Gabby Petito documentary latest – Parents speak to Peacock and shed new light on her relationship with Brian Laundrie
Written by ABC AUDIO on December 19, 2021
GABBY Petito’s relationship with Brian Laundrie will be uncovered in a new documentary that includes commentary from Petito’s parents and family discussing her murder.
The documentary, set to stream on Peacock, will reportedly “shed new light on the tragic story, the unanswered questions and the shocking conclusion,” with exclusive interviews from her family.
Petito’s parents and step-family are seen on video discussing how they met Brian and how he acted – but how it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary.
“Brian would come to my home and he was very polite, very kind,” said Nichole. “I didn’t see anything in him that would worry me at all. No red flags.”
Petito, 22, went on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, and never returned.The 22-year-old was reported missing on September 11, just days after Laundrie returned home without her, and her remains were later discovered on September 19.
Autopsy results revealed she was strangled to death and Laundrie was named a person of interest but disappeared himself and was found dead of an apparent suicide on October 22.
Read our Gabby Petito live blog for the latest news and updates…
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.
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How to watch the documentary
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Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito’s disappearance:
- June 2021 – Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 – Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 – Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 – Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah’s Zion National Park.
- August 12 – Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 – Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
- August 24 – Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 – Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed “more and more tension” between her and Brian.
- August 25 – Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 – Gabby is seen for what’s believed to be the final time. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 – Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple’s van “abandoned” on a dirt road.
- September 1 – Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 – Gabby’s parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 – Brian’s family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 – Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 – Florida’s North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 – Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 – Brian’s parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 – Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 – Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby’s but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 – Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie’s home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain “evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed.”
- September 21 – Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 – The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby’s. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 – The Teton County Coroner’s office said Gabby’s official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 – Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 – Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
- September 26 – Gabby’s funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
- October 12: Gabby’s autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie’s personal items were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
- October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie’s.
- November 23: Laundrie’s autopsy reveals he died from a gunshot wound to the head
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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.
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