- Gabby Petito was murdered by her boyfriend, Brian Christopher Laundrie
- Her death prompted her parents to lobby for further domestic violence laws
- American Murder: Gabby Petito is streaming on Netflix
Gabby Petito was murdered by her boyfriend, Brian Christopher Laundrie, back in summer 2021. However, her legacy goes beyond her YouTube channel and into making the world potentially safer for domestic violence victims.
The tragedy of the 22-year-old vlogger’s death captivated newsrooms and beyond. Her disappearance prompted a manhunt across the country. Laundrie also vanished. He was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Her remains were found that September.
Read more: The real-life story of the Gabby Petito documentary
However, many think it could have been prevented if law enforcement had taken the threat she was facing seriously. Two weeks before she went missing, passer-bys reported an incident between the couple. After getting them separate lodgings for the night, Petito vanished two weeks later.
Based on the body camera footage, many came away with the belief that Petito was the assailant, not Laundrie.
After his tragic loss, Gabby’s father Joseph Petito channelled his grief to successfully get Florida lawmakers to pass a law to make it easier for domestic violence victims to get help.
What is the law inspired by Gabby Petito?
The law, dubbed ‘The Gabby Petito Act’, requires police looking into domestic violence incidents to carry out an assessment of how dangerous the situation is.
In order to do this, a series of 12 questions must be asked of the person making the claims.
What are the 12 questions inspired by the Gabby Petito murder?
The 12 questions are a list of queries that law enforcement must ask any alleged victim of domestic violence.
- Did the aggressor ever use a weapon against you or threaten you with a weapon?
- Did the aggressor ever threaten to kill you or your children?
- Do you believe the aggressor will try to kill you?
- Has the aggressor ever choked you or attempted to choke you?
- Does the aggressor have a gun or could the aggressor easily obtain a gun?
- Is the aggressor violently or constantly jealous, or does the aggressor control most of your daily activities?
- Did you leave or separate from the aggressor after you were living together or married?
- Is the aggressor unemployed?
- To the best of your knowledge, has the aggressor ever attempted suicide?
- Do you have a child whom the aggressor believes is not the aggressor’s biological child?
- Has the aggressor ever followed, spied on, or left threatening messages for you?
- Is there anything else that worries you about your safety and, if so, what worries you?
What did her father say about the law?
Joseph urged Florida state senators to pass the law as a way to help save the lives of people in similar situations to his daughter.
“It’s to make sure people know where to go when these questions are asked. They can answer ‘no’ to all the questions, but an officer’s intuition might tell them they’re still in a bad situation and say, ‘let me get this advocate on the line.,’” he told lawmakers last year.
Read More: How To Watch The Gabby Petito Documentary
He continued, “Most people don’t know where to go when it comes to services and what services they have at their disposal. Not everybody needs a shelter. Not everybody needs financial guidance or a pro bono lawyer, but they do need to know how to get out of a situation safely.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
