Nearly four years after the tragic murder of Gabby Petito, Netflix has unveiled a documentary delving into the case that gripped the nation and the world.
Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie embarked on a dream cross-country adventure in July 2021, traveling in a transformed Ford transit van.
Their seemingly idyllic Instagram posts belied the stark reality that unfolded, as their journey soon spiraled into a harrowing criminal investigation.
Gabby vanished just weeks into their expedition, and it was later determined that Brian was responsible for her death.
As Netflix releases the three-part series American Murder: Gabby Petito, we revisit the timeline of Gabby and Brian’s story.
Gabby Petito, at the age of 20, started dating Brian Laundrie after meeting as students at Bayport-Blue Point High School in Long Island, New York.
Roughly nine months into their relationship, the pair relocated from New York to Florida to be closer to Brian’s family.
After dating for around fifteen months, Gabby and Brian became engaged, with Gabby sharing the news on Instagram, despite the absence of a ring.
Instead of diving into wedding preparations, the couple decided to purchase a van and embark on a cross-country trip, with Gabby eager to pursue a career as a travel influencer.
Before starting their journey, the couple visited Gabby’s family in New York.
During their trek, Gabby and Brian were stopped by police in Utah following a report of a ‘domestic violence incident’.
The police identified Gabby as the ‘aggressor’, resulting in their separation for the night, with Brian staying in a motel room designated for domestic violence survivors.
Subsequently, Brian flew home and later reunited with Gabby to continue their journey.
Gabby posted her sole YouTube video on a channel called ‘Nomadic Statik’.
This eight-minute video documented their scenic travels and the couple’s life within the confines of their van; it has since amassed over seven million views.
Gabby confided in an ex-boyfriend, Jackson, about her intention to end the relationship with Brian.
Gabby’s final Instagram post captured her smiling in front of a vivid butterfly mural.
She attempted to reach Jackson again, messaging him on Snapchat and calling, though he missed the call.
On the same day, surveillance cameras captured Gabby and Brian walking together in a Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming – Gabby’s last known video appearance.
Brian traveled to Colter Bay Village, Wyoming, from the Spread Creek camping area near the Grand Teton National Park.
He then had an hour-long phone conversation with his mother.
Miranda Baker gave Brian a lift from Colter Bay towards Jackson, Wyoming.
Later, Norma Jean Jalovec picked up Brian as a hitchhiker and drove him back to the Spread Creek campsite, where he said his fiancée was waiting.
Brian then began his drive back to Florida without Gabby, using her debit card for gas and transferring $700 from her account to his own, with a note saying, “Goodbye Brian, I’ll never ask you for anything again.”
Gabby’s mother, Nichole, received a text from Gabby’s phone that suddenly referred to her grandfather by his first name, causing alarm.
She suspected that Brian was the one texting from Gabby’s phone.
Repeated texts from Gabby’s mother went unanswered.
Gabby’s parents realized their daughter was not responding to their messages, prompting frantic calls to her.
Gabby’s mother discovered she had been blocked by Brian’s mom when her message appeared in a different format.
Family and friends of Gabby began social media campaigns to find her.
Law enforcement arrived at the Laundrie residence to question them about Gabby’s disappearance after her parents reported her missing.
The Laundries claimed Brian was home but refused further questioning.
Police returned to the Laundrie household following a tip, only to be informed by Brian’s parents that he had been missing for days after going for a hike in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
The authorities sought public assistance in locating Gabby, which resulted in a flood of tips.
Gabby’s remains were discovered in Wyoming’s Spread Creek camping area, where her death was determined to be a homicide due to ‘blunt-force injuries’ and ‘manual strangulation’.
A federal warrant was issued for Brian Laundrie’s arrest.
The Laundrie family conducted their search at the Carlton Reserve in Florida, where police had been looking.
At 8 a.m., an hour into their search, Brian’s father found his son’s waterproof bag.
Forty-five minutes later, Brian’s remains were located, and medical examiners concluded he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and had been underwater for an extended period.
American Murder: Gabby Petito is now streaming on Netflix.
If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis or know someone who is, Mental Health America offers support. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. Alternatively, reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.