- Gabby Petito was an American woman killed by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie
- Petito was murdered while on a road trip with Laundrie in August 2021
- Netflix released a documentary about Petito – and has similar docs too
The murder of Gabby Petito by her partner Brian Laundrie was covered in Netflix‘s recent documentary American Murder: Gabby Petito.
Petito’s case garnered attention in 2021 because she had documented her life online. Before her death, she had posted a video to a joint YouTube channel called Nomadic Statik about her van life adventures with Laundrie. In the summer of 2021, she embarked on a cross-country road trip.
Fair warning, this post will contain spoilers for this documentary, so be warned!
Read More: Gabby Petito: the law change her murder inspired
The couple began their road trip in July. In September, after not hearing from her daughter for a while, Petito’s mother Nichole started posting about her disappearance online and called the police.
Gabby Petito’s disappearance and discovery
Theories swirled online about what happened to Petito. These were worsened when body camera footage was released of a domestic dispute between her and Laundrie. The footage was from an incident on 12 August. An investigation into Petito’s disappearance was launched by law enforcement in late August when Laundrie drove home in the van alone and still Nichloe hasn’t heard from her daughter.
Read more: What is the Gabby Petito bill and the 12 questions?
A few weeks into the investigation while searching for Petito, her body was found. She was discovered on 19 September in Spread Creek Wyoming. Conclusions found that she died from blunt force trauma to her body and strangulation. Petito’s death was ruled a homicide.
What happened next in the Gabby Petito case?
Over a month later on 20 October, Laundrie’s body was found in Myakkahatchee Creed Environmental Park. His death was ruled a suicide via a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The case shook the American public, but the documentary got social media users talking about whether Laundrie intended to kill Petito. Many users online showed support for the Petito family and women in domestic violence relationships following the documentary’s release.
Despite the unfortunate outcome, the documentary gripped the nation. If you found yourself drawn into this tragic story, here are some similar films available to watch on Netflix.
1. American Murder: Laci Peterson
In August 2024, Netflix released a documentary with a similar title, American Murder: Laci Peterson. This documentary covers the 2002 disappearance and murder of Laci Peterson.
Peterson was a 27-year-old pregnant woman murdered in December 2002. She went missing on 24 December, according to her husband, Scott Peterson. The documentary covers the life of Peterson before her murder, her relationship, her pregnancy, and the events leading up to her death.
We won’t spoil the outcome, but some of the circumstances of her death are similar to Petito’s, only this case was scandalous and more devastating because Peterson was eight months pregnant. The documentary covers the trial, investigation, and aftermath. It has interviews with Peterson’s friends, law enforcement, and family.
It is a heartbreaking tear-jerker but worth the watch.
2. Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer is an upcoming true crime documentary about multiple murders that were committed in Long Island, New York. This documentary will premiere on Netflix on 31 March.
What will be covered in the documentary is the cases of women who were found dead along Ocean Parkway, near the town of Giglo Beach in Suffolk County, Long Island. The remains were found in 2010 and 2011. The murders spanned from 1993 until 2011.
A prime focus of the film will be the murder of sex worker Shannan Gilbert, who disappeared in May 2010 and led to the discovery of multiple human remains.
While searching the beach for Gilbert’s remains, law enforcement discovered multiple human remains. Subsequently, an investigation looking for a serial killer in the area was launched.
The upcoming documentary appears to have interviews from Gilbert’s family and Suffolk County law enforcement. Interestingly the documentary will cover the stigmatization of sex workers, as many of the victims worked as escorts in the area at the time of the murders. Additionally, the revelations in this case are much more recent, so it will keep you guessing who did it.
3. American Murder: The Family Next Door
Another American Murder documentary is the infamous American Murder: The Family Next Door. This documentary covers the murder and disappearance of Shanann Watts and her children. Like Peterson, Watts was pregnant but was also a mother of two. She was 34 years old when she went missing and was murdered.
Watts’ case is more recent, as she went missing in August 2018. This case is one of the more heartwrenching and frustrating ones but is jaw-dropping. Anyone familiar with true crime will know the ins and outs of this case, but it is one to watch if you’re interested in the subject.
Warning: It is incredibly sad and infuriating, but it will have you on the edge of your seat.
4. Amanda Knox – Suspect Her
This isn’t a murder story, but a story about being accused of murder. While on a foreign exchange trip in Perugia, Italy, Amanda Knox was accused of brutally slaying her roommate Meredith Kercher in November 2007.
The documentary tells the story of Knox, a college student at the time, and covers the sensationalization of her in the media.
By the media, Knox was called Foxy Knoxy. The documentary features words from Knox herself and follows her 2016 exoneration from the crime. If you want to hear from a woman and watch a story with a more uplifting ending this is for you.
5. The Keepers
The Keepers gives a bit of a different meaning to true crime. This is the story of 26-year-old nun Sister Catherine Cesnik who was murdered in November 1969.
The Keepers goes into the why rather than the how of Cesnik’s murder. However, it is a gripping story about potential corruption in the Catholic church and investigates possible motives someone would have for murdering a nun.
Specific to Baltimore, the documentary explores possible corruption and the religious authority in the city in the 1960s. With interviews with her students, the documentary details why they thought she was killed.
A hint: Some claim Cesnik was getting ready to talk about disturbing events happening at Archbishop Keough High School where she was teaching. As a result, she was murdered so these stories would never come to light.
Unfortunately, this documentary may leave watchers scratching their heads as Cesnik’s murder has not been solved. Regardless, the story is a fascinating tale that uncovers an alleged web of lies and corruption in the church.
6. Crime Scene: Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
The creepy Cecil Hotel is in Downtown Los Angeles. Crime Scene: Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel chronicles the disappearance of 21-year-old Canadian tourist Elisa Lam.
Complete with diary entries from Lam’s Tumblr account, it features interviews with The Cecil Hotel manager at the time, journalists, and law enforcement who worked on Lam’s case.
It also explores other theories about Lam’s death and conspiracy theories around the hotel. Discussed in the documentary is whether the workers at the hotel knew Lam had disappeared.
Fascinatingly, the documentary details the hotel’s history and the shady things that happened there decades before Lam’s death. Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel leaves viewers with more questions and answers but offers viewers a rare chance to arrive at individual conclusions.
Watch the documentary, you will see what we mean.
