New Docuseries “American Murder: Gabby Petito” Sheds Light on the Tragic Case Beyond the Headlines

It has been three and a half years since Gabby Petito’s disappearance and murder captured global attention. Now, a new three-part docuseries, American Murder: Gabby Petito, delves deeper into her story, revealing the harsh realities of the abusive relationship she was trapped in before her tragic death.

Petito, 22, vanished in August 2021 while on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. When Laundrie returned alone to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, he refused to answer questions about her whereabouts. His silence fueled a media frenzy, which only intensified after Petito’s body was discovered in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19, 2021. An autopsy confirmed she was murdered. Laundrie, later identified as her killer, died by suicide in October 2021.

Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro, the docuseries features interviews with Petito’s family and close friends. It also includes never-before-seen text messages, police bodycam footage, and excerpts from Petito’s personal journal, offering a more intimate perspective on her life and struggles. The series also incorporates outtakes from Petito’s #VanLife vlog, revealing how her seemingly picture-perfect social media presence masked a much darker reality in the final weeks of her life.

By going beyond the headlines, American Murder: Gabby Petito aims to shed light on the dangers of domestic abuse and coercive control, providing a powerful, emotional look into a case that still resonates with many today.