I remember exactly where I was when Gabby Petito’s case exploded across my social feeds. Curled up on my couch, true crime podcast playing in the background, scrolling through endless speculation about a missing 22-year-old van life blogger. But as the case unfolded (and I fell down approximately 47 Reddit rabbit holes), I kept wondering: who was Gabby beyond the headlines?
Because let’s be honest—true crime has a way of reducing victims to their final moments. And Gabby deserved better than that.
The Girl Before the Van
Born on March 19, 1999, in Blue Point, New York, Gabby grew up as the oldest of six siblings and half-siblings. She wasn’t just another face in a missing persons report—she was a big sister, a daughter, a friend with dreams that extended far beyond her tragic end.
In 2013, while most teens were obsessing over One Direction, Gabby appeared in a music video raising awareness about gun violence following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Even as a teenager, she was using her voice for something that mattered. (I would’ve been too busy writing angsty poetry in my journal at that age, but Gabby clearly had more direction.)
After graduating from Bayport-Blue Point High School in 2017, she worked in the service industry in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, before eventually moving to Florida. It was in high school where she met Brian Laundrie—a name that would later become synonymous with her disappearance.
Free Spirit with a Camera
If you’ve ever scrolled through Gabby’s IMDb page, you’ll notice it’s tragically short. But her digital footprint tells a different story.
Gabby wasn’t just existing—she was living. Her passion for yoga, art, and healthy food painted the picture of someone deeply connected to experiencing life fully. Her YouTube channel “Nomadic Statik” wasn’t just another vanlife account; it was her canvas for sharing the world as she saw it.
Her Instagram posts weren’t filtered perfection (as subtle as a bloodstain on white carpet). They were genuine glimpses into a life being actively created. The kind of authentic content that makes you think, “I could do that too”—which is exactly what made her so relatable.
The Person Behind the Posts
Friends and family describe Gabby as having a smile that could light up a room (unlike the grim fluorescents in most police interrogation rooms—sorry, occupational hazard). She was the kind of person who collected experiences rather than things.
Her stepfather, Jim Schmidt, once said she was “always happy to help anybody and everybody.” In a world full of self-absorption, Gabby seemed genuinely interested in connecting with others and sharing her joy.
Her mother, Nichole Schmidt, described her as “free-spirited” and “the brightest light in every room”—words that hit differently when you know how her story ends.
When Systems Fail
The most infuriating part of Gabby’s story (and trust me, I’ve ranted about this to Ryan until he begged me to please talk about literally anything else) is how preventable it feels in retrospect.
Bodycam footage from Moab police on August 12, 2021, showed clear signs of distress during an interaction with Gabby and Brian. Despite this, officers classified the incident as “disorderly conduct” rather than domestic violence. This critical misstep led Gabby’s family to file lawsuits against the department, though they were later dismissed due to governmental immunity.
Would I have spotted the red flags if I were there? I’d like to think so. But the truth is, domestic violence hides in plain sight all the time.
A Legacy Beyond Tragedy
The Gabby Petito Foundation now works to support victims of domestic violence and missing persons, ensuring Gabby’s memory serves a purpose beyond her own tragedy.
Her case also highlighted what many call “missing white woman syndrome”—the disproportionate media coverage given to missing young, attractive white women compared to people of color. The killing of Gabby Petito sparked important conversations about whose disappearances we prioritize and why.
The Person, Not the Victim
When I think about Gabby now, I try not to picture her as she was portrayed in those final Instagram posts. I think about the girl who loved art. Who wanted to see the world. Who appeared in a music video to fight against violence, only to later become a victim of it herself.
Gabby Petito was more than a hashtag or a cautionary tale. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a young woman with dreams that deserved to be fulfilled.
And in the end, isn’t that what we all want? To be remembered for who we were in life, not just how we left it.