Gabby Petito’s mom has introduced a $100,000 donation to assist fight home violence and assist victims, and described her daughter’s killer Brian Laundrie as somebody who “wanted to look like the good guy.”
Nicole Schmidt stated the donation from the Gabby Petito Foundation to the National Domestic Violence Hotline will assist different victims like her daughter caught in turbulent relationships get assist.
“Our story begins because of a domestic violence tragedy and we don’t want to see that happen to anybody else,” Schmidt stated on the “TODAY” present in an interview that aired Thursday.
The donation comes as the one 12 months anniversary of her daughter’s loss of life approaches.
Gabby Petito was killed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie final 12 months, after the pair had launched into cross-country journey residing out of a van, investigators stated.
Petito’s physique was present in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on Sept. 19, 2021. It was decided she had been lifeless for eventually three weeks and her loss of life was dominated a murder by “manual strangulation.”
Laundrie then disappeared and a widespread search was launched for him. His stays have been present in wetland areas in Florida’s Carlton Reserve on Oct. 20, 2021.
Laundrie wrote that he had “responsibility” in Petito’s loss of life, the FBI stated.
In June, the Laundrie household legal professional launched hand written notes Laundrie wrote that learn partially: “I ended her life, I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made,” NBC New York reported.
At the time, Schmidt shared a post on Twitter an image that read “Narcissists rewrite history to escape accountability.”
Speaking Thursday, Schmidt doubled down on her stance.
“That was his character, even in his last moments, he wanted to make sure he looked like the good guy. That’s ridiculous. We know how she died,” she said.
She believed his claims in the notes were untrue.
Following Petito’s death, the National Domestic Violence hotline saw an uptick in calls and chats.
Schmidt says her family was inundated by comments of support from the public, some from people in domestic violence relationships themselves.
“We got a lot of messages and emails from people saying your daughter saved my life, I left because of her,” Schmidt said.
The donation will help the National Domestic Violence get to their fundraising goal of $2 million.
“She touched the world. This whole tragedy that happened is for a higher purpose, that’s what keeps me going,” Schmidt stated.