The Petito family lawyer Patrick Reilly said the $3 million his clients were rewarded in their lawsuit against Brian Laundrie’s parents is “an arbitrary number” last Thursday.
“Whatever monies they do receive will help Gabby’s family in their endeavors with the Gabby Petito Foundation,” Fox News reported.
The disappearance of 22-year-old Gabby Petito last year quickly captured the attention across the nation, as everybody played a role in the search for the missing Bayport-Blue Point native.
In 2021, Petito and Laundrie, her fiancé, traveled cross country in a “Van Life ” trip and vlogged it on her YouTube channel.
Petito’s parents reported Gabby missing in August after she failed to maintain contact with her family and didn’t return home from her trip— even though police reported that Laundrie had returned home with the van at his parent’s new house in North Port, Florida.
YouTubers, TikTokers and any average Americans were trying to piece together and find Petito. These “amateur detectives” were searching for any clues to find her, dead or alive.
Police footage in Moab, Utah just about a week before her death was slowly released. Bystanders called Moab police after stating that Laundrie had allegedly hit Petito and the couple was in a terrible argument.
It wasn’t shortly after that Petito went missing. Petito’s body was found in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in September 2021. The autopsy report confirmed the body found was Petito’s and ruled her death a homicide. The coroner said she died by strangulation.
Just over a month later, in a Florida swamp, the FBI found a notebook left by Laundrie where he fully confessed to Petito’s murder.
“I ended her life,” his note read. “I thought it was merciful, that is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock.”
Laundrie’s remains were found in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County. According to the medical examiner’s report, he was under about three feet of water for “an extended period of time.” He committed suicide by firearm.
Gabby’s story touched the hearts of millions of Americans nationwide, who all mourned her death. This unfortunate, violent and abusive love story was as if it were straight out of a movie.
Her story became a movie. Lifetime, often known for its predictable, low-budget and corny films, decided to tell Gabby’s story on the screen.
The Gabby Petito Story premiered on Saturday, October 1. However, the popular network did not ask permission to make the movie.
“We thought our followers should know that the Lifetime movie on Gabby Petito has no connection to the Petito family nor did they give their approval,” said Nicole Schmidt, Gabby’s mother, according to Newsweek. “Lifetime took it upon themselves to make the movie.”
Not only has Gabby’s family slammed Lifetime for the movie but it’s become a topic of conversation on Twitter as well.
“This is absolutely disgusting,” someone tweeted. “Foul. It’s barely been a year since she went missing. There’s just so much wrong with this.”
“@lifetimetv, y’all are ruthless and should be ashamed of yourselves for profiting off a girl’s death and a family who’s still traumatized and grieving,” another person tweeted.
The Gabby Petito Story director, Thora Birch, wrote that she was “inclined to agree that it was too soon” for a movie about Petito’s death in an essay for MovieMaker.
Birch defended her willingness to direct the film for those who experience and live with domestic violence.
“But ultimately, I came to be confused by that assertion, because it avoids the true question when it comes to telling Gabby’s story, or that of so many others who have fallen victim to domestic violence: How should one approach such a delicate endeavor?” she wrote. “Simply choosing not to engage doesn’t honor her memory, and doesn’t shine a light on situations that are all too common.”
Each year, just about 10 million men and women will be domestically abused, according to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Gabby Petito was one of the millions who lost her life to a violent partner.
