What Happened to Gabby Petito? How Did Gabby Petito Die?
by Kowsalya
Updated May 26, 2023
What Happened to Gabby Petito?
During a road trip in August 2021, 22-year-old Gabby Petito went missing while accompanied by her fiancé Brian Laundrie. Their journey from New York to Oregon was intended to be a cherished adventure. Tragically, this aspiration turned into a nightmare when Gabby was strangled to death. Her lifeless body was subsequently discovered in a Wyoming national park on September 19, 2021.
Brian Laundrie, her intended spouse, emerged as a "person of interest" in the investigation. Authorities noted that his lack of cooperation hindered their efforts. Disturbingly, Brian Laundrie later took his own life, and a note found alongside his remains claimed responsibility for Gabby's murder.
In response to these devastating events, Gabby's parents filed a lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's parents, alleging their awareness of their son's actions. However, the Laundries have adamantly denied having any prior knowledge of Gabby's tragic demise.
How Did Gabby Petito Die?
In August 2021, 22-year-old Gabrielle Venora Petito was tragically killed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie while they were on a cross-country van life journey in the United States. The couple had embarked on their planned four-month trip in early July 2021 but Petito went missing in late August.
Following Petito's disappearance, suspicions arose when Laundrie returned to his parents' home in Florida driving the van, and refused to provide information about her whereabouts. He became a person of interest in the case, facing charges for unauthorized debit card withdrawals. Laundrie went missing on September 13 and was reported as such four days later.
On September 19, Petito's remains were discovered in Wyoming's Bridger–Teton National Forest. A subsequent autopsy determined that she had been strangled to death.
After an extensive search and speculation surrounding Laundrie's whereabouts, his skeletal remains were found in a Florida park on October 20. An autopsy confirmed that Laundrie had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The FBI later revealed that Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in a notebook found near his remains. The case garnered significant attention due to the couple's social media documentation of their travels, leaked police body camera footage, recorded emergency dispatch calls, eyewitness testimonies, the involvement of Laundrie's parents, and extensive media coverage.
Gabby Petito Update
Gabby Petito's parents have obtained a copy of a letter written by Brian Laundrie's mother to her son, which contains references to acquiring a shovel and burying a body. During a court hearing in Sarasota County, Florida, attorneys representing both parties debated the relevance of the letter to the lawsuit filed by Gabby Petito's parents against Laundrie's parents and their former attorney.
The letter, found in Brian Laundrie's backpack when his remains were discovered in October 2021, was enclosed in an envelope marked "burn after reading" and does not bear a date.
In court, Petito family attorney Patrick Reilly highlighted that the letter explicitly mentions burying a body and obtaining a shovel, which he emphasized are criminal acts that Roberta Laundrie, Brian's mother, had expressed willingness to commit.
The lawsuit brought by the Petito family alleges emotional distress caused by the Laundries in connection with Gabby Petito's death while she was traveling with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, through the Western United States.
Laundrie returned home from the trip without Petito and subsequently went missing. Gabby Petito's remains were discovered at Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest in September 2021, and her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.
The FBI later revealed that Brian Laundrie, before taking his own life, confessed to her death in a notebook. His remains were found the following month near his parents' residence in North Port, Florida.
Attorneys representing Brian Laundrie's parents contested the release of the letter, arguing its irrelevance to the civil lawsuit filed by Petito's parents. In an affidavit submitted prior to the hearing, Roberta Laundrie stated that she does not recall the exact date of the letter but wrote it before Brian and Gabby embarked on their trip, hoping it would help repair her relationship with her son.
After extensive deliberation in court, both parties agreed that a confidentiality order was unnecessary to keep the letter sealed. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Danielle Brewer determined that the letter could be pertinent to the case, and the plaintiff's attorneys were granted access to a copy. However, it remains uncertain whether the letter will be made public.
Who was Gabby Petito?
Gabrielle Venora Petito, born in Blue Point, New York on March 19, 1999, grew up alongside six younger siblings and half-siblings. In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Petito and her step-brothers participated in a music video aimed at raising awareness about American gun violence.
She completed her education at Bayport-Blue Point High School in Bayport, New York, in 2017, where she crossed paths with Brian Christopher Laundrie. Following her graduation, Petito resided in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, from September 2017 to January 2019, and worked as a hostess in the kitchen of a nearby restaurant in Wilmington. Although she applied to Cape Fear Community College, she did not enroll.
In March 2019, Petito and Laundrie began dating and eventually moved in together with his parents in North Port, Florida. Both of them were employed at a Publix store in North Port, where she worked as a pharmacy technician and he worked in the grocery department. Their employment ended when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
In late 2019 and early 2020, the couple embarked on a cross-country journey from New York to California, making stops at various destinations such as Las Vegas, Yosemite National Park, and Pismo Beach. Petito celebrated her 21st birthday in Nokomis, Florida, in March 2020. They became engaged in July 2020 after visiting Sope Creek, Georgia.
In December 2020, Petito purchased a converted 2012 Ford Transit Connect van, which served as their camper for their upcoming cross-country trip. To save money for the journey, she worked long hours at Taco Bell and also as a nutritionist, while Laundrie took a job at an organic juice bar.
Petito shared her life and travel experiences on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, where she expressed her passions for art, yoga, and a vegetarian lifestyle.
What Happened to Gabby Petito - FAQs
During a road trip in August 2021, 22-year-old Gabby Petito went missing while accompanied by her fiancé Brian Laundrie. Their journey from New York to Oregon was intended to be a cherished adventure.
After an extensive search and speculation surrounding Laundrie's whereabouts, his skeletal remains were found in a Florida park on October 20. An autopsy confirmed that Laundrie had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Gabrielle Venora Petito, born in Blue Point, New York on March 19, 1999, grew up alongside six younger siblings and half-siblings.
Gabby Petito was born on March 19, 1999.