Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder and suicide. Readers’ discretion is advised.
It has been three years since the tragic death of Gabby Petito. The travel vlogger hit the headlines in 2021 following her mysterious disappearance. In July, Petito, who was 22 years old, embarked on a four-month cross-country trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Two months later, Petito was reported missing when Laundrie returned home in the same camping van without her.
The case received widespread attention and media coverage as an extensive search was launched. The FBI has now released a document detailing the letter Gabby Petito wrote to Brian Laundrie before her tragic death in 2021.
Why did Gabby Petito write letters to Brian Laundrie?
Per NBC News, Petito wrote a letter to Laundrie to ask him to stop calling her names. The FBI released more than 350 pages of documents on the 2021 murder case. It also includes the handwritten letter, not dated, Petito penned to Laundrie. She wrote, “Just please stop crying and stop calling me names because we’re a team and I’m here with you.”
CBS News noted Petito referenced a fight with Laundrie in the letter. She also wrote that she’ll always have his back. Petito continued as she told him that she “just love you too much, like so much it hurts.” As the couple’s fight was weighing on Laundrie, Petito expressed that seeing him in pain was killing her. She wrote she was “frustrated” as there was “there’s not more I can do.”
Gabby Petito’s remains were found at a campground near the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, on September 19, 2021. Her death was ruled a homicide as she died of strangulation. Following that, the case’s prime suspect, Brian Laundrie, who was also missing, died by suicide. In a notebook found next to his body, he confessed and claimed responsibility for Petito’s untimely death.
Petito’s case has been explored in several true-crime episodes, including 48 Hours’ Gabby Petito: The Untold Story. It is available to watch on 48 Hours YouTube channel.
