Netflix has recently released a short series detailing the Gabby Petito murder case. Gabby was a 22 year-old van life vlogger who went missing in 2021 while camping with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. Her disappearance sparked international media coverage and was a case that everyone was drawn to from the very beginning. Due to the high-profile nature of this case, I was eager to see what this documentary would include. This new documentary tells the full story and allows viewers to understand the case on a deeper level and the reality of domestic violence.
This documentary features Gabby’s family and close friends who play a central role in telling her story and sharing how the loss of Gabby has impacted them. This story is incredibly important as it shines a light on domestic violence and violence against women. Gabby was a victim of domestic violence which ultimately led to her tragic death. This documentary included police body camera footage that is taken after a civilian calls 911 on Brian after seeing him hitting Gaby. This footage shows the failure on behalf of the police to assess situations regarding abuse, they wrongfully labeled Gabby as the abuser and offered her no resources while they took Brian to a hotel for the night to separate the pair. The failure on behalf of the police has sparked the family of Gabby to become advocates for more training for police to better assess domestic situations to save lives. They have additionally become advocates for families with other missing loved ones which is truly inspiring.
A really important part of the documentary is the texts between Gabby and Brian which are shared which allows the viewer to see the signs of domestic abuse. They are incredibly informative as they provide viewers the ability to identify concerning behaviour that may serve as a wake-up call to individuals who find themselves relating to Gabb’y story. This documentary also features many journal entries from Gabby that are read using AI to mimic her voice which allow viewers to gain a true sense of how Gabby was feeling through this relationship. Through Gabby’s vlogs and journal entries viewers can easily connect with Gabby and gain a sense of what was lost. This series did an amazing job capturing the reality of domestic abuse without romanticizing it. Series such as these are incredibly important as they shine a light on issues that frequently go overlooked.
This case is incredibly devasting but so important as it shines a light on domestic violence and is very educational. Netflix did an incredible job uplifting the voices of the family and truly allowing them to tell their story. True crime which centers victim’s experiences is incredibly important as many drama series created around real cases can be exploitive, this series is the complete opposite of that. I truly believe this documentary will save people’s lives as a result of how educational it is regarding showing the signs of domestic violence. I strongly recommend watching this documentary; it is truly an incredible piece that offers such valuable information. This has been one of the most impactful true crime documentaries to date.