On September 11, Youtuber Gabby Petito was reported missing after she went radio silent while traveling with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie through the western United States. Earlier that month, Brian had returned home in Gabby’s van without her which sent her family and the nation into a frenzy looking for her. On September 21, her remains were identified as those found in Grand Teton national park. It was later determined that her death was by strangulation. During the search, Brian stayed at the apartment he shared with Gabby in Florida and wouldn’t speak to law enforcement. Brian later took off on foot. A month later Brian’s body was found in a park in Florida with a self inflicted gunshot wound. This entire tragedy had the country in its grips for weeks while law enforcement, journalists, and observers tried to piece together what happened. On December 17th, a documentary called The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies, and Social Media is coming out on the Peacock Network. The trailer was released yesterday. Below are a few more details from E! Online:
The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media, which will available to stream on Peacock starting Friday, Dec. 17, will give insight into Petito’s story, the unanswered questions about her case and the devastating conclusion. In their first documentary interview, Gabby’s parents and stepparents reflect on the life of their daughter, which include sharing childhood memories and details that have never been seen before.
“It was like every parents’ nightmare,” Gabby’s stepfather, Jim Schimdt, recalls in the trailer. “Just like, in a flash of second. She’s gone, she’s missing.”
“It’s still unbelievable,” Petito’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, says in the trailer. “I don’t understand it.”
In addition to firsthand accounts from Petito’s family, the upcoming documentary also gives viewers a glimpse at the social media investigations that made a huge impact on the case. The film includes interviews with journalists who covered the story from the beginning and social media users who spent hours combing over the case.
I was really conflicted about Gabby’s story. Part of me was angry that Gabby’s story got picked up by the national news because she was a blonde white woman unlike the hundreds of Black and Indigenous women who go missing every year without any news coverage. And the other side of me felt sad for her family (because she is a human being) and feared her fate. I am sure that Gabby’s parents are still recovering from her loss so the timing of this documentary seems too soon. I feel that Peacock should have given her family some time to mourn her death. Watching them break down in the trailer was a lot for me. I know that the documentary seeks to shine a light on what happened to Gabby and how social media and journalists helped police find her body. I am also sure that Gabby’s story will serve as a cautionary tale to other young women who find themselves in abusive relationships. Brian died by suicide, but I feel that Brian’s parents should have been charged with aiding and abetting Brian. They never were because law enforcement couldn’t prove that they helped him. At the moment, Brian’s parents are trying to become the beneficiaries of Brian’s estate and have left Florida (that’s white privilege for you). Gabby’s parents were not able to close this horrific chapter and they never received justice for Gabby’s murder. I hope that Gabby’s parents find peace by telling her story. I am not sure if I will watch this documentary because I honestly feel it is too soon. However, I hope that this documentary will shine some light on Gabby’s world and her last moments.
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