Gabby Petito Pleads With Brian Laundrie in Gut-Wrenching Letter Released by FBI
Another heartbreaking detail of the Gabby Petito case has been revealed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released more than 350 new documents related to the 2021 murder of the 22-year-old June 11 including a letter she wrote to her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, who later confessed to killing her in a note before taking his own life.
In the undated handwritten letter, viewed by E! News, Petito apologizes to Laundrie for getting "upset over a dumb piece of paper" and pleads with him.
"Just please stop crying and stop calling me names because we're a team and I'm here with you," Petito wrote. "Yes, I can be a child sometimes I know, but it's ‘cause you give me this energy and I just love you too much. Like so much it hurts."
And the late influencer continues to implore her boyfriend over the course of the page-long letter.
"So you in pain is killing me," she continued. "I'm not trying to be negative, but I'm frustrated there's not more I can do."
Among other journal entries, the newly-released FBI evidence includes photos of Petito and Laundrie's possessions, as well as other federal documents concerning the case and evidence.
Petito's case garnered national media attention after Laundrie, 23, returned to their Florida residence from a cross-country road trip alone in early September 2021 and her parents subsequently reported her as missing.
The aspiring lifestyle vlogger, who had documented the couple's van trip on YouTube and Instagram, was found dead in a remote area in a Wyoming national park 18 days later. Her death was ruled a homicide by strangulation.
Amid the search for Petito, Laundrie, who was named person of interest in the case, disappeared. The 23-year-old's remains were found weeks later in a Florida park alongside a notebook nearby that confessed to Petito's murder.
In the years since Petito's death, her mom Nichole Schmidt, has shared insight into her grief journey, including expressing forgiveness to her daughter's killer.
"I speak for myself here when I say Brian, I forgive you," Schmidt said at CrimeCon 2024 May 31. "I needed to release myself from the chains of anger and bitterness, and I refuse to let your despicable act define the rest of my life."
However, the New York native also offered a scathing rebuke toward his mother, Roberta Laundrie. Following Petito's death, her family had accused the Laundrie family of trying to help their son cover up Petito's murder in a since-settled civil lawsuit. Roberta, and her husband Christopher Laundrie denied this claim.
"As for you, Roberta, and I call you out individually because you are evidently the mastermind that shattered your family and mine with your evil ways," Schmidt added. "I see no empathy in your eyes."
For more information on domestic abuse or to get help for yourself or someone you love, visit the website for The National Domestic Violence Hotline (http://www.thehotline.org/) or call 1-800-799-7233.