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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — This past Monday, Netflix released a new documentary detailing the events leading up to and during the investigation of Gabby Petito’s murder at the hands of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.
“American Murder: Gabby Petito” features testimonies from people who knew the young couple before their deaths in 2021 — including Gabby’s parents, Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt.
Throughout the investigation, 8 On Your Side followed every step as investigators across the country worked to find the 22-year-old vlogger and, later on, her fiancé-turned-killer. We’ve compiled a list of stories to review before watching the documentary.
The police encounter before Gabby’s Disappearance
A month before Gabby Petito was reported missing, she and Laundrie were spotted in Moab, Utah, when police responded to a domestic incident between the couple.
At the time, police stated that the couple argued and hit each other. When officers arrived, they found Gabby in tears, as seen in body cam video.
“Yeah, I don’t know, it’s just some days, I have really bad OCD, and I was just cleaning and straightening up and I was apologizing to him saying that I’m so mean because sometimes I have OCD and get frustrated,” she said.
“I’m not going to pursue anything [criminal charges] because she is my fiancé and I love her. It was just a squabble. Sorry it had to get so public,” Laundrie told police later in the video.
A report filed by another police agency alleged that Moab police missed red flags in the incident, and while Gabby Petito was the predominant aggressor in the argument, she was “very likely” a victim of long-term domestic violence.
Stories related to the incident:
- LISTEN: 911 call details Brian Laundrie slapping Gabby Petito weeks before she went missing
- Utah police video shows Gabby Petito distraught after argument with fiancé
- ‘Red flags’ missed in Petito, Laundrie traffic stop, why officers ‘should’ve followed the letter of the law’
- Judge tosses out Petito family’s lawsuit against police, but fight is likely not over
Gabby’s disappearance and death
Questions about Gabby’s safety arose when Brian Laundrie returned home to his parents’ house in North Port from the couple’s cross-country trip — this time without Gabby.
Gabby’s family reported her missing on Sept. 11, 2021, but on Sept, 19, 2021, her body was found in the Wyoming wildnerness.
About a month later, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed that Gabby was strangled to death and left at a campground in Grand Teton National Park. According to Blue, she was left there for three to four weeks before authorities found her.
Stories related to Gabby’s disappearance and death:
- Why Gabby Petito’s final ‘odd text’ to her mom raised red flags
- Remains found in Wyoming fit description of missing North Port woman Gabby Petito, FBI says
- Coroner says Gabby Petito was strangled to death; Laundrie lawyer releases comment
- Brian Laundrie tried deceiving police with text messages that Gabby Petito was still alive, FBI says
Brian Laundrie’s suicide confession
Shortly after Gabby was reported missing, her fiancé followed suit — leaving the home of his parents, Christopher and Robert Laundrie, and fleeing to the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County.
At the time, Brian Laundrie was not considered a suspect in Gabby’s murder, but a federal arrest warrant was issued for him after he illegally used her Capital One Bank card.
Laundrie would remain missing for weeks until his skeletal remains were in the Carlton Reserve. The FBI used dental records to confirm the remains belonged to Laundrie, who killed himself with a gunshot to the head.
When his remains were found, investigators also found a backpack and notebook that contained a confession.
In it, Brian admitted to killing Gabby and that he couldn’t live without her.
“I ended her life,” Laundrie wrote in the notebook. “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. But from the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn’t go on without her.”
Stories related to Brian Laundrie, his family, and his confession:
- READ: Brian Laundrie’s notebook confession, message to Gabby Petito
- Brian Laundrie notebook confession revealed: ‘Couldn’t go on without’ Gabby Petito
- New autopsy report reveals details of Brian Laundrie’s death
- Partial human remains found near Brian Laundrie’s backpack and notebook, FBI says
- North Port PD admits to mistaking Roberta Laundrie for Brian Laundrie the week he disappeared
- Brian Laundrie missing as search for his fiancé Gabby Petito continues
- ‘Burn after reading’ letter: Brian Laundrie’s mother offered shovel, garbage bags to dispose of body if needed
- Gabby Petito’s mother says she forgives Brian Laundrie, calls his mother ‘pure evil’
American Murder: Gabby Petito is a three-part documentary on the relationship between Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie and how it ended in their deaths. You can watch it on Netflix.