Netflix Doc Reveals Gabby Petito Reached Out to an Ex-Boyfriend Before Her Disappearance
Three and a half years have passed since Gabby Petito’s tragic disappearance captured global attention. The 22-year-old, who was traveling cross-country with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, vanished in August 2021, sparking widespread concern. Now, a new three-part docuseries, American Murder: Gabby Petito, delves deeper into the story, moving past the sensational headlines to uncover the painful reality of a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship.
Following her disappearance, Laundrie returned to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, where he refused to cooperate with authorities or reveal any information about Petito’s whereabouts. His silence ignited a media frenzy that intensified when Petito’s remains were found in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19, 2021. An autopsy later confirmed her death was a homicide, and Laundrie was identified as the killer before he died by suicide in October 2021.
Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro, the series features interviews with Petito’s family and friends, alongside previously unseen text messages, police body camera footage, and excerpts from her personal journal. Additionally, the docuseries incorporates footage from Petito’s #Vanlife Vlog, illustrating how her seemingly perfect social media presence masked the struggles she faced in the final weeks of her life.
The docuseries represents the third entry in Netflix’s “American Murder” series. The first installment, American Murder: The Family Next Door, was released in 2020, followed by American Murder: Laci Peterson in 2024. Variety conducted an interview with Willoughby Nason and Gasparro regarding their access to police body camera footage, the involvement of Brian Laundrie’s parents, and their insights on the Petito case.
In the series, Gabby’s biological parents and both of her stepparents openly discuss their daughter and the circumstances surrounding her murder, which appeared to be a painful experience for them.
During the interview, they were asked how they persuaded the family to participate, and whether they were compensated for their involvement.
Gasparro: “No, there was no financial compensation. The focus was entirely on The Gabby Petito Foundation. Netflix typically refrains from including action items or foundation listings in their documentaries. However, we managed to incorporate a segment in episode three where the family could discuss the foundation. The primary objective is to raise awareness for The Gabby Petito Foundation, which aims to highlight issues related to domestic violence.”
When asked whether it was challenging to request these interviews, especially given the painful memories the family had to revisit, Willoughby Nason explained: “We conduct extensive interviews, allowing ample time for the family to share their experiences, take breaks, and proceed at a comfortable pace. Having engaged in similar interviews with families who have experienced loss, I recognize the difficulty they face in recounting these stories. Nevertheless, I believe that sharing their feelings can be a healing and cathartic process, even though the pain of their loss remains ever-present.”
Regarding the unseen footage from Gabby’s #Vanlife Vlog, Gasparro shared: “During our meeting with her parents, they entrusted us with a wealth of material to review, which encompassed all of Gabby’s journals, her artwork, and the complete footage. Her carefully selected #Vanlife footage showcases her exceptional editing skills. She was clearly knowledgeable and highly motivated. However, the outtakes offer a deeper insight into her journey, which we found to be remarkable. It served as a means to narrate her story authentically.”
The series reveals that Gabby had contacted an ex-boyfriend in the days leading up to her disappearance and on the day detectives believe she was murdered. Gasparro responded: “Yes, it did. We were unaware of that detail. We did not know she had reached out to him during such a vulnerable period of her trip with Brian. It was evident that she was in distress. Her decision to contact her ex indicated a level of trust and a plea for assistance. We suspect that Brian may have been aware of this communication.”
As part of the series, a brief segment of police bodycam footage recorded on August 12, 2021, in Moab, Utah, featuring Gabby and Brian, circulated widely in news reports. The complete bodycam footage is shown for the first time in the docuseries. Gasparro elaborated on how they acquired this previously unseen footage: “Through requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The footage is quite frustrating.”
The filmmakers also approached the Moab police officers involved in the incident and Brian’s parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, for interviews. Gasparro noted: “Yes, we did. They also declined. We had to respect their decision. There is only so much we can do, and we are not a news organization. We will not intrude on their property and plead for them to participate in the series. Our primary focus was to tell Gabby’s story. While many are drawn to the narrative of the perpetrator, we believed that Gabby’s story held greater significance.”
One of the most intriguing aspects of the case is whether Brian Laundrie’s family was aware of his involvement in Gabby’s murder before the discovery of his confession letter. Willoughby Nason shared: “Based on the phone records highlighted in the series, we know that Brian spoke with his parents for nearly an hour from Wyoming around the time Gabby went missing. This suggests that some form of communication occurred early on between him and his family. While we cannot ascertain the specifics, we do know he informed his father, ‘Gabby’s gone, and I need a lawyer.’ The records indicate that his parents contacted a lawyer in Wyoming shortly after Brian’s call, which raises suspicions.”
Willoughby Nason also shared that during the production, she learned some new details that were left out of the series: “I discovered that Gabby was a talented artist and was very proactive in her aspirations to become an influencer and in her plans for building the van. All of this was her initiative.” Gasparro added, “There was an entire cross-country journey they undertook before relocating to Florida that we were unaware of, but we had to streamline the content for the audience.”
The involvement of Dr. Phil as executive producer was another notable detail. Gasparro explained: “Sarah Carden, the senior supervising news producer for Dr. Phil, contacted us to express her admiration for Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal, which we produced for Netflix in 2023. She informed us that the Petito family, who had a connection with Dr. Phil, wished to share their narrative, as they had not formally collaborated with anyone to convey Gabby’s story.”
American Murder: Gabby Petito is currently available for streaming on Netflix, offering an in-depth and emotional exploration of one of the most tragic cases in recent memory.
