FBI releases heartbreaking letter Gabby Petito wrote before she was killed by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie
Topics: Gabby Petito, Police, News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Nomadic Statik/Instagram/@gabspetito
Topics: Gabby Petito, Police, News
The FBI has released a series of documents relating to Gabby Petito's murder.
Petito was murdered in 2021 by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie while the pair were travelling around parts of the US.
The couple left her hometown of Blue Point, New York, in July 2021, but she never returned home.
Advert
During their travels, Petito was killed by Laundrie - something which he admitted to do doing in a letter he penned before taking his own life.
The story gained worldwide attention as Laundrie had initally returned home without his girlfriend in tow, sparking her parents to file a missing person's report.
Laundrie was quickly named as a person of interest and he then disappeared as well.
After weeks of searching, Laundrie's body was found nature preserve not far from his parents' home in Florida. A medical examiner later ruled that he'd died by suicide.
Now, three years on from the tragic ordeal and new insight into Petito and Laundrie's relationship has come to light in the wake of the FBI releasing over 350 documents.
One of the documents is a letter Petito penned to Laundrie where she pleaded with him to stop calling her names.
As per E! News, part of the undated handwritten note read: "Just please stop crying and stop calling me names because we're a team and I'm here with you.
"Yes, I can be a child sometimes I know, but it's ‘cause you give me this energy and I just love you too much. Like so much it hurts."
It went on: "So you in pain is killing me. I'm not trying to be negative, but I'm frustrated there's not more I can do."
Pictures of Petito and Laundrie's possessions have also been released by the FBI, in addition as other federal documents concerning the case and evidence.
Following the 22-year-old's death, Petito's family filed a lawsuit against the police for $50 million.
The suit was filed in 2022 and remains ongoing.
Moab Police Department was named in the suit, as well as three officers.
Ten other unnamed defendants were also accused of 'negligent failure' during their investigation into an alleged assault against Petito by Laundrie prior to her disappearance.
Officers had visited Petitio and Laundrie while they were on their travels following reports that he'd hit her, but they failed to arrest her 23-year-old boyfriend at the time.
Just days later, Petito was strangled to death by Laundrie.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.