Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old from North Port Florida who in June of 2021 decided to take a cross-country trip, in a van, with her boyfriend/fiancé, Brian Laundrie. They started their travels on the west coast in Petito’s white Ford van, having planned to visit state parks along the western USA. Petito had been working on her social media/trying to get a larger following, so almost daily she posted pictures (on Instagram) updating what she was doing, with large captions and beautiful scenery. She also maintained regular contact with her family via text, call, video call, etc. However, around the end of August their communication came to an abrupt end, leaving her family and friends confused. There was also a post made on her Instagram that seemed unusual, as it was a picture of herself in a location that was 8 hours away from her current one and featured a two-word caption.

After a week or so of not having any communication with Petito, on September 1st, Laundrie returned to their home in North Port, Florida, where they both lived with his parents. About two weeks later, Petito’s family who live in Suffolk County in New York, reported her missing. They contact Laundrie and relatives but heard nothing back from them.  On September 17th, the Laundrie family called the police to their house, and claimed they hadn’t seen Brian Laundrie since the 14th. A worldwide search began for Petito, and until September 21st they found her body in Teton County, Wyoming, the last place Petito and Laundrie were seen, heard from, and posted from. Laundrie continues to be missing as police search in several nature reserves, and Petito’s death is ruled a homicide.

This whole time Petito’s case goes viral over the internet, new information from people on apps like Tik Tok, and Instagram appeared. The police and people started to come forward in spotting Petito and Laundrie before her death and Laundrie after Petito’s death. The police came out saying that on August 12th in Moab, Utah police had an encounter with the couple because of a call to 911 claiming he saw a male hit a female on the sidewalk and then getting into a white van. They pulled them over, and Petito told police that she in fact was the one slapping Laundrie. They both pleaded with the police for no one to be charged and that they “were in love.” August 17th Laundrie went back home to visit his family and supposedly helped his father move things into a storage unit. He then returned to Salt Lake where Petito was waiting. It also comes out that on August 21st, a couple said they had seen Petito and Laundrie have an argument at the restaurant, they got the waitress involved, and they were kicked out of the restaurant.

Social media has introduced this case to a very large group of people of all ages; the speed of the case has had multiple people come forward after seeing his or her face on the internet.

“I found out about Gabby Petito on Tik Tok less than a month ago from videos that were going viral on my for you page,” said junior Holland Ramos. 

The videos about Petito ended up reaching 21-year-old Miranda Baker, who was also on a road trip with her boyfriend. She said that on August 29th, she and her boyfriend picked up Laundrie because he was hitchhiking. She said he told her, “his fiancé was waiting at the van because she was working on their social media.” She also claims that once Laundrie found out they were going to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, instead of Jackson, Florida, he got agitated and demanded he be let out of the vehicle on the side of the road. She did speak with police who said her account was plausible. Additionally, seasonal Wyoming resident, Norma Jean Jalovec, also claims she picked Laundrie up on August 29th as well and gave him a ride to Spread Creek, a dispersed camping area. This was where Petito’s body was found.  Later on, she offered to drive him all the way to his campsite, but he appeared to get upset and quickly declined, so she dropped him off at the entrance. Baker and Jalovecs’ stories linked because she claimed she picked him up right around the same time Baker claims she dropped him off.

The Laundrie family went camping on September 6th, six days after his return, at the Fort De Soto Campground, 75 miles away from their home. They were there until September 8th, and it had been speculated that Laundries’ father, mother, sister, brother-in-law, and Brian Laundrie himself, all went, and left together. 

Protesters have been at Laundrie’s home since the very beginning and recently they had even been outside of his sister’s home as well. She lives with her husband and kids. After a couple of weeks of protesting, she was fed up and went to the front yard of her home to talk to protesters. She even let them fully question her and when she was asked if she thought her brother killed Petito she said, “I don’t know.” This shocked watchers since they were sure she would give a definite no for an answer. 

Going back to where we stand today, there is still being a search conducted for Laundrie, even Dog the Bounty hunter has joined in on the search. Petito’s family has also started a foundation for other missing persons, as the search continues.