The family of Gabby Petito has revealed what they did with the van she used for a cross-country road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie, which went tragically wrong in 2021.
During an interview, Joe Petito, Gabby’s father, said the family decided to “crush” the van to prevent it from being claimed by someone who might be connected to Gabby’s disappearance and murder. Tara Petito, Gabby’s stepmother, showed pieces of the van kept by the family, including the gas tank cap and a sticker from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Gabby, 22, disappeared in August 2021 while on a four-month journey with Laundrie, documenting their “van life” adventure on social media. Her body was found strangled near a campground in Wyoming in September of that year. Laundrie was named a person of interest and later died by suicide, leaving behind a notebook claiming responsibility for Gabby’s murder.
Gabby’s mother Nichole Schmidt expressed the family’s struggle to find closure and justice, stating there is “never going to be” it. Instead, they are working to raise awareness about domestic violence through their non-profit, the Gabby Petito Foundation, which supports tougher laws and police policies on intimate partner abuse and missing persons cases.
The foundation collaborates with organizations such as the Black and Missing Foundation, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives organization, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The family’s efforts aim to honor Gabby’s memory and continue her legacy in promoting change.
Source: https://people.com/gabby-petito-parents-reveal-van-cross-country-road-trip-11681698