SEP 26, 2021
Gabby Petito funeral: Father's eulogy urges people not to be sad
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Joseph Petito stood in front of flowers and photos of his daughter in what had to be the most challenging moment of his life.
"I don't want you guys to be sad, to be honest with you," he said at her funeral Sunday. "Gabby did not live that way."
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Standing next to Petito was Gabby's stepfather, Jim Schmidt.
Schmidt said he's had to plan funerals before, but not one of them could have prepared him for what he had to do Sunday.
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"Although there is a lot of evil and wrong in the world, there is more good. and there is a lot of good people out there, and they're all in this room right now and they're all across the world and they're with us all. I love you all," he said.
Nichole Schmidt, Gabby's mother, did not speak during the eulogy, but did post to Facebook on Saturday night, breaking her silence for the first time.
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"Please know what you are all doing for us does not go unnoticed, and with all of you by our side, we will get #justiceforgabby."
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