What happened to Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie?

Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old girl posting about her travels on Instagram. Over a month later, her disappearance and murder are a worldwide topic. In June of this year, Gabby Petitio and her fiance Brian Laundrie set out on a cross-country trip, planning to travel to state and national parks in the western United States. On August 12, 2021, police officers in Moab, Utah, pulled the couple over. Later, the police bodycam footage would be released. Petito could be in distress during the pullover, while Laundrie remained calm and unbothered. Officer Daniel Robbins said, “After evaluating the totality of the circumstances, I do not believe the situation escalated to the level of a domestic assault as much as that of a mental health crisis.” The officers let the pair go but suggested they separate for the night, which they did. Later in the day, a 911 call was put in by a citizen reporting a domestic dispute where he saw a man hitting a woman, and they had a white van similar to the one Petito and Laundrie were driving in.
On August 17, Laundrie flew home to Tampa, Florida, to obtain some possessions and close a storage unit to gain some extra cash as the couple considered extending their road trip. Laundrie rejoined Petito in Salt Lake City on August 23. On August 27, a couple reported seeing the couple at a restaurant, where Petito was crying, and Laundrie was visibly angry. According to Petito’s family, the last week they had contact with her was during the last week of August, with the last message being on August 30, though they have stated they don’t believe the final message was from her. The message informed her family that there was not good cell reception in Wyoming, so she would not contact them. Two people, Miranda Baker and Norma Jean Jalovec, both reported interactions with Laundrie while Petito was not with him. Both drove him to campgrounds; Jalovec drove him to the Spread Creek dispersed camping area, where Petito’s remains would later be found.

On September 1, Laundrie returned to the couple’s home in North Port, Florida, without Petito. On September 6, Laundrie went with his family to a campground about 75 miles away from their home, where they stayed until the next day. On September 11, Petito’s family, living in New York, reported her missing. Officers went to the Laundrie house to try and speak to him, but they “were essentially handed the information for their attorney.” As Petito’s family begged Laundrie for any information about Gabby’s location, Laundrie and his family remained silent, providing no information regarding Petito. On September 17, Laundrie’s parents request for officers to come to their home. They share that they have not seen Laundrie since September 14. Officers were sent to search for Laundrie at the Carlton Reserve in Venice, Florida, where hikers often go.
Meanwhile, officers search for Petito in Grand Teton National Park. On September 19, remains were found in Teton county that matched the description of Petito. On September 20, Laundrie’s parents were questioned by the FBI. On September 21, the remains found in Teton county were confirmed to belong to Petito.
Knowing that the remains were Petito’s, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Laundrie. As the days pass, Laundrie’s parents were seen walking happily and carefree, hardly like their son was missing and his fiance was dead. Many believe Laundrie’s parents were helping him to hide, though nothing has been confirmed. On October 12, it was released that Petito’s cause of death was strangulation. Additionally, the body was left out in the wilderness for three to four weeks before it was discovered. On October 20, remains were found in Florida’s Carlton Reserve, along with personal items belonging to Laundrie. The next day, using dental records, the remains were confirmed to belong to Laundrie.
Although the search was for Petito’s body, at least nine other bodies of missing people have been found so far. The way this case was magnified through social media has also sparked controversy, mostly surrounding the Indigenous communities in Wyoming. There has been a historic lack of attention to the murders of Indigenous people, primarily women, across the country. Many share a consensus that, while it is important to acknowledge these murders and do better, using Petito as a figure to blame for getting attention is not fair. Additionally, it is important for her family to be allowed to mourn in peace rather than be harassed and told that she’s not the only one this has happened.
Deanna Doyle (12) says, “I honestly think that there are so many different types of women out there, so not just Indigenous women are going missing. I think there may not be media coverage on them, but there’s no media coverage on every single woman that goes missing.”
Isabella Nazario (12) says, “It is important to be respectful to her, and her case, but also the sheer amount of Indigenous women who go missing and the lack of news coverage is upsetting. They’re overshadowed by all the media coverage for non-indigenous or POC people when they are just as important.” As of now, police are still trying to determine what happened to Laundrie, as the autopsy results came back inconclusive.