A new Netflix documentary delves into the tragic and high-profile case of Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old New Yorker with dreams of becoming a social media influencer. She embarked on a road trip with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, documenting their van life journey. However, Brian returned home without Gabby, who was reported missing in September 2021. A week later, her body was found in Wyoming, with an autopsy revealing she had been strangled three to four weeks before being discovered.
Throughout this period, Brian and his parents refused to communicate with Gabby's distraught family. The three-part series now available on Netflix explores the events leading up to Gabby's disappearance and its aftermath. It briefly mentions that Gabby's parents received a cash settlement following their daughter's death. The documentary highlights the efforts made by Gabby's parents and step-parents to locate her during her disappearance, including her father Joe's journey to the last place she was seen to stay close to the investigation. Following the devastating events, her parents filed multiple lawsuits, reports Surrey Live.
In a landmark ruling back in November 2022, a Florida judge ordered Brian Laundrie's parents to pay $3 million to Gabby Petito's grieving family after a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit claimed the Laundries obstructed the search for Petito and were aware their son had murdered her. Brian Laundrie was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with the FBI discovering written notes admitting responsibility to Gabby's death.
Following the court's decision, the Petito family's lawyer stated: "The Petito family lost their daughter, and they were also denied the opportunity to confront her killer. No amount of money is sufficient to compensate the Petito family for the loss of their daughter, Gabby, at the hands of Brian Laundrie." He further mentioned that the awarded funds would support the Gabby Petito Foundation. A subsequent settlement with the Laundries was reached in February 2024, as reported by CNN. This agreement was made reluctantly by all involved parties to sidestep additional legal costs and ongoing personal strife. Without this settlement, a trial was anticipated for May of the same year.
Court records revealed that during depositions, the Laundries recounted a desperate call from their son on August 29, 2021, informing them that Gabby was "gone" and he needed a lawyer. They denied knowledge of him killing Petito, although Roberta Laundrie admitted the idea "probably went through my mind." The specifics of the second settlement remain under wraps. Joe Petito and Nichole Schmidt expressed their desire for closure in a heartfelt statement, saying: "Our hope is to close this chapter of our lives to allow us to move on and continue to honour the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby.".
