Gabby Petito begged Brian Laundrie to stop calling her names in newly released letter

Gabby Petito begged her violent, killer fiancé Brian Laundrie to “stop insulting him,” according to an undated letter included in a trove of documents released Tuesday by the FBI.

Among more than 360 documents from the case posted online by the Federal Bureau of Investigation are images of the handwritten letter; a list of evidence collected during a house search Laundrie, 23, shared with his parents; witness statements; and stills from surveillance footage showing the couple traveling together – then showing Laundrie alone.

Body camera footage shows Gabby Petito speaking to a Moab police officer after she and her fiancé Brian Laundrie were arrested in the van they were traveling in. Her remains were found two months later and Laundrie admitted he had killed her. Moab Police Department via AP)

Petito disappeared in August 2021 while the couple was on a cross-country road trip in their van, which they had documented on social media. The case attracted worldwide attention. Laundrie returned alone to his parents’ home in Florida on September 1, and Petito’s remains were found more than two weeks later near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. A medical examiner determined Petito had been strangled.

The investigation then turned to finding Laundrie, who disappeared from her parents’ home in a nearby nature reserve on September 14. Her remains were found in October 2021 along with a diary in which he admitted to killing her. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Petito’s letter provides insight into his relationship with the man who ended his life. Following her death, Petito’s family established a foundation in her name to contribute to efforts to help survivors of domestic violence by raising awareness of the issue.

“You know how much I love you (and I write this with love),” Petito writes. “Please stop crying and stop insulting me because we are a team and I am here with you. I will always support you.

Petito also apologizes for upsetting Laundrie “over a stupid piece of paper”, although what she means by that is unclear, as is the larger context of the letter.

The couple argued several times shortly before Petito’s disappearance. She and Laundrie were arrested by police in Moab, Utah, after witnesses to their fights called 911.

Petito’s family sued Moab police for ignoring the “classic characteristics of an abused partner” when Petito blamed himself for the couple’s argument, despite visible facial injuries. The trial is ongoing. The Petito family settled a separate lawsuit against Laundrie’s parents for emotional distress in February.

Newly released FBI documents also provide more information on other evidence related to the case. In Laundrie’s bedroom, investigators found handgun ammunition and what they described as “incriminating newspaper statements.”

Need help? In the United States, call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for National Domestic Violence Hotline.

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