On Feb. 17, Netflix debuted the docuseries “American Murder: Gabby Petito.” The three-part series tells the chilling story of travelling vlogger Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, who strangled her to death in August 2021.
The release sparked a renewed interest in the case as viewers revisited the details of Petito’s disappearance and murder, leading to widespread discussion about domestic violence and the role of social media in crime investigations.
I didn’t follow this case as much as I would have liked when it first started circulating on the internet — there was too much conflicting commentary to keep track of and I was incredibly overwhelmed by the amount of opinions from people with no credibility.
Soon after Petito’s body was discovered in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, my feed that was once filled entirely of her case began to filter out and her murder became another forgotten trend.
When I noticed the series in Netflix’s Top 10 Shows in the U.S. Today, I immediately added it to my list and set a date and time to fully immerse myself in the truth that would come from watching.
I’m disappointed and angry, to say the least.
Not at the show — the show was incredibly well-produced and brought every aspect of Petito’s case to light. It highlighted how law enforcement handled the case, the red flags in Petito and Laundrie’s relationship and how users crowdsourced on social media to piece together the timeline and gather any evidence that may have been missed.
However, I’m disappointed in everyone who noticed signs of domestic violence and manipulation yet didn’t try to help her at any point in her abusive relationship because, according to the body cam footage from police, most women go back to their abuser anyway.
The series gives the audience a second-hand look into Petito’s relationship with Laundrie including text messages, letters and scrapped footage from their van life YouTube channel, @ nomadicstatik4941. I liked how the timeline was laid out using content Petito recorded during their travels because it humanizes her case and allows you to understand her personality.
The only video Petito ever posted to the channel reached 10.5 million views after the documentary came out, and the comments are continually being filled with people paying their respects and sharing how her story encouraged them to leave their abusers.
Being able to see the couple’s dynamic from the start of their relationship to the end was truly eye opening because, knowing Petito’s fate, you’re able to pick up on Laundrie’s mannerisms that suggested patterns of potential aggression.
In security camera footage from a Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming Laundrie is seen slamming the van door in the parking lot while seemingly yelling at Petito. The footage of the couple leaving the store that day was the last time Petito was seen on camera alive.
While Laundrie’s actions throughout the series were shocking, his mothers’ were appalling.
Something I love about documentaries is when they release never-before-seen footage, documents and images. In this one, they revealed a letter from Laundrie’s mom, Roberta, to her son titled “Burn after reading.”
In the letter, she wrote, “You are my boy. Nothing can make me stop loving you, nothing will or could ever divide us. No matter what we do. If you’re in jail I will bake a cake with a file in it. If you need to dispose of a body I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.”
When I heard this, I was so frustrated that I had to pause the episode and take a moment to digest what I was hearing and seeing.
After Petito was first reported missing and police went to the Laundrie residence for questioning, Brian’s parents had already wired $25,000 to a lawyer and refused to speak with law enforcement. The fact that they already had an attorney before police even contacted them is highly suspicious, and far worse, they showed no sympathy or concern for Petito being missing.
Now that this letter has been exposed, there is no doubt in my mind that Laundrie’s parents were involved, helping their murderous son hide from law enforcement and suppressing crucial information that could have led to justice for Petito much sooner. To this day, they still face zero criminal charges.
The documentary’s primary focus was to make people aware of Petito’s case — but something greater came from it.
Toward the end of the third and final episode, the narrative shifts to give attention to the Gabby Petito Foundation and its efforts to provide aid to victims of domestic violence and support locating missing persons, according to the organization’s website. The foundation was founded by Petito’s mother, stepfather, father and stepmother.
I personally feel that Petito’s family leveraging her case to help others is something admirable and indispensable — they turned her case into a call of action.
As a viewer of true crime documentaries, this series has made me realize that these stories aren’t purely for entertainment — they’re educational and we, as a society, must learn from them.
