Summary
American Murder: Gabby Petito is a profoundly sorrowful true crime series that lays bare the tragic impact of social media facades and systemic oversights, which will leave viewers reflective and saddened.
Let me be clear. The story of Gabby Petito, as depicted in American Murder: Gabby Petito, is a profound tragedy and very sad. If you have a young daughter, I urge you to approach this true crime series cautiously. Not because it’s sensational or shocking but because it brings such sadness that I struggled to process the Netflix series after.
Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old aspiring van life vlogger. In August 2021, Gabby was killed by her fiance, Brian Laundrie, while they were documenting their road trip across the United States, but it took weeks to find her after she was declared missing.
To add to the mystery, Laundrie was found two months later after committing suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and there was a mountain of evidence that suggested his parents were helping him cover up the murder.
Most of this true crime series delves into the ‘why’ behind this tragedy. Why didn’t anyone recognize that Gabby Petito might be in an abusive relationship? Why were there no red flags raised about Brian Laundrie? Why was a domestic abuse complaint between the couple overlooked by the police? These questions underscore the urgent need for societal awareness.
The ‘Why’ is the central premise of American Murder: Gabby Petito and viewers will likely be left unsatisfied with the answers. This, I believe, is one of the key messages of the series. It’s a sobering realization that no matter how many safeguards society implements, there’s not enough foresight to prevent every tragedy like this.
Some readers will likely squirm at my depressive indictment, but judge this true crime series yourself. Gabby Petito, who was attempting to be a vlogging van lifer, left behind a trail of footage that would have been used on her YouTube channel.
The couple’s social media left a digital footprint. They had an “insta-perfect” life, where their relationship looked incredible. The series proves that these heinous tragedies are often unforeseen by family or close friends, no matter the circumstantial information, mainly due to positive optics.
I’ve always been a big believer that couples who post on social media often are usually in relationships that are not healthy or working. If you are required to affirm your relationship by presenting it routinely to the world rather than enjoying it privately, then by definition, you are more bothered about working hard to paint the perfect picture than actually making it work. American Murder: Gabby Petito feels like this belief, but on steroids.
The true crime series makes a strong case for violence against women. There’s bodycam footage from Episode 1 where the police could have seen the warning signs. The series provokes viewers to want more done when warning signs present themselves and place more protective measures in place regardless of who the abuser is.
(L to R) Photo of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie in ‘American Murder: Gabby Petito’ (Netflix)
I was impressed that this occurred nearly four years ago, and Netflix managed to secure the interviews of both Gabby’s parents and step-parents for their insight. It must have been super difficult for them to relive this horror that will still feel recent. It’s a nightmare, so I only felt sadness when I walked away from it.
It’s also difficult to praise the documentary-making on display because, ironically and sadly, all the praise lands on Gabby. It’s her footage, her insight, and her insistence on having a lease of life that explain why so much evidence of what happened leading to her murder exists.
Watching her create raw footage with Brian on the road is haunting. Little did she realize how chilling this footage looked in retrospect as she and Brian smiled for the camera. What makes it more heartbreaking is that you can tell from her footage that Gabby loved life and she loved romance. She loved what life had to offer and tried earnestly to give and receive.
And we must ask – what is the solution? Apart from campaigning to raise awareness in memory of those who have suffered, I am not sure the true crime series offers anything constructive for a better future. And there’s truth in the lack of constructive solutions because this is an unfortunate product of being human, and that sucks. We can’t detect everything.
I suspect most will walk away from this series feeling genuine sadness because of everything Gabby Petito had to live for. Yeah…I keep saying this, but this series is just sad.
Anyway, for further context, it may be worth watching Gabby’s only van life vlog posted around the same time the tragedy occurred before delving into the documentary. It accrued 7.3 million views at the time I wrote this. Her memory lives on:
More ‘American Murder’ Documentaries:
