Gabby Petito-inspired law goes into effect – NBC 6 South Florida

A domestic violence bill inspired by the murder of Gabby Petito went into effect in Florida on Monday.

Governor DeSantis signed SB 1224, also known as “Gabby Petito’s Law,” into law last April, which requires law enforcement officers investigating an alleged domestic violence incident to conduct a lethality assessment under certain circumstances.

It requires officers to ask a series of questions to determine whether a victim of domestic violence is at higher risk of death or injury.

The bill was inspired by the 2021 murder of Gabby Petito, who authorities say was killed by her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who then killed himself.

On September 11, the family of 22-year-old Gabby Petito reported her missing to authorities in Suffolk County, New York. Here’s a timeline of the events leading up to the report and what’s happened since.

Body camera footage captured Utah police responding to a reported domestic violence incident between Petito and Laundrie weeks before her death. Officers eventually let them go, determining that Petito appeared to be the aggressor.

The Petito family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department, claiming their negligence led to her death shortly thereafter.

Petito’s father, Joseph Petito, lobbied for the law.