Nichole Schmidt is urging social media users to pause and share missing-person flyers, five years after her daughter’s killing drew national attention.
Schmidt, 45, said on Friday that a single share can create a “ripple effect” that leads to someone being found. She spoke from Blue Point, New York, where she has worked to turn personal tragedy into a public mission.
“Because you never know who might see that with your share, and it causes a ripple effect — and missing people have been found by regular people just sharing flyers,” she said.
Schmidt laid out a simple protocol for anyone who spots a missing-person post. Look at it first, check the comments for new developments, and verify the source, she suggested. “If it seems legitimate, maybe give it a share,” she added.
The “ripple effect” she described stands in sharp contrast to the uneven media landscape her family navigated in 2021. Petito’s case generated sustained national coverage, while thousands of other missing-person cases receive little to no attention. Schmidt and her family have since made it a priority to amplify those overlooked cases.
Petito’s remains were discovered on Sept. 19, 2021, in a remote campground north of Jackson, Wyoming. She is believed to have been killed three weeks earlier by Brian Laundrie, her former fiancé. Laundrie drove home to his parents’ house in Florida in her Ford Transit van before taking his own life. His remains weren’t found for a month, after a nationwide search ended when floodwater receded and his own parents led detectives to one of his favorite clearings in the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
Since then, Petito’s parents and stepparents have launched a foundation in her name, combating domestic violence and raising awareness for other missing person cases. They’ve lobbied for new laws in multiple states, including Florida, Utah and New York, and even at the federal level.
“What I would say with missing cases is, if you see missing flyers pass by your feed, stop and take a look,” Schmidt said.
The foundation’s work has increasingly focused on families who lack the resources or media access to sustain searches for their loved ones. Schmidt’s Friday comments emphasized practical, everyday actions rather than systemic solutions alone.
The Petito family has also pushed for legislative changes at state and federal levels, though Schmidt’s latest remarks centered on individual online behavior. Her advice to verify sources before sharing reflects lessons from an era of misinformation around her own daughter’s case.
Laundrie’s death by suicide and the month-long delay in locating his remains added layers of complexity to a case that had already gripped the nation. The floodwaters that hampered the search eventually receded, allowing his parents to guide detectives to a clearing he had frequented.
The foundation named for Petito continues to balance memorial work with active advocacy, supporting families whose cases never trend on social media. Schmidt’s emphasis on the “regular people” who find missing persons through shares underscores a belief in decentralized, grassroots action.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-999-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.