AMERICAN MURDER: GABBY PETITO

If anyone enjoys True Crime documentaries, I recommend the new Netflix three-part documentary called American Murder: Gabby Petito. As a father, it not only scares me, but I know now what are the warning signs of abuse. Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito made headlines in 2021 for her suspicious disappearance and subsequent death. She moved to Florida in 2019 from New York to be close to then-boyfriend Brian Laundrie and his parents. They had been dating for nine months before relocating and getting engaged in July 2020.

The docuseries details the couple's decision to put off a wedding and instead purchase a 2012 Toyota Transit Connect van to travel the country in 2021. Petito recorded their journey on a YouTube channel she created called Nomadic Statik.

On Aug. 12, 2021, someone called 911 to report a domestic disturbance after seeing a man in a white van slapping a woman in Moab, Utah. But when police investigated, they determined Gabby was the aggressor and sent the couple on their way.

She was last seen alive Aug. 27. Gabby's body was found Sept. 19 at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, near Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, according to the FBI's investigation. Her cause of death was determined to be "blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation," according to the Teton County Coroner’s Office.

A month later, a police search found Brian's remains in an area of Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park that had previously been underwater due to flooding, with an autopsy reporting that he'd died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

A waterproof notebook was discovered beside his body, containing an untrue version of the story of Gabby's death, claiming she had become unwell after getting caught up in some ice-cold water.

The note also contained a nine-word claim that was interpreted as his confession to her murder, after Brian wrote: "I ended her life, I thought it was merciful."

After looking at telephone records, the FBI found that - around the time that the autopsy ruled that Gabby had died - a text message had been sent to her from Brian's phone.

Brian attempted to cover his tracks by sending himself a series of texts. Brian's parents have also been linked to covering for Brian, but no chargess were ever filed against them. Again the Netflix documentary is chilling, and it's sad that a young girl's life was ended in such a violent and senseless way...