Gabby Petito's parents destroyed the camper van she and Brian Laundrie traveled in before her murder, saying they feared it could become a grim collector's item. Joe Petito, her father, confirmed the decision in an interview with NewsNation, explaining the family did not want the vehicle to be exploited.
"We crushed the van," Joe Petito said. "We didn't want the van to be out there and someone owning it and then saying, 'Here's the van that Gabby was...' So, we had it crushed."
The white Ford Transit Connect, which became a focal point of the 2021 case, was found abandoned shortly after Gabby disappeared. While the family ensured the vehicle would no longer exist, Joe Petito and his wife, Tara Petito, kept a gasoline cap from the van and a sticker from the Great Smoky Mountains, where Gabby had stopped during her travels.
Gabby, 22, set out on her cross-country road trip with Laundrie in July 2021, sharing their experiences on social media as she pursued her dream of becoming a travel influencer. However, the trip turned deadly after a highly publicized domestic dispute between the couple in Moab, Utah.
Police body camera footage from August 12, 2021, showed Gabby visibly distraught while Laundrie remained calm during their roadside encounter with officers. Less than two weeks later, authorities believe Laundrie strangled Gabby to death in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. Her remains were discovered on September 19-weeks after Laundrie had returned alone to his parents' home in Florida.
Laundrie vanished soon after, prompting a high-profile manhunt that ended on October 20, 2021, when his remains were found in Florida's Carlton Reserve. Authorities determined he had died by suicide, leaving behind a handwritten note admitting to Gabby's murder.
Gabby's parents have remained outspoken about domestic violence awareness and victim advocacy, launching the Gabby Petito Foundation to support organizations that assist missing persons and abuse survivors. While her father and stepmother have kept some keepsakes from her journey, Gabby's mother, Nichole Schmidt, has publicly forgiven Laundrie for taking her daughter's life.
"I have forgiven Brian, and I know that's what Gabby would have wanted, and I'm moving forward so that I can help other people," Schmidt said in an interview. "I don't think everyone has to forgive. They can when they're ready, or they might never be ready. But for me personally, I needed to forgive to let that anger go."
Despite their efforts to heal, the Petito family has never received an apology from Laundrie's parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, who hired a criminal defense attorney shortly after Gabby's disappearance. Joe and Tara Petito confirmed they have had no communication with the Laundries and do not expect an apology.
"No. We're never gonna get that," Joe Petito said when asked if Laundrie's parents had ever expressed remorse.
Tara Petito added, "At this point, I don't want one. I would love for them to be charged with something, I really, really would love that. Do I think that's happening now? Unfortunately, no. So I really want to erase that name out of my memory."
Gabby's murder continues to capture public attention, most recently with Netflix's release of the documentary 'American Murder: Gabby Petito', which premiered on February 17 and quickly became the platform's top streaming series. The three-episode documentary explores the case in detail, reigniting conversations about intimate partner violence and systemic failures in handling domestic abuse cases.
