NORTH PORT, Fla. — It was the most-talked-about story of 2021. For more than a month, people across the nation were wondering what happened to Gabby Petito.
Weeks after the 22-year-old left on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie, Petito was reported missing after Laundrie returned to his North Port home without her.
Laundrie's refusal to speak to authorities and subsequent disappearance set the internet on fire, with a slew of online personalities vowing to solve the case.
Now, a new documentary streaming on Peacock goes back and tells the story of Petito's life and eventual death, as well as the role social media played in her case. "The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media" will be available to stream Friday, Dec. 17.
In October, FBI Denver confirmed that Petito's body was found in Bridger-Teton National Forest. The coroner's office determined the initial manner of death was a homicide.
A final autopsy determined she was killed by "manual strangulation," according to the Teton County, Wyoming coroner. It was estimated that Petito had died three to four weeks before her body was found.
Weeks later, authorities confirmed human remains they found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota County, Florida, belonged to Laundrie. The FBI said the skeletal human remains were identified through a comparison of dental records.
Authorities would later report that Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
For nearly five weeks, law enforcement officers focused a majority of their search on the "vast and unforgiving" Carlton Reserve. The area was the last known location Laundrie's parents told the FBI he went before never returning home.
The 23-year-old was the only named person of interest in the disappearance and homicide of his fianceé Gabby Petito.
A federal arrest warrant was also issued for Laundrie in connection with Petito's case. Court documents show a grand jury charged Laundrie with "knowingly with intent to defraud" using a Capital One debit card in the amount of at least $1,000.
