The Gabby Petito Case: The Good, The Bad, and the Downright Ugly

Note: This story has been metered, however, all proceeds will be donated to the Gabby Petito Foundation.

Like many around the world, I have also been following the case of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie closely. It has led to commiserating with others on forums at 1am, livestreaming the news on the drive home from work, and becoming intimately familiar with the likes of JB Biunno, Brian Entin, and other small journalists covering the case. Whether our investment in the case is driven by an interest in true crime, an inherent demand for justice, or morbid curiosity, all of us want to know where Brian Laundrie is and what questions he holds the answer to. After many days and nights mulling over this case, I’ve come to realize that it is a genuine reflection of how social media posts and Instagram stories are often over glorified.

But… sometimes, just sometimes, they can answer a lot of questions, too.

For those of you unfamiliar with the case and the course of events, I will try to “briefly” summarize to offer some context. I do encourage everyone to research and read at length the chain of events, drawing your own conclusions.

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie were young social media influencers (and high school sweethearts) who became widely known for their cross-country road trip to various parks and campgrounds in a converted Ford Transit van, taking outstanding photos of nature, and living an eco-friendly lifestyle. The engaged couple set out for open roads in June 2021, capturing photos of their adventures and uploading them via Instagram.

On August 12, 2021, they were pulled over in Moab, Utah, after various witness reports of domestic violence occurring. Body camera footage released recently of the incident, spanning almost an hour, depicts a sobbing Gabby with an open cut across her cheek, and Brian speaking to law enforcement about the events with scratches on his arm. They are separated for the night, neither one of them being charged with any crime. Outside of this incident, another was reported to have occurred in Jackson, Wyoming, on August 27 at The Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant. Reportedly, Laundrie was visibly angry about the bill and was confrontational with the staff. They both walked out together, but Petito briefly returned and apologized profusely for the actions of her fiancée. This was the last time she was publicly seen, and the last time she definitively spoke to family was in an August 24 FaceTime call to her mother. Several texts were sent to her in the days afterwards, up until August 30, but there are doubts as to whether these messages came from Gabby herself.

On September 1, Brian Laundrie returned to his North Port, FL, residence where his parents and Gabby lived together. He returned in Gabby’s Ford Transit van without her, and spent the following days tending to the yard, spending time with family, and going camping with them at Fort DeSoto. The last time his family saw him was on September 13 before he visited the Carlton Reserve in Venice, FL, a vast 24,000-acre area of land with trees, trails, and swamp, to go hiking. He has not been seen since.

On September 19, human remains matching Gabby Petito were found in Teton County, Wyoming, at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in the Grand Tetons. A coroner confirmed the body was Gabby’s two days later and announced the death was a homicide based on autopsy findings. Laundrie remained missing this entire time, despite an arrest warrant being issued on September 23rd by the FBI in connection with him using an, “unauthorized device” to make purchases in excess of $1,000 between August 30 and September 1.

To this date, Brian is still missing. His parents have remained largely silent, and have not made a plea for him to come forward. A funeral service was held for Gabby, but her body has remained with the coroner and will likely be held until Brian is found. While many people speculate that he is deceased, myself and many others believe, based on evidence, he is still alive.

I digress.

Scrolling through Gabby and Brian’s Instagram accounts (gabspetito and bizarre_design_) respectfully, one is presented with beautiful photographs of sprawling desert, mountains, the couple enjoying food together and many of nature’s wonders. It’s almost surreal to think the same couple who painted this beautiful portrait of their scenic life on the road was experiencing so much turmoil in their relationship in secret. It is a true testimony and reminder to not believe everything posted on social media.

However, it goes without saying that social media has played several positive roles in this case, which many might find hard to believe.

For example, family travel vloggers known as, “Red, White & Bethune” came forward on September 19 with footage recorded for their travel channel on YouTube. On August 27, they were in Grand Teton National Park, using a mounted GoPro camera to record their drive through the area while casually narrating what they came across. A van resembling — and later confirmed to be — Petito’s and Laundrie’s was captured in the video, parked to the left side of the frame, unmoving. The footage was posted online soon after Petito was reported missing, and the family turned it over to the FBI when they realized the van in the video resembled the same van displayed on the Missing Person photos of Gabby. In the following days, online sleuths utilized technology to determine, from the video, the latitude and longitude the van was parked for potential clues as to where she might be. Law enforcement followed up on this information and discovered that her remains were just feet away from where the van’s image was captured in the travel vlogger’s video.

Additionally, the investment online sleuths have in this case has given way to a dedicated Reddit forum and Discord chat with thousands of participants discussing theories, rumors, developments, news, and more each minute. Constant online involvement and interest, regardless of motive, continues breathing life into the case and the search for Brian Laundrie. It’s a way of holding the FBI accountable and ensuring that this missing person’s case does not go cold like many others before it.

Some might also argue that so much attention to the case his been detrimental in a few regards, potentially to the extent of threatening the successful prosecution of Brian Laundrie.

A couple of weeks ago, Dog the Bounty Hunter announced his involvement after believing North Port Police Department, Sarasota Police Department, and the FBI were dragging their feet by searching effortlessly in the expansive Carlton Reserve. I am of the opinion that law enforcement had probable cause to search the area, and has withheld such details to preserve the investigation. Although he uncovered details previously unannounced to the public, such as the family’s trip to Fort DeSoto, his involvement also spurred other prospective “Bounty Hunters” into action. While their intentions are good, the larger issue is that law enforcement must abide by strict guidelines and rules when seeking out and processing evidence. Otherwise, evidence crucial to the investigation and prosecution are omissible in court under due process rights of the accused. If someone other than law enforcement was to “find evidence”, it would likely not be used in court and therefore threaten the ability to effectively prosecute Brian Laundrie. It is often very rare that “vigilante justice” in this sense does any good, and can often do more harm. Hence, why the FBI is now so tight-lipped about the investigation, their findings, and reason for spending so much time (plus resources) in the Reserve.

A large point of contention in the online community, as the search drags on, is the resounding silence from his parents. One might expect that when a child goes missing, a parent would issue a plea for the safe return of their kid. Their lack of speaking up has led to speculation that perhaps they are not concerned for Brian’s well-being because they know he is alive and safe somewhere. In the same regard, I like to bring up the infamous case of Chris Watts. He was televised begging for the safe return of his wife and children, who supposedly went “missing” in August 2018. In the end, he was guilty of their murders. Therefore, would standing in front of cameras and pleading for their son to come home really prove their innocence, or just satisfy the public?

The ongoing buzz and constant online updates about the case certainly continues to stir and rile people up. Individuals have travelled hours to stand outside the Laundrie house with bullhorns from dusk until dawn, shouting. Police have been called to the neighborhood on numerous occasions to mitigate tensions and handle escalated threats. All this public pressure has done thus far is cause unnecessary disruption and upset to the neighbors. Clearly, the parents are not going to crack under public pressure, as many have hoped.

This case is more than just, “Missing White Woman Syndrome”. It brings attention to how easy it is to downplay domestic abuse in our relationships, how police handle these situations, and should lead us to ask why there is a reluctance to speak up.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from the Gabby Petito case. Although she is no longer with us, her legacy will, undoubtedly, have an impact.

Soon after the death of Gabby Petito was announced, many individuals took to the internet to voice their outrage at how persistent law enforcement has been to find justice for Gabby, yet they did not allocate the same amount of time or resources to finding other missing persons, particularly those of minority descent. While it is a valid point, I certainly find it in bad taste to piggyback off a girl’s death in pursuance of one’s own cause. It is entirely possible to express frustration at other cases going cold without treading on Gabby’s name in the process. I can only imagine the pain her family felt, having heard that not only was their daughter murdered, but that others were upset about it for the wrong reasons. Fortunately, NewsNation Now took from this public outcry and has begun a new segment shining light on other unresolved cases with their “Missing in America” series.

In analyzing the video from the Moab, Utah incident, and law enforcement’s opinion of the encounter, it is clear that Gabby was in an uncomfortable, potentially abusive, situation. She stated Brian has exhibited frustration with her before, she is constantly rubbing her hands on her knees, crying, and expresses an intense, borderline irrational fear of being separated from him. Brian minimizes Gabby’s passion as, “her little vlog” while joking with law enforcement. Law enforcement separated them for the night, but could they have done more? Perhaps if both individuals were taken in for questioning and separated, Gabby would have been able to escape by alerting law enforcement to the nature of their relationship. What was most bone-chilling about this encounter is when Gabby was being spoken to on the side, an officer acknowledged they have seen domestic abuse situations escalate until one of them was killed. This is what happened to Gabby.

In a recent interview with Dr. Phil, Gabby’s family stated they could not stomach to watch the entire video of when they were pulled over. Seeing their daughter in such a state while she painted their relationship as perfect on the outside was painful. It leads us to wonder if Gabby recognized the abusive nature of her relationship with Brian. Did she not believe it was abuse until it became physical? Was she scared to end things with him because they were in the middle of nowhere, and doing so would likely leave her abandoned? Was she afraid he would hurt her if she spoke up? Did she recognize the abuse at all?

As someone who was in an abusive relationship once, I sympathize with Gabby because I excused the actions and words of my abuser. When he yelled at me, belittled me, or used name-calling, he apologized and stated “that’s how my family raised me, it’s all I know, I won’t do it again,”. Looking back, there were so many other signs I missed and excused until he struck me across the face. In all honesty, I should have left before that, but failed to see the reality of what was going on. For me, it wasn’t too late, and I recognize how fortunate I am. Perhaps that’s why I’ve found myself so drawn to Gabby Petito’s case. I allowed my abuser to get away with many things, but Brian Laundrie should not be afforded the same luxury.

I cannot, in good faith, end this article without paying respects to the beautiful person Gabby Petito was. Particularly with so much attention being paid to the search for Brian, and looking up her name only points to articles about the case itself.

She was an inspiration to anyone wanting to travel and simply pursue their dreams, and she had an incredible gift for embracing all life had to offer. Gabby was an artist, a dreamer, and a bookworm, whose smile illuminated an entire room. She was a daughter, a sister, and a she was friend to many. She sent postcards to her family highlighting her trips and how much they would have loved the sights she saw. Butterflies were her absolute favorite creatures, and she adored the color blue. “Let It Be” was her favorite saying, and one that she lived by.

“I want you to be inspired by Gabby, that’s what we’re looking for,” Joseph Petito said, during the funeral service for his daughter. “If there’s a trip that you guys want to take, take it now. Do it now while you’ve got the time. If there’s a relationship that you’re in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now,”.

Thank you, Gabby, for your inspiration. I hope that justice is found for you. Rest easy.