Netflix’s newest docuseries, American Murder: Gabby Petito, tells the true story of Gabby Petito, who, in 2021, embarked on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. More than two weeks after Laundrie returned to his parents’ Florida home without her, Petito was found dead. Her death was ruled a homicide, and as the nation demanded answers about what happened to the 21-year-old, Laundrie died by suicide—taking with him the full story of what truly occurred.
The three-episode series, released on Feb. 17, chronicles Petito’s life and its tragic end. Here are some of the most surprising revelations from the series.
Laundrie’s “Dark Side” Revealed
As USA Today reported, Petito’s friend described Laundrie as having “a very dark side,” a claim supported by a series of text messages shown in the docuseries.
Petito and Laundrie had been dating for about a year before getting engaged in July 2020. Her friend, Rose Davis, said Laundrie often tried to control Petito, recalling one instance when he took Petito’s ID to prevent her from going out with Davis. He called her “disgusting” and belittled her for working at Taco Bell, later justifying his behavior by saying he was afraid she would leave him.
“It’s just that I couldn’t have my life without you,” he would say, according to Davis.
Davis said Petito often blamed herself for Laundrie’s behavior.
“‘I don’t deserve him. I’m hurting his feelings. I’m a bad person,’ and he wanted her to feel that way,” Davis said.
One text from Petito to Laundrie, shown in the docuseries, highlighted her frustration with his possessiveness.
“Don’t try to control me because it only makes me mad,” she wrote. “I love you so much, but it’s the way you speak to me that hurts me most.”
Petito’s Journal Entries Signaled Abuse
Petito’s family granted American Murder: Gabby Petito directors Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro access to her journals, which provided deeper insight into the abuse she endured, Yahoo News reported.
The directors used AI technology to bring Petito’s written words to life, allowing her voice to narrate parts of the story.
“We spoke to the family and said, ‘Listen, it’s really important for us to tell these kinds of stories, and we have an opportunity to tell it through Gabby and let her voice the story, which is unique,’” Gasparro told Yahoo News. “We told them we were thinking about doing [AI], and we got the go-ahead. So you’re hearing—a lot of that stuff is her written journals that we brought to life, basically.”
Given that Petito was an influencer who shared much of her life on social media, Gasparro said it felt fitting to use her own words to tell her story.
Domestic Violence Was Prevalent in Their Relationship
During Petito and Laundrie’s road trip, a 911 caller reported witnessing a man in a white van slapping a woman.
Police responded to the scene and determined that Laundrie and Petito were the individuals involved. However, they concluded that Petito was the aggressor.
Laundrie told authorities he had pushed Petito away in self-defense and that her phone had scratched his face. Petito corroborated his account, admitting she hit him first. As a result, police opted to separate them for the night, with Laundrie staying at a nearby hotel. However, despite law enforcement’s advice, the couple reunited that evening and continued their trip.
Laundrie’s Mother Offered to Help “Dispose of a Body”
The docuseries also revealed a note from Laundrie’s mother, Roberta Laundrie, to her son. She explicitly instructed him to “burn after reading.”
“If you’re in jail, I will bake a cake with a file in it,” she wrote. “If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and garbage bags.”
Roberta has denied that her message was related to Petito’s death.
Petito’s Parents’ Calls for Help Went Unanswered
Petito’s parents attempted to reach out to the Laundrie family multiple times after their daughter disappeared, but their messages went unanswered.
Body camera footage from a police visit to the Laundrie residence on Sept. 11, 2021, shows Laundrie’s father, Christopher Laundrie, telling officers his son was home. He then requested that an attorney be present for any further questioning.
While Christopher and Roberta Laundrie have not faced criminal charges, they settled a civil lawsuit with Petito’s parents in 2024, USA Today reported. The suit alleged that the Laundries withheld information about Petito’s death.
