The Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie Story: Romantic Trip Turned Murder

August 24, 2022 | Last Updated: September 7, 2023

Who was Gabby Petito?

Gabby Venora Petito lived most of her life in Blue Point, NY. Gabby had one sibling, a brother, TJ Schmidt. Following her graduation from Bayport-Blue Point High School, Petito lived in Carolina Beach, NC and worked in Wilmington as a hostess. She moved back to Long Island, briefly worked as a hostess in Patchogue, NY, then moved in with her boyfriend and his parents in North Port, FL in 2019.

She was regarded as a peaceful, outgoing, sweet girl by friends of hers and her boyfriend. Some even regarded them as “couple goals” for their bravery to quit their jobs and travel full time across the country so young.

"They had very high highs and very low lows. But she always said he was a good boyfriend." --Alyssa Chen, a close high school friend of Gabby (Insider)

Gabby and her boyfriend started cross country traveling from late 2019 to early 2020 when they embarked on a drive from their Long Island, NY hometown to California. They visited several points of interest, including Las Vegas, Yosemite National Park, and Pismo Beach. The couple returned to Florida in March 2020 to celebrate Gabby’s 21st birthday in Nokomis before traveling to Sope Creek, GA in June 2020.

Sometime shortly afterwards, in mid 2020, Gabby’s boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, proposed to her. She was 21 years old and he was 22 at the time.

Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie in High School (2015)

Who was Brian Laundrie?

Brian Laundrie c. 2012

Brian Christopher Laundrie attended and met Gabby at Bayport-Blue Point High School. Brian Laundrie, 23, graduated high school a year before Gabby. The two dated in high school before splitting up. Brian worked at a local Long Island nursery at the sales counter and sold paintings of his art before moving to Florida with his family in late 2017.

Concerning Brian, former co-workers recall he had the personality of a “chameleon” who sometimes lost his temper but was overall honest and pleasant salesman. He noticed, like others, that he always had clean hands despite working with plants and soil.

“He never came across as [the killing type] [...] but he did have the tendency to be - I don’t wanna say the wrong thing [..] – he was kind of a guy who would get pissed off pretty quick.” –Michael Livingston, a landscaper that worked with Laundrie at a nursery in 2017

Livingston also mentioned that he never showed any signs of abuse to Petito, but he did get possessive and jealous when she talked to other guys.

The two got back together in 2019 and Petito moved to Florida. The couple worked at local Publix–Petito in pharmacy and Laundrie in grocery.

Brian Laundrie c. 2020

They both spoke of their mutual interest in traveling and taking road trips. The two took several trips together before quitting their jobs to travel full time in 2020. Gabby had big plans to vlog their travels and gain sponsorships to fund their travels. She bought a 2012 Ford Transit that they converted into a camper. She frequently posted on Instagram and had just started vlogging on Youtube.

All smiles, positivity, freedom--everything appeared to be going so well. Until suddenly, Petito stopped responding to her friends and family, with no response from Laundrie on her whereabouts. Her family filed a missing persons report not too long after Laundrie returned to his Florida home without Gabby. With no explanation, Laundrie hired a lawyer that advised him to keep silent.

She was 22 years old when her family reported her missing.

A Timeline of What Happened to Gabby Petito

Gabby’s family and friends quickly took to Facebook and Instagram sharing images of missing Petito in hopes she would be discovered and returned home safely. It did not take long for the posts to go viral: thousands of shares and comments discussing possible whereabouts.

As more digested the story, the attention on Laundrie intensified. Why was Laundrie remaining silent? Why wasn’t he being questioned about her disappearance?

Where was Laundrie when she disappeared? What were the events leading up to his decision to return home without her?

As law enforcement stalled, Instagramers and Tiktokers flocked to piece together evidence and investigate the timeline of events, determined to keep the case from going cold.

To see where Gabby Petito's body was found on the map, please zoom into the easternmost pinned point in Wyoming.

June-July 2021

Gabby and Brian in Canyonlands
(Instagram)

June 2021: The conversion of Gabby’s van is completed.
July 2, 2021: According to Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, the pair departed on their road trip across the country from Blue Point, NY.
July 4, 2021: Ms. Petito posts a photo in front of Monument Rocks in Gove County, Kansas on Instagram.
July 8-11: Gabby and Brian visit Colorado Springs and post photos from Great Sand Dunes National Park near Mosca, CO on Instagram.
July 16-18: Ms. Petito posts a photo of her hiking in Zion National Park near Springdale, UT to Instagram.
July 21-22: Pictures of Gabby in Bryce Canyon National Park near Tropic, UT are posted to Instagram.
July 30: Ms. Petito posts a photo in the Canyonlands of Moab, UT. In the post she mentions she is “inspired” by her fiancé’s barefoot hiking lifestyle and is trying to adopt it as well. Hiking barefoot can be dangerous, especially in the Canyonlands due to known sharp, spiny plants, and poisonous spiders.

Her mom stated Gabby was in regular contact with her and her family throughout the trip.

August 2021

August 12: Gabby posts photos of her and Brian at the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Moab, UT. Interestingly, she is not barefoot this time. In the caption she is even praising her REI hiking shoes, mentioning that other hikers stopped and asked her about them, and she described giving “a small presentation” that caught the attention of all. She mentions how awesome the feeling was, how she would love a sponsorship by REI, and how great it felt “[...] especially hiking with them on the #appalachiantrail while [Brian] hikes barefoot!”
That same day, August 12, Gabby and Brian are pulled over by the police. A couple noticed them arguing outside of Moonflower Market on the corner of Main Street and called 911 (911 call transcript). The officers respond to the call. They are pulled over, questioned, and assessed. The officers notice Ms. Petito is crying uncontrollably and Brian has a few scratches. The officers conclude that the dispute was not sufficient enough to be considered domestic abuse and that the two should be separated for a “mental health reset”. The two are separated: Gabby took the van and Brian is arranged to stay at a hotel nearby. (Moab Police Report)
August 17: According to Laundrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino, Laundrie flew to Tampa, FL from Salt Lake City to “obtain some items and empty the storage unit to save money as they contemplated extending the trip”.
August 19: The first–and only–vlog is posted to Nomadic Statik–the couple’s joint Youtube.
August 23: Laundrie returns to SLC to rejoin Petito.
August 24: Gabby FaceTimes her mother and informs her that she is leaving Utah and intends to head to Grand Teton in the morning.
August 25: Gabby is still communicating with her family and appears to be in Grand Teton on this date.
August 27: Petito and Laundrie are spotted arguing by a Louisiana couple at a Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson, WY. Nino Angelo, the manager of the restaurant, confirmed that she saw Petito crying and Laundrie visibly angry towards the staff.
August 27: Gabby sends a suspicious text message to her mom reading “Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls.” Her mother explains the text message is strange because she never called her grandfather, Stan, by his real name (InTouch).
August 29: Miranda Baker reported giving Laundrie a ride while he was in WY. She noted he was clean despite claiming he had been camping by himself for multiple days while his fiancé worked on their website. They noticed he showed visible agitation when he realized they were going to Jackson Hole instead of Jackson and asked to be let out. He was last seen near Jackson Dam. Norma Jean Jalovec, another woman, claims she also gave him a ride to Spread Creek only a few minutes after Miranda Baker dropped him off. He claimed his fiance was working on their social media. Jalovec offered to bring him to the van but he insisted on being dropped off at the gate. He was last seen at the gate of the camping grounds where her remains were found. Some speculated that he decided to go back to the van when he realized Baker wasn’t going out of state (e.g. to Jackson. FL).
August 30: Gabby misses an arranged meet up with one of her friends in Yosemite. She texts her family “No service in Yosemite.” However, her family believes she wasn’t in Yosemite and wasn’t the one that sent the message.

September 2021

September 1: Laundrie returns to his home in North Port without Gabby.
September 6-8: The entire Laundrie family visit Fort De Soto Campground (75 miles from North Port) and leave together.
September 11: The Petito family's missing persons report begins investigation. The North Port authorities arrive at the Laundrie home and ask to speak to him and his family. Taylor, North Port authority spokesperson stated, “we were essentially handed the [contact] information for their attorney.”
September 16: The Petito Family publicly outcries for the Laundrie family to inform them on Gabby’s location. “Please, if you or your family have any decency left, tell us where Gabby is located. Tell us if we are even looking in the right place. All we want is for Gabby to Come home. Please help us make that happen. We haven't been able to sleep or eat, and our lives are falling apart.” As mounting social media posts and news outlets plaster the information, the Laundrie family continues to stay silent.
September 17: After a week of trying to reach the Laundrie family, the Laundries call the police to inform them that Brian is missing.
September 18: The family informs law enforcement that they have not seen him since he left for a hike in the Carlton Reserve in Venice, Florida. A spokesperson for the Florida police publicly announced he has an “enormous amount of pressure” to cooperate with the investigation and that 50 law enforcement officers from the FBI and five different local police agencies are searching for him.
September 18: A Silver Mustang, one of the Laundries vehicles, is discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. The surrounding area where the vehicle was parked was later where Brian’s remains were found but could not be searched at the time due to flooding in the park at this time of the search.
September 18-19: Youtuber family Red, White, and Bethune were in the Spring Creek area on August 27, 2021 around 6pm but recognized a Ford Transit with Florida plates while editing their dash cam footage almost a month later. The couple did recall seeing the van and, as they were from Florida, intended to stop and say hello. They decided to continue when they saw the van “blacked out and abandoned”. On the way back that way they notice the van still there. They thought it was peculiar as it was a Saturday night in the area and people are usually in town.
September 19: Not too long after the couple report the video to the FBI, human remains consistent with the description of Ms. Petito are found roughly 500 feet away from where the van was spotted on the dash cam.
September 20: The FBI questions Laundrie’s parents. With a search warrant, their home is searched.
September 21: The human remains are confirmed to be Petito’s.
September 23: A federal court in Wyoming issues an arrest warrant for indictment of federal statute 18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(1): “Use of Unauthorized Access Devices”, which included using a debit card fraudulently.
September 25: Reality TV show star Dog the Bounty Hunter (aka Duane Lee Chapman) announces he is joining the investigation to help search for Brian Laundrie.
September 27: Laundrie family lawyer Steven Bertolino announces a statement that “Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is” and “are concerned about him” (People).
September 30: The manhunt for Laundrie intensifies as the FBI fields a massive amount of tips on Brian.

October 2021

October 2: The family of Gabby establish the “Gabby Petito Foundation” to bring awareness to domestic homicide situations.
October 2: Several tips, both posted to social media and sent to the FBI, claim Brian Laundrie sightings in NC areas like New Bern county and on the Appalachian Trail–where Brian has hiked several times (NY Post).
October 4: Cassie Laundrie, Brian’s sister, is interviewed and says she doesn’t know if her parents are intentionally evading authorities (NY Post).
October 6: More tips emerge regarding Laundrie sightings in Canada, Alabama and Montana (NBC News). All the while, the FBI continues the costly and intense investigations of the reserve, even recruiting the assistance of drones, helicopters, ATVs, airboats, and army swamp buggies to search parts of it.
October 7: Brian’s father Chris Laundrie is sent to the reserve to assist with the search (DeseretNews).
October 12: The largest and most costly homicidal investigations in Wyoming are conducted with the help of forensic pathologists, anthropologists, local North Port police, and the FBI. How was Gabby killed? The teams determine the manner of Gabby’s death was homicide and the cause of Petito’s death was manual strangulation. The release also confirms that Gabby Petito was not pregnant at the time of her death, dispelling a widely circulated online rumor. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue announces that WY law forbids releasing any other information about Gabby Petito’s autopsy. The coroner says her body was left in the wilderness for about 3-4 weeks before discovery. Authorities continue to search for Laundrie and continue to refer to him as a “person of interest”. They continue to publicly refer to him as a “person of interest” and do not explicitly link him with Gabby’s homicide.
October 20: Laundries parents rejoin search for Laundrie, according to their lawyer Bertolino. A few days later, after water had receded from the area and the park was reopened, human remains and personal items such as a backpack, a notebook, and a revolver were found in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park (Yahoo! News). Laundrie’s parents identified the personal items with the law enforcement officers present.
October 21: The FBI uses a comparison of dental records to confirm the identity of the human remains is Brian Laundrie. The police spokesperson also confirms that the clothes found near the remains are consistent with what Brian was thought to be wearing.

November 2021

November 23: A forensic anthropologist working with the District 12 Medical Examiner’s Office in Sarasota, Florida confirms Laundrie died by suicide from a gunshot wound to the head (Fox News).

January 2022

Jan 21: FBI releases information that Brian’s notebook contained written statements confessing Ms. Petito’s death. Between August 30th and September 1st, the FBI also confirms it was Petito’s card that he used without authorization and there were messages exchanged between Laundrie and Petito’s phone after her death were likely his attempt “to deceive law enforcement by giving the impression Ms. Petito was still alive.” (CNN).

June 2022

June 22: The Petito family sue Chris and Roberta Laundrie for obstructing evidence and “the intentional infliction of emotional distress” (ABC News).

July 2022

July 1: A Florida judge allows the lawsuit from Petito’s family against the Laundries to proceed (CNN).

August 2022

August 8: The Petito family sue the Moab police department for $50 million due to the wrongful handling of her domestic violence case and the failure to properly protect her (NBC News).

November 2022

November 17: The Petito family is awarded the remaining amount of Brian Laundrie's estate ($20,000). Petito family lawyer Pat Reilly releases a statement: "Brian did not have $3 million, it's an arbitrary number" (Insider).

Why did Brian Laundrie Kill Gabby?

The motive, according to his words, is debatable. At the site of his suicide, Brian Laundrie left behind a notebook lamenting the killing of Gabby Petito. He explained that she had fallen sick, was in a great deal of pain, and begging to end her life. He admitted to ending her life but said it was "a mistake". Authorities have noted contradictions between Gabby's autopsy and what was in his notebook. Given him and his family's actions around the time, it's highly unlikely he was feeling any remorse. Ultimately, what really happened between the two is only something they truly know.

The domestic abuse incident in Moab gives us the closest explanation -- Ms. Petito unfortunately suffered from domestic abuse -- in silence. It's a silent fact that is too common. In fact, 46% of the women murdered in the past decade have died at the hands of their partner. We've seen domestic abuse escalate to homicide after the couple is separated. The perpetrator's motive is control, which is exacerbated when law enforcement uses traditional intervention methods.

Thankfully, the overexposure of the Gabby Petito case inspired and brought awareness to resources for many women who suffer in silence. In just a year after her homicide, the National Domestic Violence Hotline's call volume increased by a third. Her family has also been active in bringing meaningful awareness and prevention to women facing similar issues with the establishment of The Gabby Petito Foundation.

References
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/denver/news/press-releases/fbi-denver-provides-final-investigative-update-on-gabrielle-petito-case
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Gabby_Petito
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/16/us/gabby-petito-timeline-missing-case/index.html
https://www.insider.com/map-shows-timeline-gabby-petito-disappearance-road-trip-brian-laundrie-2021-9
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/state/2021/09/16/gabby-petito-instagram-missing-north-port-florida-brian-laundrie-timeline-investigation/8363108002/
https://www.insider.com/map-shows-timeline-gabby-petito-disappearance-road-trip-brian-laundrie-2021-9
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/06/gabby-petito-death-brian-laundrie
https://www.instagram.com/gabspetito/

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