Gabby Petito foundation event live – Community rallies together after van lifer’s cause of death revealed

STAN THEORY: EMINEM REFERENCE

Others have sensationally insisted Stan may actually be a coded reference to the 2000 Eminem song of the same, which is about an obsessive fan who is desperate to meet his idol.

In the song, Stan grows increasingly more hostile and angry before tying up his pregnant girlfriend and driving her off a bridge in a murderous rage.

As the theory goes, the name Stan was used by Gabby as an attempt to warn her mother that she was in danger without alerting the attention of Laundrie.

However, Gabby's autopsy confirmed she was not pregnant at the time of her death.

STAN THEORY: NOT A NAME, BUT AN ACRONYM

One popular theory currently circulating on social media is that the Stan referenced in Gabby's text is actually an acronym that stands for "Send The Authorities Now."

In a Facebook  dedicated to finding Petito, some have speculated that's indeed what STAN means, despite it not being a recognized acronym.

"What if she was scared by didn't want Brian to get angry so then she added 'I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls' just to show him she wasn't asking for help," one person theorized.

THE 911 CALL

According to reports, a on August 12, 2021 reported that a woman, possibly Gabby Petito, was subject to domestic violence outside of a grocery store. This call was made before Gabby Petito was reported missing.

"I'd like to report a domestic dispute," the caller said. "We drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl. They ran up and down the sidewalk, he proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off."

 in response to the call. Gabby revealed through tears that the two had been fighting, citing "personal issues" between the two.

Gabby revealed to the cops that the couple were arguing regarding her OCD and her frustrations toward the disease.

VAN LIFE

Petito had quit her job and packed her life into a camper van for a cross-country adventure with Brian Laundrie, starting in July, documenting their journey in a stream of social media posts.

In images shared by the couple online they are all smiles -- barefoot in a canyon or surveying the ochre rocks of state and national parks.

In one YouTube video published during their trip, Petito and Laundrie are shown kissing tenderly, enjoying a sunset together and strolling on a beach.

But the young woman's family filed a missing person report on September 11 after the 22-year-old mysteriously vanished, and Laundrie returned home to Florida without her.

'I KNOW WHY YOU CAME HERE'

On Friday, Gabby's dad Joe posted the "beautiful view" of a lake near where Gabby's body was found in Wyoming.

"I now know why you came here.  has a beautiful view from now on. Love you, and miss you," Joseph Petito wrote on Twitter, alongside a picture of a lake surrounded by mountains.

'STOLEN'

In an interview, Dad Joe, step-dad Jim and mom Nichole Schmidt revealed their agony after 22-year-old Gabby was "stolen" from them. 

Step-dad Jim said: "Gabby was 22-years-old. Her life was stolen from her... stolen from us."

Nichole added: "This was like, evil. She was taken at someone else’s hand."

GABBY PETITO TIMELINE

GABBY PETITO FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER PART 2

Initially, the fundraiser was going to support Gabby's family directly, but they refused.

"We were just gonna get the money to the family because of the expenses they incurred," Nevin said.

But Gabby's family insisted on paying it forward.

"We want the foundation to help other victims of domestic violence," Nevin said, "and any other families that have to go through the tragedy that their family went through."

GABBY PETITO FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER

Fundraiser organizer Nevin spoke about Gabby's family, and emphasized that they made sure to get her parents' blessing for the fundraising events.

He told The Sun: “We went to the family to make sure they were okay with it, and they've been updated every time we did something.”

"This came together with the three of us...just rocking and rolling, so to speak," Nevin added.

GABBY'S HOMETOWN RALLIES

A fundraiser for the  was held on Sunday.

The event featured live music as well as food, drinks, a raffle and auction.

It was organized by three friends of Petito’s stepdad Jim Schmidt - Steve Campo, Bill Nevin and Christian Cabrera.

GABBY GOES HOME

Gabby's parents have returned from Wyoming with her remains.

Her grieving parents, dad Joe Petito and mom Nicole Schmidt, collected Gabby’s ashes from Valley Mortuary, Jackson, Wyoming, Saturday morning.

They have now returned home to Blue Point, Long Island, , where a fundraiser for the  was being held.

A 'LOVABLE GIRL'

Karen S., who met Gabby, attended the Fundraiser for the Gabby Petito Foundation on Sunday in New York.

She described the vlogger as "friendly, bubbly and very free spirited. Really nice girl."

According to Karen, Gabby was "such a soft, lovable girl, you know, very very sensitive.

COPS 'MISSED A LOT OF THINGS'

Fundraiser attendee Regina Annunziata also said Moab police missed that Gabby was in danger when they pulled her and Brian over.

"Just her demeanor, and, you know, they missed a lot of things. Yeah, and you can't fault them but at the same time, I think there needs to be more awareness around these types of things and especially because they were so young.

"Amongst everybody whether that's the police, friends, family needs to be more aware of the red flags and the signs to look out for."

'IN HER SHOES'

Regina Annunziata, who attended the first fundraiser for the Gabby Petito Foundation on Sunday, said that Gabby's story resonated with her because she "has been in her shoes."

She said: "I hear a lot of stories where people are saying and myself included, where as soon as you watch the body cam footage, I knew immediately she was being emotionally abused, just based on him charming the cops.

"I personally was in an abusive relationship. So, when all of this kind of went public, it hit home for me. And then just, you know, she was a young, beautiful girl with her whole life ahead of her, it's just heartbreaking that these things happen and there's got to be more awareness, so things don't progress to the point that they did unfortunately for her."

'THEY KNEW SHE WAS IN TROUBLE'

Petito family friend Steve Campo also told the Sun that Gabby's "going to be looking over her family now and taking care of her brother and two sisters and looking over them."

He added that Gabby's case has resonated with women everywhere.

"Just speaking to other women and stuff when they saw the video of her, they knew that she was in trouble. I wouldn't.

"I don't know but they were in relationships that that happened and they saw that you never want to see that again.

"Again it's somebody somebody's sister, somebody's daughter, wife, you know, no one should ever be ever feel that way again, that they can't escape."

'WE NEVER WANT TO FORGET HER'

Fundraiser organizer and Petito family friend Steve Campo said Gabby's family is still "overwhelmed by everything."

He added that when they brought the idea of a fundraiser to the family, the vlogger was still mising.

Campo continued: "I was like, we just want to help out we just want to help out, and like I said, all that timeframe was within days.

"They're happy because of the reasons why we're doing it. To keep the foundation going. It's got the wheels it's driving hard, and to keep her name out there. We never want to forget her."

'HOPE SHE DID NOT SUFFER'

In a heartbreaking interview with, Gabby's distraught mom Nichole said: "I hope she did not suffer and she was not in any pain. 

"That she was in a place she wanted to be, looking at the beautiful mountains."

She added: "You never, ever think it is going to be yours. It is surreal."

Step-dad Jim said: "Gabby was 22-years-old. Her life was stolen from her... stolen from us."

LAST WORDS TO HER FAMILY REVEALED

Recalling their last call, dad Joe Petito told 60 Minutes: "The last thing I said to her, my very last sentence was I love you. And her last sentence to me was ‘I love you too.’"

'I FELT SAFE'

Before Gabby set off on her intrepid road trip across the United States, her mom Nichole had warned her to keep safe. 

But she said: "I felt safe because she was with Brian and felt she would be OK. I thought he would take care of her."

Almost every day, Nichole said Gabby would text, Facetime, or send her pictures to her parents.

She said: "I loved getting the updates and was in awe with what she was doing. It was just amazing."

'TIRED FROM TRAVELING'

The Sun stopped by Gabby's mom Nichole Schmidt's house in Blue Point on Sunday.

She asked how the fundraiser was and explained why the family didn't show up.

We couldn’t go, we were just too tired from traveling,” she said, adding that the family will be "doing something soon and talking to everyone at once."

GABBY'S MOM WANTS BRIAN JAILED 'FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE'

in a heartbreaking interview that laid bare her devastation and anger, mom Nichole Schmidt slammed Laundrie as a “coward” who “knows what he is doing”.

In an interview with , Gabby’s mom Nichole said: “He is a coward. “I just want to get him in a cell for the rest of his life 

“I don’t want to say he is insane or anything, he went home, he’s hiding, he used her credit card.

“I mean, that’s not someone who has gone crazy. He knows what he is doing.”

'BLUEPOINT CAME THROUGH'

Fundraiser organizer and Petito family friend Steve Campo said:

"The fire department and Long Island fire departments are a big brotherhood and sisterhood. Bluepoint really came through big with a lot of extra resources that we couldn't get and so and it was like it was a home run.

"Yeah so they, you know, you start throwing fire departments stickers on it. Everyone's like, yep, we gotta go help the brothers and sisters so it just take the word of mouth just got out there I'm sure we're gonna have a good flux of people coming in and out."

'SOMEONE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT GABBY'

Steve Campo, one of the organizers of the fundraiser, said setting up the event was his way of helping Gabby's stepdad Jim and the rest of her family.

He said: "So this was something that at least he gave me and the rest of the guys a little bit of what can we do to get back and I'll bring the whole thing right now is to keep Gabby's name and I like to like, never let it go.

"Someone's always gonna be thinking about her out of this tragedy can we maybe have something good consequences and not have this happen, so it's it's pretty awesome."

OWNER OF FUNDRAISER VENUE SAYS COPS 'DROPPED THE BALL'

Daniel Welsch, owner of the venue where Gabby Petito Foundation held a fundraiser, spoke of where he thinks Brian could be.

He said: "I can't imagine he has the wherewithal to get too far. Although he got quite a head start. Law enforcement dropped the ball there I think it could have been quick even closer look on Amazon but the details will all come out eventually I hope soon."

NEW VIDEO?

Online sleuths believe a tourist's video shot in Zion National Park shows Gabby Petito holding hands with her fugitive fiancé Brain Laundrie — five weeks before she was murdered.

The to Instagram before it was pointed out it showed a couple who strongly resembled Gabby and Brian who were visiting the spot in Utah at this time. 

But this seemingly happy scene is at odds with the last reported sightings of the couple several weeks later.