Gabby Petito Netflix: True crime series highlights murdered vlogger’s life
NORTH PORT, Fla. - Gabby Petito, a Florida vlogger whose disappearance and murder captivated the country, will be the focus of a new three-part documentary series on Netflix.
Who is Gabby Petito?
The backstory:
Gabby Petito was 22 when she set off on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie in 2021.
Petito documented their experience on social media. Photos and videos show a seemingly happy couple, but things aren’t always as they appear online.
The couple was pulled over by law enforcement officers in Moab, Utah because someone called 911 to report a domestic violence incident between the couple.
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The couple was told to separate for the night but then carried on with their trip, traveling to Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park.
Shortly afterward, Petito stopped posting on social media and her parents said her messages seemed off.
On September 1, 2021, Laundrie returned to his parents North Port home in their converted camper van without Petito.

File: Gabby Petito
Petito’s family reported her missing on Sept. 11, 2021.
On Sept. 19, the FBI announced that a body had been found in Wyoming and that was eventually confirmed to be Petito’s. The body was found as investigators searched the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area of Grand Teton National Park.
After her body was found, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue said an initial autopsy revealed that the cause of death was homicide. On Oct. 12, he said a final autopsy revealed Petito’s cause of death was strangulation.
Laundrie was considered a person of interest in Petito’s death and was not cooperating with law enforcement.

A portion of the eight-page note that Brian Laundrie left. (Michael Ruiz/ Fox News Digital)
In mid-September, law enforcement said that they mistook Brian Laundrie’s mother for him, and he ended up leaving his parents' North Port home and vanished.
RELATED: FBI releases Gabby Petito love letter to Brian Laundrie amid hundreds of pages of evidence
Authorities found Laundrie’s backpack and notebook on Oct. 20 at a park in Sarasota County. They also found what appeared to be human remains that were later identified as Laundrie’s.
In the notebook, Laundrie wrote that he chose to end Petito's life after she injured herself when she fell in Wyoming. He also wrote: "From the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her…I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."
Why did Gabby Petito go viral?
Dig deeper:
According to Netflix, the increasingly odd circumstances in this case combined with her social media presence made it go viral as armchair detectives tried to solve her whereabouts in real-time.
What is American Murder: Gabby Petito?
American Murder: Gabby Petito is a three-part documentary series on Netflix that vows to let her friends and family share her story.
Netflix says the series features real text messages, video footage and excerpts from Petito’s personal journals.
When will Gabby Petito’s story be on Netflix?
Timeline:
Netflix is scheduled to release American Murder: Gabby Petito on Feb. 17.
The Source: This story was written using information from Netflix and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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