Gabby Petito’s story shines a light on domestic violence. Could her death have been prevented?

In the late summer season of 2021, the story of 22-year-old Gabby Petito’s disappearance unfold shortly throughout social media and all through the media. Headlines put a highlight on the lacking 22-year-old “van life'” video blogger, and on her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who had returned dwelling to Florida with out her. Gabby’s physique was finally discovered close to a Wyoming campground, and a month later, Brian’s stays had been found in a Florida nature reserve. In a pocket book discovered close to Brian, he claimed duty for Gabby’s death.

Now “48 Hours” investigates if Gabby’s death may have been prevented in: “Gabby Petito: The Untold Story” to air Saturday, September 17 at 9/8c and streaming on Paramount +. CBS News nationwide correspondent Jericka Duncan, takes a deeper look into the life and death of Gabby Petito, and the steps that her mother and father have taken to hunt justice on behalf of their daughter.

When Gabby was lacking, police bodycam video was launched of an interplay that the couple had with officers from the Moab City Police Department in Utah, simply a few weeks earlier. The video reveals Gabby crying and visibly upset after an altercation with Laundrie. The officers had been responding to a 911 name about a potential domestic violence incident, the place the caller reported seeing Brian slap Gabby, then hit her. 

But when the Moab officers pulled over Gabby and Brian of their van minutes later, they separate them and each Gabby and Brian say that she had slapped him. When pressed if Brian hit her, Gabby mentioned “I guess yeah but I hit him first.” An officer asks the place Brian hit her, and he or she says that he grabbed her face. Without immediately asking Brian if he hit Gabby, the officers decided that Gabby was the first aggressor, however let her off with out a quotation or an arrest. The couple had been left to proceed their journey. 

Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt, says she final spoke with Gabby in late August on FaceTime, with Gabby telling her the couple was headed to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. After she stopped listening to from Gabby, and Gabby’s telephone stopped working, Nichole says she grew to become anxious and he or she, Gabby’s stepfather Jim, father Joseph, and stepmother Tara reported her lacking to authorities. On September 11, 2021, Gabby Petito formally grew to become a lacking particular person, and the seek for her kicked off throughout the nation.  Seeing posts on social media, one other “van life'” couple realized that they had seen Gabby’s van again on August 27 and reported its location to authorities. Later that day, September 19, 2021, investigators positioned Gabby’s stays in a nationwide forest close to the Tetons. Brian had returned alone to Florida, however by the point Gabby’s stays had been found, his mother and father mentioned that he was lacking too – that he had gone in a hike in a nature reserve close to their Florida dwelling days earlier and never returned. Weeks later, Brian’s physique was uncovered in that reserve. He had died from a gunshot to the top.

Petito’s mother and father are within the strategy of submitting a lawsuit in opposition to the Moab City Police Department, and the Moab officers concerned within the cease that day, for negligence and wrongful death. In addition to claiming that the officers didn’t implement Utah State regulation that day by not issuing a quotation or making an arrest, additionally they declare that the officers weren’t correctly educated “to investigate domestic violence situations, and to properly assess the circumstances, including to identify Brian as the true primary aggressor.” 

Petito’s mother and father’ Utah lawyer, Brian Stewart, tells “48 Hours,” “The family believes that Gabby would still be alive today if the police officers had had the proper training and had followed the law in how they responded to Gabby’s situation.” In late 2021, the Moab City Police Department commissioned one other Utah police division to conduct an independent review of their officers’ actions. The report famous that the Moab officers made a number of “unintentional mistakes” that day, together with misinterpreting the regulation and never making an arrest. In a assertion, the City of Moab wrote that it intends to implement the suggestions of the unbiased assessment, together with extra domestic violence investigation associated coaching, and authorized coaching to make sure officers perceive Utah state legal guidelines.  In the assertion, the City of Moab mentioned it believed the officers confirmed kindness, respect and empathy of their dealing with of this incident. 

Gabby Petito’s mother and father are additionally suing Brian’s property for wrongful death, and his mother and father for intentional infliction of emotional misery. Petito’s mum or dad’s lawyer, Patrick Reilly tells “48 Hours” that the household believes the Laundries had been conscious that “Brian had murdered Gabby,” and had been “aware where her body was located” whereas her mother and father and investigators had been looking for her. The Laundries’ lawyer issued a assertion denying the allegations made within the lawsuit in opposition to them. Reilly additionally discloses particulars about a letter he says was proven to him by the FBI, allegedly addressed to Brian from his mom, which Reilly says comprises the next: “If you go to prison, I’ll bake a cake with a shiv in it.” Reilly additionally says the envelope containing the letter had the phrases “burn after reading” written on the entrance.

Gabby’s mother and father have fashioned the Gabby Petito Foundation, which has partnered with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The mission of the Gabby Petito Foundation is to “address the needs of organizations that support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations that assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.”

If you or a liked one are a sufferer of domestic violence, name the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.