WHEN Gabby Petito disappeared in 2021, the world was gripped by the mystery.
Eventually a body was found and what really happened unfurled. A new documentary will air on ITVX revealing what happened.
Who was Gabby Petito?
Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old girl who went on a trip around America with her boyfriend.
She and Brian Laundrie were due to travel around the county for four months but this is not how it went.
On July 2, 2021 the pair embarked on their travels but it wasn’t long until Gabby’s family started to worry.
Gabby was born and raised in Blue Point, New York.
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She had six younger siblings and half-siblings.
Gabby documented her life and travels on social media sites such as YouTube and Instagram.
When did Gabby Petito go missing?
Gabby and Laundrie set off on their four month trip at the start of July and Gabby documented their trip through her YouTube channel Nomadic Statik.
They seemed to be having the time of their lives as they visited some of the most picturesque parts of the US.
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Gabby’s family stayed in touch with her until the end of August when communication stopped.
Her parents started to worry and started their search for their daughter, with internet sleuths getting involved in the missing persons case.
Laundrie returned to his home in Florida at the beginning of September in the van that he and Gabby had been travelling in, but he was on his own.
Before this on August 12, 2021 a witness called the police to report that a couple, that was identified as Gabby and Laundrie, were seen fighting in Utah.
The caller said they saw a man slap a woman before driving off together.
Police approached the couple and body cam footage showed them both talking about the physical altercation.
Petito told the officer that she hit Laundrie first.
Where was Gabby Petito’s body found?
The search for Gabby came to a tragic end when a body was found on September 19, 2021.
Her body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area in Wyoming which is where the Ford Transit Connect was previously seen before Laundrie drove it home.
An autopsy determined that the manner of death was homicide by “blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation” which occurred three to four weeks before the body was found.
What happened to Gabby Petito’s boyfriend, Brian Laundrie?
Laundrie was described as a person of interest on September 15 by police after he returned home to Florida on his own as he was the last person to have seen Gabby before she disappeared.
However just two days later his parents told police they had not seen their son since September 14.
Police then announced that they were searching for the Carlton Reserve Laundrie.
More than a month later on October 20 Laundrie’s body was found in a Florida park along with a notebook and backpack.
It was confirmed on November 23 that Laundrie had taken his own life.
I am ending my life not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can’t stand to live another day without her. I’ve lost our whole future together, every moment we could have cherished.
Brian Laundrie
What did Brian Laundrie write in his note?
In the notebook that was found with Laundrie’s body, a letter was found where he took responsibility for Gabby’s death.
He claimed that he killed her after she injured herself in a fall in Wyoming, saying he thought it was “merciful”.
He said that he loved Gabby and he apologised to “everyone who this will affect”.
He ended the note by writing: “I am ending my life not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can’t stand to live another day without her.
“I’ve lost our whole future together, every moment we could have cherished.”
What did Gabby Petito’s parents say about her disappearance?
When Gabby was reported missing and her body had not yet been found, her family spoke out at new conferences.
At one her father Joseph Petito said: “We ask you to put yourselves in our shoes.
“We haven’t been able to sleep or eat.
“And our lives are falling apart.”
Gabby’s parents sued Laundrie’s parents and their attorney, pain and emotional distress due to Laundrie’s parents and their attorney withholding information regarding Petito’s death.
They have since reached a settlement where Gabby’s family received $3million
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How to watch The Disappearance of Gabby Petito
The documentary The Disappearance of Gabby Petito will be able to stream on ITVX on Thursday May 9, 2024.
The series will be made up of three parts which will explore the story of Gabby’s disappearance and death.
