Gabby Petito disappeared while on a road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie before being found dead
Netflix’s latest documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito, has reignited interest in the tragic case and left many viewers questioning what happened to those involved.
In 2021, Gabby Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, embarked on a cross-country road trip in a Ford Transit Connect van. Gabby, an aspiring content creator, documented their journey through blog posts and YouTube videos. However, after several months, Gabby vanished. Her family, unable to reach her for weeks, filed a missing person’s report. Tragically, on September 19, Gabby’s body was discovered, and an autopsy confirmed that she had been strangled to death.
The case quickly captivated international attention, particularly as Gabby’s family desperately searched for answers. Meanwhile, Brian returned to his parents’ Florida home in the van without Gabby, leading many to speculate about what had truly happened.
As if the mystery surrounding Gabby’s disappearance wasn’t chilling enough, Brian himself also went missing shortly before Gabby’s body was found. A little over a month later, his body was discovered in a Florida nature reserve, where he had taken his own life. Alongside him, authorities found a notebook in which Brian allegedly confessed to Gabby’s murder. Additionally, a disturbing letter from his mother, Roberta Laundrie, surfaced. The letter, marked “burn after reading,” included chilling promises of help, like aiding Brian with a shovel and garbage bags if he ever needed to dispose of a body.
Roberta and her attorneys have insisted the letter, which was undated, was given to Brian before his trip with Gabby and has “no relation” to Gabby’s death. During the investigation, the Laundries were reportedly uncooperative with authorities, instead directing all inquiries to their lawyer.
Although no charges have been filed against them, the case continues to raise questions. FBI Special Agent Loretta Bush, speaking in the documentary, stated: “We still don’t know the extent of Brian’s parents’ involvement. But what we do know is that on August 29, Brian made a flurry of calls to his parents.”
The Petito Family’s Civil Lawsuit Against the Laundries
Months after Gabby Petito’s death, her family filed a civil lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s parents, accusing them of helping to cover up their daughter’s murder—a claim the Laundries denied. The lawsuit alleged that the Laundries were making efforts to help their son flee the country, and it also highlighted an incident where Roberta Laundrie allegedly blocked Gabby’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, on social media.
In February 2024, the lawsuit was privately settled between the families in order to avoid further legal expenses and personal conflict, as reported by the BBC.
Where Are Christopher and Roberta Laundrie Now?
According to Cosmopolitan, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie once operated their own business, Juicer Services, which sold professional juicing equipment—but it has since closed. The couple has remained largely out of the public eye since the tragic events, and their Florida home is still their primary residence. In June of last year, they were photographed outside their home, with Brian’s Mustang still visible in the driveway, suggesting they haven’t moved from their secluded life in Florida.
The Laundries responded to the Netflix documentary with a statement issued through their attorney, who expressed their perspective on the portrayal of events. The statement read:
“One perspective depicted as the ‘truth’ as seen through their lens. It’s like the ongoing battles between Republicans and Democrats—each side firmly believes their viewpoint is correct, and it’s difficult to see past the noise and distrust of the other side.”
The statement continued: “To be clear, there were no contradictions from my clients, Chris and Roberta Laundrie. The documentary contained numerous inaccuracies, incorrect juxtapositions of timelines, and omissions of key facts—some possibly deliberate to fit their version of the ‘truth,’ or perhaps simply errors.”
The Laundries also stated, “We all know Brian took Gabby’s life, and then Brian took his own as well.”
Brian’s sister has also spoken out on social media, claiming that she had been ‘no contact’ with her parents for two years.
