Gabby Petito documentary latest – Parents speak to Peacock and shed new light on her relationship with Brian Laundrie

Gabby and Brian’s bodies identified exactly one month apart

Brian Laundrie’s remains were identified to be his on October 21, 2021.

The fugitive’s remains were found after an extensive search at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park

On September 21, 2021, the Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue confirmed that the body found in Wyoming was that of Gabby Petito.

Petito died as a result of a homicide.

How to get help

If you are being abused in a relationship, anonymous and confidential help is available.

For help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or  1-800-787-3224 (TTY).

However, if you are actively in danger, call 911.

How to watch the documentary

To view the documentary, viewers must subscribe to Peacock.

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Gabby Petito timeline

When does the Gabby Petito documentary air?

The documentary, The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media, was released on Friday.

It was released on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, so it doesn’t have an “air time” the way that a show on cable would.

What is the name of the documentary?

A new documentary on the Gabby Petito case was released Friday on Peacock.

The documentary is called The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media.

Documentary preview

Peacock shared a video teaser of the new documentary as it was released for streaming.

Wedding had been postponed

Gabby’s stepfather Jim Schmidt previously revealed that Gabby and Brian Laundrie had planned a small beach ceremony to tie the knot, however, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic thwarted their plans.

“Covid happened so they put [the wedding] on hold,” Jim told Fox News last month. “They said they were going to live life.”

Ultimately, the couple decided to put their plans for marriage on the back burner and instead began planning what would later prove to be an ill-fated trip across the US, touring the country’s national parks.

According to Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, the pair also decided they were too young for marriage and opted to call off their engagement and went back to dating while plotting out their trip.

Gabby’s wedding plans

The 22-year-old vlogger had mapped out several design schemes and alfresco ideas for her nuptials on her Pinterest page in an album poignantly titled “Life goals”.

The curated collection of images, which include photos of outdoor ceremonies and beachfront banquets, is shared with Brian Laundrie, his mother Roberta, and a fourth account by the name of “PinJunkeeMama”.

A sub-folder within the album, titled “Oh Baby” and shared between the same four people, indicates that Gabby and Laundrie may have been planning to eventually have a child together.

How do forensic experts rule a death as suicide?

“In order to prove a death is a suicide, there must be a combination of physical evidence from the body itself, and corroborating evidence from the scene, witnesses, electronic devices, etc.,” Jennifer Shen, a forensics expert and former director of the San Diego Police Crime Lab, told The Sun.

“The combination of the wound to the head and the surrounding physical evidence will allow a medical investigator to determine cause of death.

“In this case, investigators will have been culling through all the evidence found at the recovery site to add insight to the medical examiner and forensic anthropologist’s findings.”

Asked if she is surprised by the outcome to his autopsy, she replied: “Absolutely not. It seemed apparent that Brian was not going to be found alive, and the likely cause of death would be suicide.”

Were drugs involved in Brian’s death?

Sleuths have speculated drugs may be involved in the Gabby Petito case after it emerged the couple sold merchandise emblazoned with the words “too high”.

Sweaters and hats with the reference were listed on the tragic vlogger’s depop site.

However, there is no indication that drugs contributed to Brian’s death.

How did Brian Laundrie die?

The District 12 Medical Examiner’s office finally reported its results in November, confirming that Brian Laundrie died by suicide from a single gunshot wound to the head.

“Chris and Roberta Laundrie have been informed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was suicide,” Laundrie family attorney Steven Bertolino told The Sun.

“Chris and Roberta are still mourning the loss of their son and are hopeful that these findings bring closure to both families.”

It’s currently unclear where the gun Laundrie used to kill himself came from and whether or not investigators know where it is.

Was Brian Laundrie charged with a crime?

Although Brian was not charged with any crime in relation to Gabby’s murder, the FBI issued a warrant for his arrest for the unauthorized use of Gabby’s debit card.

Bank records show that from August 31 to September 1, four days after the couple was spotted at the Merry Piglets restaurant, Brian swiped Gabby’s Capital One card, running up a balance of $1,000.

‘Tragic for two families’

Laundrie family attorney Steve Bertolino spoke of the loss suffered by both the Petito and Laundrie families.

“There are two young people that have now lost their lives,” Bertolino said. “These are parents that are suffering.

“Now, I understand that whatever happened or whatever didn’t happen,” he added. “This is tragic for two families.”

“And anybody with a child, and anybody with a sense of humanity can understand the frustration that both families feel on that point.”

Where to watch the new documentary

The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media premiered on December 17, through NBC’s streaming service Peacock.

The documentary reportedly “sheds new light on the tragic story, the unanswered questions and the shocking conclusion,” with exclusive interviews from her family.

“It was like every parent’s nightmare, just like in a flash of a second,” Petito’s stepfather Jim Schmidt said in the documentary’s trailer. “She’s gone, she’s missing.”

How did Gabby go missing?

Gabby Petito had quit her job and packed her life into a camper van for a cross-country adventure with Brian Laundrie, starting in July, documenting their journey in a stream of social media posts.

In images shared by the couple online, they are all smiles — barefoot in a canyon or surveying the ochre rocks of state and national parks.

In one YouTube video published during their trip, Petito and Laundrie are shown kissing tenderly, enjoying a sunset together, and strolling on a beach.

But the young woman’s family filed a missing person report on September 11 after the 22-year-old mysteriously vanished, and Laundrie returned home to Florida without her.

Where was Gabby’s body found?

On September 19, 2021, authorities in Wyoming announced a body was found in the area where the search for Petito had been underway.

The Petito lawyer later confirmed on September 21, that the body was identified as Gabby.

The remains were discovered in Grant Teton National Park, where she had been camping with her fiancé when she disappeared.

“I want to personally thank the press and news media for giving the Petito and Schmidt family time to grieve,” lawyer Richard Stafford said in a statement.

“We will be making a statement when Gabby is home. I will contact you to arrange a time and location.”

Gabby’s mom speaks of her daughter’s ‘magical’ presence

In the documentary, Gabby’s mom Nichole Schmidt said everyone who met their daughter instantly “fell in love with her.”

The devastated mother said: “People would meet her and just fall in love with her.

“She just had this presence. I don’t know what it was. It was just magical.”

“There are so many good memories over the years, but the one thing I hold dear to me is the hug that we had before she left for the trip in the driveway.”

“It’s still unbelievable. I still don’t understand it. It doesn’t make sense,” she added.

Rare photos of Gabby Petito shared in documentary

Rare photos of Gabby Petito were shared in a new documentary, prompting her heartbroken parents to say “this is all we have left now.”

Gabby‘s heartbroken parents, Nichole Schmidt and Joe Petito opened up about what made their daughter special in the new Peacock documentary, The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media.

“Man, that smile. That smile didn’t change. Those eyes didn’t change. Those eyes, they would get her out of so much trouble,” Joe said.

“No matter how old she got, she would still be my baby girl, you know, how much trouble she was in, it didn’t matter. She was still my baby girl, you know?

“These are all I have left now,” Joe said as he stared down at his daughter’s childhood photos.

Gabby’s last texts and post

Gabby Petito’s remains were found less than 1,000 feet (300m) from where, on the evening of August 27, another pair of travel bloggers caught video images of the couple’s 2012 white Ford Transit van parked along a dirt road.

Petito, who was documenting the couple’s “van life” road trip on social media, posted her final photo to Instagram on August 25, the same day that she last spoke to her mother by phone.

The family believes the couple was headed to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming at the time.

Schmidt received text messages from Petito’s phone on August 27 and August 30, but suspects that someone other than her daughter sent them, according to investigators.

Brian’s notebook is ‘key evidence’

Brian Laundrie’s notebook, which was found next to his remains at a Florida nature reserve, may reveal the truth about what happened between him and his late fiancée, Gabby Petito, an ex-prosecutor says.

The notebook and remains were found by police next to a backpack belonging to Laundrie at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, near the Carlton Reserve.

Neama Rahmani, a former assistant US Attorney and the current president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told The Sun the notebook and bag will be “crucial evidence” in helping to solve Gabby’s murder.

“Law enforcement found a backpack and notebook, that’s key evidence,” Rahmani said.

Moab police refund licensing fees

Officers in the Utah city where Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie had an explosive domestic dispute have been accused of illegally collecting nearly $3,000 in fees for the distressing police bodycam footage of the incident.

The Moab Police Department are planning to return the fees collected from multiple media organizations featuring footage of the officers pulling over Gabby and her ex-fiancé Brian outside of Arches National Park.

The thousands of dollars in fees charged by Moab police the dissemination of the footage – which grabbed national spotlight – cost three times more than what the department had expected to take in for the entire fiscal year of fee revenues, the Salt Lake Tribune reported citing a city budget document.

Moab Police Department charged 30 entities – mostly news organizations – $98 to provide the footage totaling $2,940,  according to a document The Tribune obtained through an open records request. 

The law enforcement agency has since agreed to refund the fees which may have violated Utah law. 

What does the Gabby Petito Foundation do?

On October 3, 2021, Gabby’s family announced that they had launched the Gabby Petito Foundation in honor of their late daughter.

According to the website, the organization’s mission is “to address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.

“We wish to turn our personal tragedy into a positive,” the mission statement reads.

“It is our hope that Gabby’s foundation will bring these important issues into the forefront of the public eye to the benefit of all our communities.”

The foundation’s tagline is a phrase coined by Gabby’s dad in an Instagram post after her remains were found at a Wyoming campsite on September 19: “She touched the world.”

Why did Gabby visit Grand Teton?

Petito had quit her job and packed her life into a camper van for a cross-country adventure with Brian Laundrie, starting in July, documenting their journey in a stream of social media posts.

In images shared by the couple online they are all smiles — barefoot in a canyon or surveying the ochre rocks of state and national parks.

In one YouTube video published during their trip, Petito and Laundrie are shown kissing tenderly, enjoying a sunset together and strolling on a beach.

But the young woman’s family filed a missing person report on September 11 after the 22-year-old mysteriously vanished, and Laundrie returned home to Florida without her.

Gabby Petito’s dad at her funeral, continued

“And she’s inspired a lot of women and a lot of men to do what’s best for them first. Put yourself first and do it now while you have the time. I couldn’t be more proud as a father,” he added.

Joe also warned women in toxic relationships to “leave now” so that way this tragedy does not happen to them.

Just days after, the family then held a press conference, where Nicole showed off matching tattoos that were designed by Gabby prior to her death.

On October 3, 2021, Gabby’s family announced that they had launched the Gabby Petito Foundation in honor of their late daughter.