Would you ever believe that the one man you truly love could be the one to take your life? Gabby Petito’s dream road trip turned into a tragic mystery when she suddenly disappeared. What seemed like a happy adventure ended up in a heartbreaking crime that shocked multiple people in the world and raised many questions about abuse and justice. A young travelling vlogger was killed by her fiancé, Brian Christopher Laundrie, in August 2021.
The Beginning:
Petito and Laundrie traveled to Blue Point on June 17th, 2021, to attend her brother’s graduation. A few weeks later, on July 2, they left in their Ford van to tour several parks—for example, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Mystic Hot Springs. A month later, there was a 9-1-1 call reporting this pair bickering in front of the MoonFlower Community Cooperative in Utah. The caller stated that they witnessed a man continuously assaulting this woman before driving away together. After receiving this report, officers from the Moab City Police Department located the described van and pulled it over. 
Unfortunately, during the interrogation, neither Petito nor Laundrie wished to seek charges, and it was ultimately revealed that the police believed the incident was a mental breakdown rather than domestic violence. The police decided to separate the couple for the night, with Laundrie staying at a hotel and Petito sleeping in her van. This was the first red signal in the situation before her disappearance.
Petito and Laundrie reported missing:
Petito’s mother filed a missing person report on September 11th after not hearing from her daughter in a few days since August. Her stepfather attempted to contact the Laundrie family, but they never returned his messages or phone calls, raising suspicions. Four days after her disappearance, Laundrie was the primary suspect. Petito’s parents discovered that the Laundrie family had hired lawyers and chosen to remain silent about the situation.
On September 13th, the police observed their house for suspicious activity and noticed that Brian had left. They later concluded that the individual who exited their automobile and returned to the residence was Brian Laundrie. A day later, the officers confirmed that they knew where he was. You were unaware that four days later, his parents would report him missing. This brings us back to the fact that the person who left the house wasn’t Brian Laundrie but his mother.
Petito’s was found:
During a search warrant on September 19th, a woman’s body matching Gabby’s description was discovered at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area. When the identity was ultimately confirmed and the investigation commenced, it was concluded that the death was a homicide caused by a “blunt force to her head and neck, and manual strangulations”. The people in charge of this autopsy reported that the incident had occurred three to four weeks before the body was discovered.
On September 23rd, Brian Laundrie was ultimately arrested for using Petito’s debit card on August 30th and September 1st. Following that, the FBI seized materials from his home to see whether they were a proven match to his DNA. Many interviews with his family told him to surrender, but there was nothing. This led to a hunt for Laundrie at the T. Mabry Carlton Reserve, with his parents joining in.
On October 20th, his remains and some of his things were discovered at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, which was flooded. It took some time to figure out his death, but on November 23rd, it was determined that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His situation culminated in suicide. Although, unfortunately, Gabby Petito never received true justice for her death, we know she is now at peace.
