
September 11 – Gabby’s parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
September 14 – Brian’s family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
September 14 – Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
September 15 – Florida’s North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
September 16 – Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
September 17 – Brian’s parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
September 18 – Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
September 19 – Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby’s but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
September 20 – Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie’s home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain “evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed.”
September 21 – Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
September 21 – The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby’s. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
September 21 – The Teton County Coroner’s office said Gabby’s official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
September 22 – Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
September 23 – Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
September 26 – Gabby’s funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
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 at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie’s.
November 23: Laundrie’s autopsy reveals he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
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.”
October 1, 2022: The Gabby Petito Story premieres on Lifetime without the family’s approval.
February 17, 2025 – American Murder: Gabby Petito premieres on Netflix.
He left a bizarre note in which he took responsibility for Gabby’s death but insisted she fell near a creek.
“I don’t know the extent of gabbys injurys (sic), only that she was in extreme pain,” he wrote.
“I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made.”
He claimed he panicked and was in shock when he killed her and didn’t want to live another day without her.
I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made
Brian Laundrie’s note
Many did not believe him and instead thought Gabby had been in a toxic, violent relationship, which is covered in depth in the new doc.
There are also new details of phone calls Brian made to his family while he was still in Wyoming, after which they hired a lawyer.
Police bodycam footage had also come out of the pair being pulled over after a reported domestic dispute in Moab, Utah – just weeks before her disappearance.
NetflixA 911 caller had claimed they saw Brian slapping Gabby in public as the pair argued[/caption]
Parker & McConkieOfficers failed to document Gabby’s facial injuries, revealed in a selfie taken on her phone[/caption]
© 2025 Netflix, Inc.The documentary features an interview with an ex-boyfriend who claimed Gabby called him before she died, telling him she wanted to leave Brian[/caption]
A 911 caller had claimed they saw Brian slapping Gabby in public as they argued.
After they were questioned, Gabby was named as the “primary aggressor” and police only separated the two for the night – putting Brian in a motel for domestic violence victims.
This is when the failings of Moab PD first began to emerge, which has also been left out of the series.
In November 2022, Gabby’s parents sued the department for $50 million in damages.
An investigative report revealed officers had probable cause of domestic violence and should have made an arrest. Not doing so violated state law.
Officers also failed to document Gabby’s facial injuries, which were revealed in a heartbreaking selfie taken on her phone.
‘Many inaccuracies’
There were further problems with the police report and I travelled to Moab to investigate.
I discovered one of the officers, Eric Pratt, had been promoted to detective after the incident, a move which was criticized by locals.
It was also alleged he had threatened to kill a former mistress to try and keep her quiet after an affair in 2017.
Pratt never responded to multiple calls for comment from The U.S. Sun and did not face charges over the allegations.
Brian Stewart of Salt Lake City law firm Parker & McConkie, who represents Gabby’s parents, Nichole Schmidt and Joseph Petito, told me he was “disappointed”.
He said at the time, “As was described in the filed complaint, we believe that Moab City Police Department knew or should have known that Officer Pratt had a history of pervasive professional and sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and intimate partner violence, is manifestly unfit and unsafe to be a police officer.
“The Petito family is disappointed that Moab City does not appear to take the allegations against Officer Pratt seriously. Gabby deserved better and the people of Moab deserve better now.”
The wrongful death suit was dismissed, but I can exclusively reveal Gabby’s family have now appealed and are not giving up.
NetflixBrian left a note in which he took responsibility for Gabby’s death[/caption]
Instagram / Gabby PetitoBut he insisted Gabby fell near a creek[/caption]
Their lawyer told me this week: “The appeal is moving forward. On Feb. 10 the Utah Supreme Court took the appeal directly rather than allowing it to go to the court of appeals first. They will be setting a briefing schedule soon.”
Gabby’s family also sued Brian’s parents, and their lawyer, for intentional and reckless infliction of emotional distress.
They ended up settling the case before it went to trial but admitted they haven’t forgiven them.
The Laundries have vehemently denied any wrongdoing and have never been charged with a crime.
It’s no surprise they are unhappy with the way they are portrayed in the new series.
We all know Brian took Gabby’s life and Brian then took his own as well
Steven Bertolino
This week, I reached out to their attorney Steven Bertolino who slammed the doc.
”One perspective depicted as the ‘truth’ as seen through their lens. Similar to Republicans and Democrats fighting it out lately,” he told me exclusively.
“Each side believes their perspective is correct. Hard to see through the lens of the other with all the noise and distrust.
“To be clear though, there were no contradictions by my clients Chris and Roberta Laundrie.
“The documentary contained many inaccuracies, incorrect juxtapositions of timelines, and misstatements and omissions of fact – perhaps deliberate to capture their ‘truth’, perhaps due to simple error.
“We all know Brian took Gabby’s life and Brian then took his own as well.”
He added, “Let the parents of both Gabby and Brian mourn them in peace.”
Bertolino did not immediately clarify which aspects of the documentary were allegedly inaccurate and Stage 29 Productions did not respond to requests for comment.
Despite their view of the series, he confirmed they will not be suing and their only aim is to move on.
Years later, I think it’s devastating that not only was Gabby murdered and her body left for weeks in the open, but her family are still fighting for justice.
Nobody has faced any consequences for the nightmare they endured, and Brian’s death means they will be left with unanswered questions for the rest of their lives.
WFLAPolice found Gabby’s body nearby at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground in the Bridger-Teton National Forrest[/caption]
WFLAGabby’s family are still fighting for justice[/caption]
The Mega AgencyChris Laundrie plants signs on his front lawn of his Florida home[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
