By Romey Norton - February 21, 2025
Netflix is back with a gripping true-crime story about the murder of Gabby Petito. American Murder: Gabby Petito tells the story of Gabby and her boyfriend travelling cross-country in their once-in-a-life-time dream adventure in their van. Vlogging their life as they travelled, this relationship was romanced online, but their reality was a lot worse. Their love-story ends in tragedy when Brian (Gabby’s partner) kills her and tries to cover it up. In this three-part documentary the truths about their relationship are revealed and audiences follow how this story sparked a nationwide investigation which goes from missing person to murder.
Gabby and Brain are young and in love and embarking on a journey across the USA in a van. However, before they set off the family of Gabby had expressed how he was slowly and subtly controlling her. Through first class interviews with family, friends, law enforcement, journalists, and more we learn that their van life wasn’t just about adventure but about taking Gabby away from her friends, family and whole support network. Everyone interviewed also discusses the case, how it affected them and how wonderful Gabby was.
Each episode features lots of archived footage, from news reports, social media posts, their travelling diaries, old home videos, and drawings are used to create impact and support parts of the story. There’s also remakes of screenshots of the abusive text messages between the couple. There is chilling and saddening camera footage of Gabby crying to a police officer at the side of the road after an anonymous call to the police said that they’d seen a man hitting a woman and driving erratically.
The camera footage of the police and the couple at the side of the road is both interesting and infuriating. It’s easy to judge as a viewer now we have all the information and the police were doing what they could with the information they had at the time, but there is something about how they favour Brian and, I feel, helped him more than the 22 year old, 110 pound anxiety ridden girl. Especially letting her drive off still crying and visibly stressed. Brian got a hotel room and was not visibly shaken or stressed.
Not soon after this, Gabby was reported missing by her parents, after they hadn’t heard from her for over 12 days. Through this we get insight into how different states work together when someone from one state goes missing in another and then the missing person's partner is in a third state. It’s messy and uneasy to say the least.
Brian was home, safe, hiding behind his parents and an attorney, and there began a nationwide search for Gabby. When her body was found, Brian went on the run, and he turned from a missing person to a fugitive wanted by the FBI. The search was extensive, even the famous Dog the Bounty Hunter joined in the search. Ultimately, Brian’s body was found, with many small suicide notes, mostly apologising and asking people to not blame or involve his parents. It’s an ending where questions cannot be answered and, to many people, justice hasn’t been served. The ending of seeing Gabby running freely on a beach is wholesome and heart-breaking.
The case of Gabby Petitio is a shocking and incredibly sad one. It’s a story you watch and see how it could have been prevented. Hopefully many people can learn from this case, and victims in toxic relationships can see the signs and get away before it’s too late. As true-crime documentaries go, this one is well shot, well written and easy to follow.
Streaming on Netflix February 21
