A NEW Peacock show about murder is shedding new light on Brian Laundrie as Gabby Petito's parents speak out about their beloved daughter.
The documentary, The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media, can be streamed on NBC's streaming service, Peacock.
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.
The new documentary reportedly “sheds new light on the tragic story, the unanswered questions and the shocking conclusion,” with exclusive interviews from her family.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Danielle Cinone
Did Brian Laundrie have a funeral?
Through their attorney, the Laundrie family revealed that they would be cremating their son’s ashes and forgoing a funeral.
His family left their homes in North Port on October 24 to grieve together in an undisclosed location in Florida.
Chris and Roberta Laundrie returned to their home on October 26.
- Danielle Cinone
‘Her final resting place’
Gabby’s family traveled to Wyoming where her remains were found near Grand Teton National Park on September 19.
“It almost felt like her home. Her final resting place,” Gabby’s mom, Mrs Schmidt, told Dr Oz on a recent episode of the show featuring Gabby’s parents and step-parents.
“Such a beautiful, peaceful place to be. And we went there to bring her home and that’s what we did.”
- Danielle Cinone
Gabby Petito’s dad at her funeral, continued
“And she’s inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do what’s best for them first. Put yourself first and do it now while you have the time. I couldn’t be more proud as a father,” he added.
Joe also warned women in toxic relationships to “leave now” so that way this tragedy does not happen to them.
Just days after, the family then held a press conference, where Nicole showed off matching tattoos that were designed by Gabby prior to her death.
On October 3, 2021, Gabby’s family announced that they had launched the Gabby Petito Foundation in honor of their late daughter.
- Danielle Cinone
Gabby Petito’s dad at her funeral
On September 26, the Petito family held a memorial service for Gabby to lay her to rest following the autopsy results.
At the service, her father Joe said that he wanted people to be “inspired” by the life she embodied.
“So when you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought to the table because the entire planet knows this woman’s name now,” he said.
- Danielle Cinone
Gabby’s final text
Gabby’s mother believes that her daughter’s last text wasn’t written by the late vlogger.
The message was sent to Nichole Schmidt on August 30 when Gabby and fiancé Brian Laundrie were still on their cross-country road trip.
The mysterious text read: “No service in Yosemite”
Yosemite is about 800 miles away from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming where Gabby’s remains were eventually found.
It’s unclear if Gabby was the one who sent the message, but the FBI has pinpointed her date of death to between August 27 to 30.
- Danielle Cinone
Foundation helps find missing persons
The Gabby Petito Foundation on Twitter advised in early December that they have a separate page dedicated to helping find other missing persons.
- Danielle Cinone
Family honors Gabby with foundation
On October 3, 2021, Gabby’s family announced that they had launched the Gabby Petito Foundation in honor of their late daughter.
“The Gabby Petito Foundation is up and running!,” a post on the foundation’s Twitter page read. “We have a lot of work to do, website is just starting out so be patient with us, we will get there. Thank you for all the support and love!”
The family then repeated 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.”
A link to the foundation’s website is also now live, having previously been “under construction” in the week since the family first unveiled their plans to launch a charity in Gabby’s name at her funeral.
- Danielle Cinone
‘It appears as if the story is over’
Brian Laundrie’s friend also told The Sun: “It appears as if this story is over.”
The friend alluded to Laundrie’s notebook as showcasing an important look into Laundrie’s private life and his potential last days with Petito.
“Hopefully his notebook can detail what it is we all want to know,” the friend said, alluding to Petito’s cause of death that was determined to be by strangulation.
- Danielle Cinone
Brian’s best friend asks ‘why?’
Brian Laundrie’s best friend exasperatedly asked “why” he would do such a thing, adding they believe Laundrie is the person behind Gabby Petito’s death.
The friend told The Sun in an exclusive interview that Laundrie’s notebook could contain clues to solve Petito’s death, whom a medical coroner determined had died due to strangulation.
“I think this is the outcome we expected,” the friend told The Sun in an exclusive interview after Laundrie’s remains were found and subsequently identified.
“I don’t know if it’s the one we would ask for,” the friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, said.
- Danielle Cinone
Brian and Gabby moved to New York
North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison revealed that Brian and Gabby changed their addresses and moved to New York just days before they set out on their cross-country trip, which ended in tragedy.
Garrison said the couple put “a lot of stuff into storage” and moved to New York in June before embarking on their trip in July.
- Danielle Cinone
How old was Gabby Petito?
Gabby Petito was just 22 years old when she died.
She has embarked on a cross-country road trip with her fiance before her tragic death.
- Danielle Cinone
What happened to Gabby Petito?
Gabby 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.
- Danielle Cinone
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."
- Danielle Cinone
Gabby's mom speaks of her daughter's 'magical' presence
In the documentary, Gabby's mom Nichole Schmidt said everyone who met their daughter instantly "fell in love with her."
The devastated mother said: "People would meet her and just fall in love with her.
"She just had this presence. I don't know what it was. It was just magical."
"There are so many good memories over the years, but the one thing I hold dear to me is the hug that we had before she left for the trip in the driveway."
"It's still unbelievable. I still don't understand it. It doesn't make sense," she added.
- Danielle Cinone
Rare photos of Gabby Petito shared in documentary
Rare photos of Gabby Petito were shared in a new documentary, prompting her heartbroken parents to say "this is all we have left now."
Gabby's heartbroken parents, Nichole Schmidt and Joe Petito opened up about what made their daughter special in the new Peacock documentary, The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media.
"Man, that smile. that smile didn't change. Those eyes didn't change. Those eyes, they would get her out of so much trouble," Joe said.
"No matter how old she got, she would still be my baby girl, you know, how much trouble she was in, it didn't matter. She was still my baby girl, you know?
"These are all I have left now," Joe said as he stared down at his daughter's childhood photos.
- H. J. Hayes
Where to watch the new documentary
The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media debuts on December 17, through NBC's streaming service Peacock.
The documentary reportedly “sheds new light on the tragic story, the unanswered questions and the shocking conclusion,” with exclusive interviews from her family.
“It was like every parent’s nightmare, just like in a flash of a second,” Petito's stepfather Jim Schmidt said in the documentary's trailer. “She’s gone, she’s missing.”
- H. J. Hayes
Dad: 'entire planet' knows Gabby's name
On September 26, the family held a memorial service for Gabby to lay her to rest following the autopsy results.
At the service, Joe said that he wanted people to be “inspired” by the life she embodied.
“So when you leave here today, be inspired by what she brought to the table because the entire planet knows this woman’s name now,” he said.
“And she’s inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do what’s best for them first. Put yourself first and do it now while you have the time. I couldn’t be more proud as a father.”
Joe also warned women in toxic relationships to “leave now” so that way this tragedy does not happen to them.
Just days after, the family then held a press conference, where Nicole showed off matching tattoos that were designed by Gabby prior to her death.
On October 3, 2021, Gabby’s family announced that they had launched the Gabby Petito Foundation in honor of their late daughter.
- H. J. Hayes
Brian's notebook is 'key evidence'
Brian Laundrie’s notebook, which was found next to his remains at a Florida nature reserve, may reveal the truth about what happened between him and his late fiancée, Gabby Petito, an ex-prosecutor says.
The notebook and remains were found by police next to a backpack belonging to Laundrie at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, near the Carlton Reserve.
Neama Rahmani, a former assistant US Attorney and the current president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told The Sun the notebook and bag will be “crucial evidence” in helping to solve Gabby’s murder.
“Law enforcement found a backpack and notebook, that’s key evidence,” Rahmani said.
- H. J. Hayes
Moab police refund licensing fees
Officers in the Utah city where Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie had an explosive domestic dispute have been accused of illegally collecting nearly $3,000 in fees for the distressing police bodycam footage of the incident.
The Moab Police Department are planning to return the fees collected from multiple media organizations featuring footage of the officers pulling over Gabby and her ex-fiancé Brian outside of Arches National Park.
The thousands of dollars in fees charged by Moab police the dissemination of the footage – which grabbed national spotlight – cost three times more than what the department had expected to take in for the entire fiscal year of fee revenues, the Salt Lake Tribune reported citing a city budget document.
Moab Police Department charged 30 entities – mostly news organizations – $98 to provide the footage totaling $2,940, according to a document The Tribune obtained through an open records request.
The law enforcement agency has since agreed to refund the fees which may have violated Utah law.
- H. J. Hayes
Why Gabby visited 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.
- H. J. Hayes
Accessing domestic violence help 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.
- H. J. Hayes
Gabby's last interactions with mom
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.
- H. J. Hayes
Gabby's mom issued tragic warning
Gabby’s mom Nichole Schmidt revealed that she was “worried” when 22-year-old Gabby launched her planned four-month cross-country road trip touring America’s national parks with Laundrie, 23, in July.
“I told her to be careful, be safe,” she told 60 Minutes Australia. “To be aware of your surroundings. Don’t trust anybody.”
- H. J. Hayes
When was Gabby last seen?
On August 24, Petito was last seen as she checked out of a hotel in Salt Lake City with Laundrie.
The next day was her final post on Instagram from Ogden, Utah.
It was simply captioned “Happy Halloween” with a number of pictures of her beside a famous mural in the city.
That same day is when Petito’s mom claims she received her final call from her daughter saying that she was in Grand Teton National Park.
- H. J. Hayes
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.”
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