The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie began dating in 2019 and set out on a cross-country van trip in July 2021. After their last known public sightings together in Wyoming in August, Laundrie returned to Florida alone. Petito’s remains were found in September; Laundrie’s were found in October. The FBI’s January 2022 final update said it identified no one other than Laundrie as directly involved in her death.
Relationship and planned trip
The relationship details below come from Netflix Tudum’s February 17, 2025 retrospective timeline, which draws on interviews with people who knew Petito and Laundrie. They are retrospective reporting, not findings about the private dynamics of the relationship.
- March 2019: They began dating after knowing each other in high school.
- December 2019: They moved from New York to Florida to be closer to Laundrie’s family.
- July 2, 2020: Petito posted that Laundrie had proposed. They later focused on getting a van and traveling; Petito planned to document the trip.
- July 2, 2021: They began their cross-country trip after Petito had visited family in New York.
Gabby Petito timeline
This chronology follows Netflix Tudum’s retrospective account. Social-media posts and reported sightings mark what was publicly documented; they do not establish a definitive time of death.
| Date | What was reported |
|---|---|
| August 12, 2021 | Moab police stopped the couple after a reported altercation and arranged for them to spend the night apart. The encounter and the later independent review are explained below. |
| August 19, 2021 | Petito posted the only YouTube video documenting the trip, according to Netflix Tudum. |
| August 25, 2021 | Her last known Instagram post appeared, according to the same timeline. |
| August 27, 2021 | The last known video of Petito with Laundrie was recorded at a Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming. Netflix Tudum reports that her family later grew concerned about messages coming from her phone. The video date is not a forensic determination of when she died. |
| August 30, 2021 | Netflix Tudum reports that Laundrie began driving back to Florida without Petito and used her debit card. |
| September 10–11, 2021 | Petito’s family and friends escalated efforts to find her. Netflix Tudum says family members contacted authorities and reported her missing. |
| September 19, 2021 | Her remains were found in the Spread Creek camping area in Wyoming. Netflix Tudum reports that her death was ruled a homicide. |
| September 23, 2021 | A federal arrest warrant was issued for Laundrie, according to Netflix Tudum. The warrant should not be mistaken for a charge that he was prosecuted for Petito’s death. |
| October 20, 2021 | Laundrie’s remains were found in Florida. Netflix Tudum reports that his death was by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. |
| January 21, 2022 | The FBI issued its final investigative update. |
What the independent Moab review found
Moab City commissioned an independent law-enforcement review after a formal complaint about the August 12 response. Netflix Tudum’s timeline says officers determined Petito was the aggressor and arranged for the couple to spend the night apart. The city’s account of the later review describes mistakes in the police response, including officers’ failure to cite Petito for domestic violence.
The city said the report recommended additional domestic-violence and legal training, a review of department policies and software, and stronger review of incident reports. It also said the original 911 caller’s statement had not been obtained and should have been. The city summarized the recommendations this way: “The report recommends improvements to both the policies and the training of the Moab City Police Department.” That is the city’s statement about the review, not a direct quotation from the independent reviewer.
The independent reviewer’s assessment concerns how police handled that encounter. It does not establish that the encounter caused Petito’s later death, nor does it replace the FBI’s separate conclusion about the death investigation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the FBI concluded
In its January 21, 2022 final investigative update, the FBI Denver office stated: “The investigation did not identify any other individuals other than Brian Laundrie directly involved in the tragic death of Gabby Petito.” The FBI excerpt also says a notebook found near Laundrie’s remains contained a statement taking responsibility.
The FBI’s conclusion is specific: it did not identify another person as directly involved in Petito’s death. It is not a finding that the Moab review did or did not establish, because that review addressed police procedure during the August 12 encounter.
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