Gabby Petito

In the summer of 2021, 22-year-old Gabrielle 'Gabby' Petito and her 23-year-old fiancé Brian Laundrie embarked on a cross-country road trip in a converted white Ford Transit van, documenting their journey on social media and YouTube. The couple had been together for over two years and were living in the van. On August 12, police in Moab, Utah responded to a 911 call about a domestic incident involving the couple. Bodycam footage showed an emotional Gabby telling officers that she and Brian had been arguing. Officers separated them for the night but no charges were filed.

Gabby's last known communication with her family was on August 25-27. Brian returned alone to the home he shared with his parents in North Port, Florida on September 1, driving Gabby's van. He refused to speak with police or Gabby's family about her whereabouts. On September 11, Gabby's parents filed a missing person report. Brian hired an attorney and remained silent.

On September 17, Brian Laundrie told his parents he was going for a hike in the Carlton Reserve, a 25,000-acre nature preserve near their home. He never returned. Two days later, on September 19, Gabby's remains were found in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation.

A massive search for Brian Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve lasted over a month. On October 20, his skeletal remains were found in an area of the reserve that had been underwater for weeks. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head—suicide. Near his remains was a dry bag containing a notebook in which he confessed to murdering Gabby. The case became a global phenomenon, raising awareness of domestic violence but also prompting criticism about the disproportionate media attention given to cases involving young, attractive white women.