Found Deceased WY - Gabby Petito, Grand Teton National Park #88

[LinasK]

Poor Gabby, trying so hard to please and not upset Brian, she had no idea that that was an unwinnable role. She would never be able to regulate his unregulated emotions. She was a chokehold away from death the minute she met him.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he killed her in the van or just outside it, if she tried to get away. He may have seen her text history, she may have told him she wanted to continue on her own, The Most Dangerous Time in a volatile relationships. And he didn't want to hear it. So he "calmed her down" cutting off her vocal cords and her oxygen and then her life.

And had his parents turned him over to LE or tipped him in themselves, he'd likely still be alive, facing charges or by now convicted, but alive.

I can (marginally) respect parents who stand by their adult children through trials; I can't respect one's who shield their adult children from the consequences of their actions.

And Gabby had such solid male role models who loved her, even an ex boyfriend who would have done anything to protect her, if only she wasn't hundreds of miles away from safety when Brian took advantage of isolation and stole Gabby's opportunity to break free of him, with his bare hands.

That Moab stop is so painful to watch, Gabby was terrified (maybe for a mess of reasons) about what would happen if Brian was arrested, which IMO is why she minimized his actions and overestimated hers. Brian's demeanor, chilling to me. Acting like he was trying to deescalate the tension when he was the instigator and aggressor. Taking her keys, her phone, her van. Abject abuse, and a master manipulator to get Gabby to feel responsible for it. Not respecting any of her boundaries, playing on her fears, belittling her dreams.

Saddens me, angers me that the last thing she saw before the light went out of her eyes was the real Brian. Dangerous coward.

Killed her so she couldn't leave him.

And that story is as old as dirt.

JMO

Excellent summary assessment of the situation. He clearly WAS the aggressor in Moab. She blamed herself, which victims often do.

 

[LinasK]

I think it's fair to say that she didn't have a reason to lie to Brian. She may not have had food poisoning, but it seems that she thought that the food made her sick.

I'm in no way accusing her of lying. I still think not paying was Brian's scheme.

 

[LinasK]

A

Me too. It is pretty weird to hear from neighbors of the Laundries who have never met them but are apparently full of self-righteous hate anyway. Have people always felt so strongly (positively OR negatively) about people they haven't met or is that a fairly recent societal characteristic?
MOO

And yet somehow these neighbors know them better than other people across the country. I think the Laundries are just like the Anthony family.

 

[64WhetstoneRoad]

Can you help out us people who don't have Netflix and give us some details on how and when the Laundries admitted they knew Gabby was gone.

Hey! So this was all after through documents we read and the various court cases. I can’t recall exactly when it was but maybe last year IMO. I was just so angry because watching the documentary, when the police knocked on the Laundries door on Sept 11th 2021 and actually hearing them being so dismissive, then the text messages Gabby’s mum sent every day to see if Gabby was ok, to the texts sent to the Laundries. It was a whole hot mess and the Laundries did nothing. Sorry, I’m not explaining myself very well today. The documentary focuses on the lead up to Gabby’s death through diary entries, texts between her and Brian, her family speaking out, her ex boyfriend, her friend Rose and another friend they had, a mutual friend. There isn’t a precise moment in the doc that says the Laundries admitted they knew because this was much later when they settled with the Petito’s. But when they did reveal the phone calls from Brian to his parents they only ever use the word “gone”. I just can’t with the Laundries.
If anyone can explain better help me… Having a full on brain fart type of day.

 

[arielilane]

@josephpetito


This Instagram account is pretending to be @TaraPetito but it is not. Please tag whoever you believe can help take this account down.



3:04 PM · Feb 19, 2025

https://twitter.com/x/status/1892304222097387555

 

[Deleted member 19575]

Now there's a whole documentary about it?
Let's take it for what it is...a cautionary tale and warning to parents.

 

[Sundog]

I'm in no way accusing her of lying. I still think not paying was Brian's scheme.

They may have been in it together.

 

[Sundog]

And yet somehow these neighbors know them better than other people across the country. I think the Laundries are just like the Anthony family.

The neighbors don't necessarily know them any better than anyone else across the country, they have their opinions just as we all do, and not necessarily knowing what really happened.

 

[Deleted member 19575]

The neighbors don't necessarily know them any better than anyone else across the country, they have their opinions just as we all do, and not necessarily knowing what really happened.

This makes me think of something that someone said recently about Being passive in the face of danger. It involved a similar story where the daughter was involved with a bad guy and their clueless families.
We all talk about Predators and how women are their prey, etc...but in the wild? the prey know how to avoid predators, how to decoy, defend, camouflage, and hide. They do that because they're afraid and want to live. But imagine encountering a bear in the woods and thinking, Hey! He's not such a bad bear! Maybe he's really a nice guy! maybe I can SAVE him. Maybe he's just lonely and needs friends! I'm sure he won't kill and eat ME! It'll be different!
Uh, no. You can't just sit there and hope the bear is your friend. Your best bet is to GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3964370177179167

 

[Trooper]

This makes me think of something that someone said recently about Being passive in the face of danger. It involved a similar story where the daughter was involved with a bad guy and their clueless families.
We all talk about Predators and how women are their prey, etc...but in the wild? the prey know how to avoid predators, how to decoy, defend, camouflage, and hide. They do that because they're afraid and want to live. But imagine encountering a bear in the woods and thinking, Hey! He's not such a bad bear! Maybe he's really a nice guy! maybe I can SAVE him. Maybe he's just lonely and needs friends! I'm sure he won't kill and eat ME! It'll be different!
Uh, no. You can't just sit there and hope the bear is your friend. Your best bet is to GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

And this theory usually works, getting the hell out of there, for the very lucky ones who manage to escape, the only problem that suddenly arises is when the bear doesn't look like a bear, but like a presentable reasonable human being, because your average bear man has practiced doing this for years, they have it down pat. They can fool people a lot cleverer than you, or me. Easy to blame parents like the Petitio's, they had no way of knowing the depths of Brian's sadistic leanings... but the Laundries must have known.. they lived with him for 23 years, they knew. <modsnip - no link>

Because this is where psychopaths begin their career. In the cradle .

 

[Trooper]

Moo....I didn't know Brian had been violent with other people. Could you supply a link please.

Are you addressing me? On this subject?... It is customary to include the original post, to forestall confusion.. But just in case you are asking me, I am available to respond..

One of the significant indicators of what Brian was doing to his own family, is the famous camping trip, where Brian lobs home in Gabby's vehicle, with a strange story, and the family , sis and hubby and the kids, mum and dad and Bri, all decide to go camping. But.. there is a condition attached, no one is allowed to mention Gabby. This is the story that Roberta tells, that Cassie tells, and god alone knows what it cost Casse, she liked Gabby, and her kids loved their Aunt Gabby, how she kept their little mouths shut, is a mystery.. But this is what a psychopath does. Total control. Violence to people's identity and thought processes..

Just one example.

Another, #2 His sly manipulation of the police officer in Moad, Bri immediately twigged that he had a ripe one on the end of his fishing line, a police officer who was cross with women in general, and cross with women ,in particular ,who rocked the boat of normal nice guys just wanting to have their own way, to which they are entitled. Apparently. Brian played him like a Gibson guitar. And got the desired result. You can watch it again and pick up all the moves and plays, it's textbook stuff.

Example # 3. Brian's own 'valedictory ' note, where he bids us all farewell, histrionically, as usual , has violence, in his own words from go to whoa.

Some light reading might be insightful.... Turning Your Attention to Narcissistic Personality Disorder

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Please stop implying that Gabby was somehow responsible for her death at the hands of her killer. Such comments are NOT in accordance with the spirit of Websleuths and its Victim Friendly rules.

Thank you.

 

[NCWatcher]

And yet somehow these neighbors know them better than other people across the country. I think the Laundries are just like the Anthony family.

I'm not sure that the neighbors who were quoted in the posted article know them. They said they don't know them and have never even met them, but hate them anyway. <modsnip - off topic>

In general, I'm not sure living in a neighborhood with someone but never meeting them gives more insight into who the person is than someone living across the country would have. A person might have access to more gossip I guess but no more first hand experience.
MOO

 

[Cedars]

I'm not sure that the neighbors who were quoted in the posted article know them. They said they don't know them and have never even met them, but hate them anyway. <modsnip - off topic>

In general, I'm not sure living in a neighborhood with someone but never meeting them gives more insight into who the person is than someone living across the country would have. A person might have access to more gossip I guess but no more first hand experience.
MOO

Possibly this couple speaking to the media didn't want to become victims of online hate themselves, for failing to express sufficient hatred of the Landries.

JMO

 

[Trooper]

Surely, even in Florida, people are free to like or dislike, or hate, or love whomsoever they please?? or is there now a statute against it?? People hate what the Laundries did, and that is cause for hope in any community. It would truly be dreadful, a total anarchy , if people actually admired the path the Laundries chose to take. That way lies utter chaos. And it's not just people in Florida who look upon the behavior of the Laundries with contempt and disgust, it's across the world.

What they did was awful , and there is no way of painting it to look like anything else other than abhorrent.

 

[NCWatcher]

Surely, even in Florida, people are free to like or dislike, or hate, or love whomsoever they please?? or is there now a statute against it?? People hate what the Laundries did, and that is cause for hope in any community. It would truly be dreadful, a total anarchy , if people actually admired the path the Laundries chose to take. That way lies utter chaos. And it's not just people in Florida who look upon the behavior of the Laundries with contempt and disgust, it's across the world.

What they did was awful , and there is no way of painting it to look like anything else other than abhorrent.

I never said people aren't free to hate anyone or even to hate everyone. But my opinion is that it's a bit odd to brag about hating someone and say "of course I've never met them" in the same breath. I don't think people used to do that (I'm talking about hating people, not hating particular behaviors.) But we didn't use to have laws governing speech either. Maybe people used to hate lots of people but didn't express their hate so freely.
MOO

 

[Really?]

Surely, even in Florida, people are free to like or dislike, or hate, or love whomsoever they please?? or is there now a statute against it?? People hate what the Laundries did, and that is cause for hope in any community. It would truly be dreadful, a total anarchy , if people actually admired the path the Laundries chose to take. That way lies utter chaos. And it's not just people in Florida who look upon the behavior of the Laundries with contempt and disgust, it's across the world.

What they did was awful , and there is no way of painting it to look like anything else other than abhorrent.

Well said as always.

 

[Cedars]

Surely, even in Florida, people are free to like or dislike, or hate, or love whomsoever they please?? or is there now a statute against it?? People hate what the Laundries did, and that is cause for hope in any community. It would truly be dreadful, a total anarchy , if people actually admired the path the Laundries chose to take. That way lies utter chaos. And it's not just people in Florida who look upon the behavior of the Laundries with contempt and disgust, it's across the world.

What they did was awful , and there is no way of painting it to look like anything else other than abhorrent.

Yes, and the Landries were theoretically free to love their son. But they were definitely not free to do that, were not left alone to freely do that.

JMO

 

[borndem]

And yet somehow these neighbors know them better than other people across the country. I think the Laundries are just like the Anthony family.

Good point, LinasK. SMH.