The Tragic Silence: How Gabby Petito's Warnings Were Ignored.
"American Murder: Gabby Petito" is a gripping new three-part Netflix documentary series that examines the tragic disappearance and murder of 22-year-old vlogger Gabby Petito. In a haunting retelling, the series delves deep into the disturbing dynamics of Petito’s relationship with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, offering a glimpse into a relationship marred by emotional manipulation, coercion, and ultimately, violence.
Gabby’s story captivated the world when she disappeared in September 2021 during a cross-country van trip with Laundrie, who later confessed to killing her in Wyoming before taking his own life. But this documentary goes beyond the viral headlines, using exclusive interviews, chilling text messages, and previously unseen video footage to reveal the true horrors of the toxic relationship between Petito and Laundrie.
Here are the most dramatic revelations from the docuseries, some of which were hidden in plain sight long before tragedy struck.
There Were Early Warning Signs With Brian Laundrie
Gabby’s best friend, Rose Davis, was among the first to notice something deeply unsettling about Brian Laundrie. The moment Rose met him, she felt a sense of unease. “It felt like a parent was watching us on a play date. It was very weird,” she recalled. When she confided in her mother, she admitted, “He's a really nice guy, but there is something off about him.”
The more time she spent with the couple, the more Rose began to notice troubling patterns. “Brian had a very dark side of him,” she said. “He seemed very manipulative.”
During one particular incident, Gabby had planned to meet up with Rose, but canceled at the last minute, explaining that she had gotten into an argument with Brian. To Rose’s shock, Gabby revealed that Brian had stolen her wallet to prevent her from going out. “Brian admitted he stole it because he didn't want her to go out,” Rose recalled.
Gabby friend Rose. Image: Netflix.
Rose saw Gabby often in tears after these fights, but Brian would always try to make up for it with grand gestures. Gabby would then brush off her pain, convinced that she was the one at fault. “She would get so upset about the way he would treat her, but then he'd do this sweet, amazing thing, and she'd be like, ‘No, I'm lucky. I don't deserve him,’” Rose said.
Brian Laundrie Began to Isolate Gabby Petito
As Gabby worked to save money for the van trip by taking a job at Taco Bell, Brian’s possessiveness over her began to grow. Rose described how Brian would become upset when Gabby spent time with her friends. “She would work, then hang out with me. That's when Brian started feeling neglected and having this possessiveness over Gabby,” Rose said.
The documentary also reveals disturbing text messages from Brian to Gabby, where he called her "f**king disgusting" and demanded her apology. He would text her, claiming he was "crying" over her, trying to guilt her into apologizing for his emotional outbursts. At one point, Brian even reached out to Gabby’s mother, Nichole, to complain about Gabby’s late hours and the people she was associating with.
“He called me and was like, ‘Gabby's working really late every night, and she's hanging out with these people, and they're bad.’ And… I believed him,” Nichole said.
Gabby’s Van Trip With Brian Was Troubled From the Start
The couple's planned van trip quickly descended into chaos. Gabby, eager to document the journey, hoped to build a vlog of her adventures, but Brian was unsupportive from the start. “Early on, Gabby told me that Brian didn’t think the vlog idea was a good idea,” Rose said. “He thought it was stupid.”
Despite the tension, Gabby and Brian set off on their cross-country journey. But what should have been an exciting trip turned into a nightmare. In one chilling moment, police were called to the scene after a reported “domestic dispute” between the couple in Moab, Utah. The police bodycam footage, shown in full for the first time in the documentary, reveals the disturbing treatment Gabby endured. Gabby, clearly distraught and sobbing, is dismissed by an officer who tells her, “If you know you have anxiety, look at the situations you get in.”
RELATED: Gabby Petito Timeline: Tragedy One Year After Laundrie's Death
Despite Gabby having a visible black eye, the officers focus on the fingernail marks on Brian’s face, and the couple is separated for the night—yet Brian was placed in a hotel, while Gabby was left alone in the van.
Gabby’s mother, Nichole, questioned why Brian was given the hotel room. “Why is he going to a hotel and you're in a van by yourself?” she asked. But this separation was brief, and the couple reunited later that same night to continue their journey.
Gabby Reached Out to Her Ex-Boyfriend Days Before Disappearing
In a devastating revelation, it’s revealed that Gabby reached out to her ex-boyfriend, Jackson, just days before her disappearance. Gabby, staying at a hotel away from Brian, sent a text to Jackson saying, “I would really love to talk to you, I'm only alone until tomorrow.”
Jackson recalled that when they spoke, Gabby sounded distressed. “She hinted that she and Brian had gotten into an argument,” he said. “She was like, ‘I have a plan. I think I want to leave him. I'm going to do it. I need to figure out when to do it.’”
Jackson’s concern for her well-being was palpable. “From the sound of her voice and the way she was saying it, it sounded like she wasn’t sure what he would do or what he could do,” he said.
The very next day, Jackson missed a call from Gabby. It was the last time he would hear from her.
Gabby’s Final Alarming Texts to Her Mother
In the days leading up to her disappearance, Gabby sent a series of worrying messages to her mother. After the police incident, Nichole checked in on Gabby, asking if everything was okay. Gabby texted back, “I convinced Brian to go camp out in the woods, so I can have the van to myself. It’s what he wants to do anyway. I don’t care.”
Then came a strange message: “He said I could have the van if I paid him.” When Nichole asked if they were breaking up, Gabby responded, “No, I just said I could make more money as a solo female van lifer.”
This was the last time Nichole would hear from her daughter.
Gabby Petito's father and step-mum. Image: Netflix.
Brian Laundrie’s Family Remained Silent
As Gabby’s communications with her family stopped, suspicion grew. Nichole reached out to Brian’s mother, Roberta, asking if she had heard from Gabby, but received no response. Gabby’s father, Joseph, also tried contacting Brian’s family, but no one replied. When police visited Brian’s family home, they were met with silence.
RELATED: Gabby Petito FBI Heartbreaking Plea to Boyfriend Revealed
Brian’s father, Chris, was quoted as saying, “Brian is here, and that’s all I’m going to say,” before offering the family’s attorney’s phone number. A statement from Brian’s sister contradicted previous claims, revealing that Brian had told her he and Gabby had gotten into a fight, and that he had left her at a hotel and returned home—claims later debunked by the fact that Gabby’s van was still parked in their driveway.
The Texts, The Lies, and the Murder
In a chilling twist, it was revealed that Brian sent text messages from Gabby’s phone to her mother in the days after her murder. The messages were written with eerie speed—an apparent attempt to fabricate an alibi. In one text, Brian referred to Gabby’s grandfather by his first name, a red flag, as Gabby always called him “Grandpa.”
After Gabby’s death, Brian used her credit card to purchase gas and withdrew money from her account. His final transaction was a disturbing message sent from Gabby’s account: “Goodbye Brian, I'll never ask you again for anything.”
Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie. Gabby Petito Instagram
A Disturbing Letter from Brian’s Mother
Even more shocking were the contents of a letter written by Brian’s mother, Roberta. In a letter titled "Burn after reading," she wrote, “If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.”
Brian’s final moments revealed even more disturbing lies. When he was found dead in Florida’s Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, a letter was discovered in his possession. In it, he claimed he found Gabby alive in a body of water, “splashing” and “screaming,” and that he “ended her life” mercifully.
However, the autopsy painted a far different picture. Gabby’s cause of death was ruled as blunt-force trauma to the head and manual strangulation.
“The sole cause of her death was strangulation,” said Gabby’s stepfather, Jim. “It was nothing remotely or even close to what he said.”
