What We Know About Gabby Petito’s Death: Her Family Opened Up Ahead of Netflix Documentary Release

Netflix describes the three-part documentary as an intimate look at Gabby's life, pieced together with personal journal entries, text messages, and video footage.

“[…] The series captures the reality of a young woman enmeshed in an abusive relationship behind closed doors — even as she put on a happy, ‘Insta-perfect’ face for social media,” a press release from Netflix stated.

Gabby and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, embarked on a cross-country road trip in July 2021, sharing their travels and glimpses of their relationship on social media.

“She wanted to cross the country in the camper van and live the van life and live free. This was her dream,” her mother, Nicole, recalled. The couple was last seen together in Utah, where an August 12 police stop in Moab was captured on bodycam footage.

Officers had responded to reports of a domestic altercation, but after speaking with the pair, they let them continue their journey. A later review concluded that officers had mishandled the situation, overlooking warning signs of abuse.

In response, Gabby's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department. Later released FBI documents revealed that a witness had observed the couple's altercation on August 12.

The witness, traveling through Moab, reported seeing Brian hitting Gabby inside their white Ford Transit van. Concerned, he turned his vehicle around and parked nearby to monitor the situation.

According to the FBI's report, “The male in the van ‘acted like a lunatic,' sporadically opening and slamming doors and pacing around the van. He seemed to be pleading with the female and at one point may have tried to hug the female, but was pushed back by her.”

“The male ultimately pushed the female's legs into the passenger side of the van, closed her door, and entered the driver's side,” the report continued. Gabby and Brian were then seen crying shortly after.

Although he considered intervening, the witness ultimately chose not to. He later contacted the FBI in September after seeing media coverage of Gabby's disappearance.

Brian briefly left Gabby on August 17, returning to Florida for a few days before flying back to Utah on August 23. Gabby's father, Joe, who lived in Florida, recalled ordering an Uber Eats meal for the couple while they were in Salt Lake City on August 21.

The couple left Salt Lake City for Grand Teton National Park around August 24. That same day, Nicole had her final FaceTime call with her daughter.

“She seemed OK to me at the time, other than I don't know where the relationship was going with the boyfriend,” Nicole said, indicating possible tension between the two.

Communication with Gabby became increasingly infrequent after that. “She was making her way up to Yellowstone,” Nicole recalled, noting that after August 24, their exchanges were limited to text messages.

“The last text I got from her was on Aug. 30. I don't know if that was her texting me or not,” Nicole admitted. On September 1, Brian returned to his parents' home in North Port, Florida — alone.

Gabby Petito's Death and Brian Laundrie's Confession

As weeks passed with no sign of Gabby, public speculation grew over what had happened to her. When Brian returned home alone from their trip, concerns escalated. Her family reported her missing, and the case became a national focus.

On September 19, authorities discovered her remains in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue later confirmed how Gabby died and that her body had been in the wilderness for three to four weeks.

“After a detailed investigation by our forensic pathologist, our anthropologist, and local law enforcement with assistance from the FBI, the Teton County Coroner's Office is following the following verdict,” Dr. Blue stated.

“In the manner of death of Gabrielle Venora Petito, we find the cause and manner to be — cause, death by strangulation, and manner is homicide,” he continued.

As the search for Brian continued, his belongings were eventually found in a Florida nature preserve near his parents' home. On October 20, authorities recovered his remains along with a backpack, a revolver, and a notebook.

A Florida medical examiner later ruled that Brian had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The notebook contained Brian's written confession. “A review of the notebook revealed written statements by Mr. Laundrie claiming responsibility for Ms. Petito's death,” the FBI reported.

In their final statement on the case, Special Agent Michael Schneider confirmed, “The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito.”

Roberta Laundrie's Disturbing Letter to Brian Laundrie

A shocking revelation in the heartbreaking Gabby and Brian case came with the discovery of a letter written by Brian's mother, Roberta. In the undated letter, which was found among Brian's belongings, Roberta made a chilling offer to her son.

“If you're in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags,” she wrote. The envelope was marked with Brian's name and included the words “burn after reading.”

The letter, which Roberta instructed Brian to destroy after reading, was later released by her lawyer to USA TODAY. In it, she also expressed her deep love for her son.

“I just want you to remember I will always Love you and I know you will always Love me. You are my boy,” she penned to her son.

Gabby Petito's Final Days and Fear of Leaving Brian Laundrie

In the days before her death, according to reports, Gabby told her ex-boyfriend, Jackson, that she was considering leaving Brian but feared how he might react.

This new revelation, shared in the recent Netflix docuseries, highlights her growing concerns about the relationship. Filmmaker Julia Willoughby Nason further described reading Gabby's messages with Brian as unsettling.

“Looking at her text messages with Brian for the first time, knowing that he had murdered her was haunting because it was like the manipulation…was very subtle,” she said. “And I think that we're hoping that this series can show the subtlety of intimate partner abuse, especially among young people.”

While Brian had returned to Florida on Aug. 12, leaving Gabby alone in Salt Lake City, she reached out to Jackson, confiding in him about her fears of ending the relationship.

“She wasn't sure of what he would do, or what he could do,” Jackson shared. On Aug. 27, Brian had returned, and Gabby messaged Jackson again, mentioning that their stop in Jackson, Wyoming, reminded her of him.

That same day, witnesses reported seeing Brian arguing with staff at the Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant. Some believe this confrontation may have contributed to his growing agitation just hours before Gabby's death.

However, the couple's text messages shed new light on what happened inside. “Ask for the check and tell her that the smell made me sick…idk the chicken wasn't right. I actually don't feel good…gonna be a min [sic],” Gabby texted Brian.

“Okay. I got the check, should I wait for you, should I get a to go box?” he replied. “I don't want to pay for food that made me sick,” she wrote back. Witnesses revealed that they believed Brian was arguing with staff about money and said he left and returned four times.

Later that afternoon, Gabby was captured on surveillance footage at a Whole Foods store. She attempted to call Jackson, but he was at work and couldn't answer.

In one of her last messages, she expressed doubts to her mother about her relationship with Brian. She suggested that she might be better off pursuing her van-life blog without him.

Gabby Petito's Family Focuses on Advocacy and Healing

Rather than dwelling on the past, Gabby's family has dedicated themselves to making a difference through the Gabby Petito Foundation. Their efforts have led to the passage of four laws aimed at improving how police handle missing persons cases.

One significant change includes requiring officers to implement a “lethality assessment protocol” — a series of questions designed to identify potential signs of domestic violence.

Though they acknowledge that there is no true closure, they have found healing through their advocacy. “I have forgiven Brian, and I know that is what Gabby would have wanted, and I'm moving forward so I can move on,” Nicole said.

“That is my personal experience. I don't think everyone has to forgive. They can when they are ready if they are ever ready. But for me personally, I needed to forgive to let that anchor go,” she added.

Her husband, Gabby's stepfather, echoed the sentiment, “Forgiveness is for you. It is for your healing. For your grief. For you to be able to move on.”

Despite their personal growth, Gabby's family revealed that they have never received an apology from Brian's parents. “We are never going to get that,” Joe said.

“At this point, I don't want one,” Tara Petito, Gabby's stepmother, added. “It doesn't help us. I would love for them to be charged with something. I really, really would love that. Do I think that is happening now? Unfortunately no. So I really want to erase that name out of my memory.”

Recent depositions suggest that Brian's parents knew Gabby was “gone” long before her body was discovered, though they have continued to deny any wrongdoing through their attorney.

Nicole expressed that, while many questions remain unanswered, the family has accepted the reality of the situation. “I don't think we will ever know why. The two people who will only know why and how are the two people who were there,” she said.

“I think we have the answers we needed. We know that things were known. I don't want to go too deep. I don't like to talk about them or say their names,” she continued.

Gabby Petito's tragic story brought national attention to domestic violence and missing persons cases. While her family will never have all the answers, they have chosen to focus on advocacy and healing.