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Gabby Petito’s family sends a heartbreaking message to all parents

Posted on by angelo
Gabby Petito’s family sends a heartbreaking message to all parents

The disappearance of Gabby Petito (ITV)The disappearance of Gabby Petito (ITV)

The Disappearance of Gabby Petito examines the investigation into the travel vlogger’s disappearance in 2021. (ITV)

Gabby Petito’s family has shared a heartbreaking message following their experience when the travel vlogger went missing and was later found killed in 2021.

The social media influencer disappeared shortly after beginning a four-month “vanlife” journey with her fiancé Brian Laundrie on July 2, 2021. The ITVX documentary The Disappearance of Gabby Petito traces the investigation into where was the 22-year-old American at the time. .

Petito’s parents and mother-in-law appear in the three-part documentary series to share their experiences at the time of the investigation. And they urged other parents to make sure to document their children as much as possible, because that’s all they have left of their daughter now.

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito in The Disappearance of Gabby Petito (ITV)Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito in The Disappearance of Gabby Petito (ITV)

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito embarked on a cross-country road trip in July 2021, it was supposed to last four months. The travel vlogger was reported missing in September of the same year. (ITV)

In the documentary, the travel vlogger’s father, Joe Petito, and his stepmother Tara spoke candidly about their lives since his disappearance and death. Petito’s father explained that he often watches old videos of his daughter and advised other parents to make sure they take in as many as possible.

“I actually go back to his TikTok or YouTube, videos that people send me where they edit a certain person just to listen to them and hear their voice,” he explained.

“I have my home videos and stuff, and I listen to them. That’s all I have now, and I will say to all the parents who have kids, take as many videos as you can.”

Tara agreed with his sentiment, adding to her emotional advice by saying: “Take those pictures, take those selfies with your kids because that’s what we have. We have our memories but the pictures kind of bring back these memories.”

NORTH PORT, FL - SEPTEMBER 16: Tara Petito (L) and Joe Petito react as North Port City Police Chief Todd Garrison speaks during a news conference for their missing daughter Gabby Petito on September 16 2021 in North Port, Florida. Gabby Petito disappeared while on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and hasn't been seen or heard from since late August. Police said no foul play is suspected at this time, but her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, refused to speak to law enforcement. Laundrie has been identified as a person of interest, but investigators are focused solely on finding Petito. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)NORTH PORT, FL - SEPTEMBER 16: Tara Petito (L) and Joe Petito react as North Port City Police Chief Todd Garrison speaks during a press conference for their missing daughter Gabby Petito on September 16 2021 in North Port, Florida. Gabby Petito disappeared while on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie and hasn't been seen or heard from since late August. Police said no foul play is suspected at this time, but her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, refused to speak to law enforcement. Laundrie has been identified as a person of interest, but investigators are focused solely on finding Petito. (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

Gabby Petito’s father Joe (right) and stepmother Tara (left, pictured in 2021) appeared in the documentary and urged parents to take as many photos and videos of their children as possible. (Getty Images)

Petito and Laundrie began their road trip across America on July 2, 2021, and Petito shared glimpses of their travels via YouTube and Instagram. On August 26, 2021, she appeared to share her final post on Instagram, with her mother Nicole Schmidt growing increasingly concerned about her when she sent out-of-character text messages and her social media activity s ‘is completely stopped.

Petito was reported missing on September 11. At the time, Laundrie returned home to Florida alone in the van they were driving together and chose not to cooperate with police. On September 19, Petito’s body was found in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. She had been strangled to death and suffered blunt force trauma to her head and neck.

Laundrie, who had gone missing two days before Petito’s body was found, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on October 20. Police found a note in which he confessed to killing Petito during their trip.

The disappearance of Gabby Petito (ITV)The disappearance of Gabby Petito (ITV)

Gabby Petito’s body was found in Wyoming on September 19, 2021 and it was later revealed that Brian Laundrie killed her. (ITV)

The documentary examines the various stages of the investigation into Petito’s disappearance, including the enormous interest the case generated online and the efforts made by Internet detectives to try to understand what happened to him.

Petito’s family also helped share insight into the case and their experience at the time, and shared several emotional and vulnerable moments on screen. One such conversation saw Petito’s mother burst into tears as she recounted the last time she saw her daughter.

“Looking back, I remember Gabby being ready to go,” Schmidt said. “And I remember walking down the aisle…it was this hug, a long hug that she gave me, and it was like she was saying goodbye.”

The Disappearance of Gabby Petito is now available on ITVX.