'WE KNOW HOW SHE DIED'
Who is Gabby Petito’s mom, Nichole Schmidt?
See what Nichole said about her daughter's killer
THE mystery surrounding the tragic death of Gabby Petito in 2021 gripped America.
A new ITV documentary series investigates the disturbing case of Gabby's disappearance.
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Who is Gabby Petito's mom, Nichole Schmidt?
Nichole Schmidt is the mother of Gabby Petito.
She welcomed her daughter on March 19, 1999, with her ex Joe Petito.
After the vlogger's disappearance, Nichole refused to shy away from the media in her efforts to seek justice for her daughter.
Tragically, Gabby died by strangulation in August 2021, a crime that Nichole believes was committed by her fiancé Brian Laundrie while on a cross-country road trip.
On Thanksgiving Day of 2021, Nichole took to her social media profiles to share a tribute to her late daughter, offering gratitude for her life.
"Gabby will forever remind me to be grateful for every moment, every breath, and every memory," she wrote.
Even in his last moments [Brian Laundrie] wanted to make sure he looked like the good guy, right? That’s ridiculous. We know how she died
Nichole Schmidt
"I will cherish what I’ve had, and have in the present, always. Live with love, laughter and gratitude."
What did Nichole Schmidt say about Gabby Petito's death?
Since Gabby's death, Nichole has made several public appearances, including one on NBC's TODAY.
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On August 4, 2022, she revealed on the show that The Gabby Petito Foundation would be donating $100,000 to the National Domestic Violence Hotline in memory of her daughter.
"We’re trying to do good for Gabby, and for everybody else," Nichole told NBC News senior national correspondent Kate Snow, via .
"Our story begins because of domestic violence tragedy, and we don’t want to see that happen to anybody else.
"Every potential call that’s coming in is someone’s life, and that’s how we have to think about this.
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"Time is precious, lives are precious," continued Nichole.
Brian Laundrie's remains were officially identified on October 21, 2021, after an extensive search at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
In the notebook that was found with Laundrie’s body, a letter was found where he took responsibility for Gabby’s death.
He claimed that he killed her after she injured herself in a fall in Wyoming, saying he thought it was “merciful”.
Laundrie said that he loved Gabby and he apologized to "everyone who this will affect".
He ended the note by writing: "I am ending my life not because of a fear of punishment but rather because I can't stand to live another day without her.
Sister of Gabby Petito's fiance Brian Laundrie insists her family 'want her found' as she speaks out on disappearance
"I've lost our whole future together, every moment we could have cherished."
During the TODAY interview, Nichole went on to discuss Laundrie's notebook, saying: "It shows that was his character.
"Even in his last moments he wanted to make sure he looked like the good guy, right? That’s ridiculous. We know how she died."
Her appearance on TODAY came just a month after a Florida judge allowed a lawsuit filed by Gabby's parents against the Laundries to proceed.
A few weeks after her TODAY appearance, Gabby's family filed a $50million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department, accusing them of failing to properly investigate her domestic violence case, according to .
The lawsuit stemmed from body camera footage, that was later released during the search, and showed the 22-year-old distraught after she got into a physical altercation with Brian.
At the time, neither of them wanted to press charges, claiming that they loved each other, NBC noted.
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Does Gabby Petito have siblings?
Prior to Nichole and Joe's divorce, they also welcomed a son, TJ.
Shortly after Gabby's death, TJ shared a heartbreaking Instagram post about his sister, revealing that his heart was "shattered."
"I don’t even know what to say. I’m at a total loss. My heart is shattered," he wrote at the time.
His account subsequently gained thousands of followers, and he went on to use it to post about his sister and the foundation.
"Follow me on TikTok for more info about the foundation and what we will be doing moving forward. Thank you for the support," his bio reads.
How to watch The Disappearance of Gabby Petito
You can stream The Disappearance of Gabby Petito on ITVX from Thursday May 9, 2024.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Exploring the sad story of Gabby’s disappearance and death, the docuseries is made up of three parts.
The programme includes interviews with her parents, as well as the internet sleuths who tried to solve the case.
Gabby Petito timeline
Gabby Petito, 22, was last seen on August 24, leaving a hotel in Utah. Here is a timeline of Gabby Petito's disappearance:
- June 2021 - Gabby Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie set off on a cross-country trip across the US.
- July 4 - Gabby posts photos of herself barefoot in Gove County, Kansas.
- July 8 - Gabby posts photos of herself at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
- July 18 - Gabby and Brian post photos of themselves at Utah's Zion National Park.
- August 12 - Body camera footage was released in September showing an encounter Brian and Gabby had with police in Utah. Police confirmed that no significant injuries were reported.
- August 19 - Gabby and Brian post a video on their YouTube channel chronicling their trip.
- August 24 - Gabby is spotted leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- August 25 - Gabby Facetimes her mom, Nichole Schmidt, for the final time. In a later police report, Schmidt said her conversations with her daughter revealed "more and more tension" between her and Brian.
- August 25 - Gabby also posts her last Instagram. No location is given.
- August 27 - Gabby is seen for what's believed to be the final time. Witnesses claim they saw Brian in an explosive argument with staff at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, leaving Gabby in tears.
- August 27 - Four hours later, travel bloggers driving through Grand Teton National Park drive past the couple's van "abandoned" on a dirt road.
- September 1 - Brian returns home to Florida without Gabby.
- September 11 - Gabby's parents report her missing to Suffolk County police.
- September 14 - Brian's family issues a statement saying he has retained an attorney and will not be cooperating with investigators.
- September 14 - Brian is allegedly last seen by his family. He reportedly told them he was going hiking in Cartlon Reserve but failed to return.
- September 15 - Florida's North Port police announce Brian is a person of interest in the case. He is not charged with any crime.
- September 16 - Utah police release body camera footage of the police encounter with Brian and Gabby.
- September 17 - Brian's parents say they have not seen their son in a couple of days and report him missing.
- September 18 - Police announce they were searching Carlton Reserve in Florida for Brian. Police announce they have not found anything.
- September 19 - Authorities in Wyoming say they found a body in Grand Teton National Park. The FBI announces the body was believed to be Gabby's but a full forensic identification needs to be completed first to confirm.
- September 20 - Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing his silver Mustang and a hard drive that may contain "evidence relevant to proving that a felony has been committed."
- September 21 - Officials announce they will be conducting an autopsy on the remains found in Wyoming to confirm whether or not they belong to Gabby. Police also resumed their search for Laundrie, this time on the Venice side of Carlton Reserve.
- September 21 - The FBI announced the body found in Wyoming was identified as Gabby's. The cause of death was not yet revealed.
- September 21 - The Teton County Coroner's office said Gabby's official cause of death was still pending but the initial manner of death is homicide.
- September 22 - Police continue to scour Carlton Reserve for a trace of Laundrie but yield no leads. A specialist dive team is called in to assist with the hunt.
- September 23 - Officials announced a federal arrest warrant for Brian was issued.
- September 26 - Gabby's funeral was held on Long Island, New York.
- October 12: Gabby's autopsy results were made public. Teton County Coroner Dr Brent Blue confirmed Gabby died by strangulation.
- October 20: Laundrie's personal items were found at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. A medical examiner was called to the scene.
- October 21: The FBI confirmed the remains found have been identified as Laundrie's.
- November 23: Laundrie's autopsy reveals he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
- October 1, 2022: The Gabby Petito Story premieres on Lifetime.
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