The world was shocked when a video emerged showing Gabby Petito in distress during a police traffic stop.
For her family, watching that footage was heartbreaking. They longed to reach through the screen and comfort their 22-year-old daughter.
Gabby's parents — Joseph, Tara, Nichole, and Jim — expressed their anguish in an exclusive email to PEOPLE.
“Our hearts broke seeing Gabby extremely distressed,” they said.“We just wanted to reach into the screen to help her, hold her, and hug her."
They filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department, claiming that proper handling of the traffic stop could have saved Gabby's life.
On August 12, 2021, officers stopped Gabby and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, during their cross-country road trip. The lawsuit alleges that police failed to recognise signs of domestic violence, leaving Gabby vulnerable.
“We saw the police officers intentionally ignoring the facts to intentionally stop them from protecting Gabby from a dangerous man,” the parents wrote.
The video shows Gabby in tears, while Laundrie appears unconcerned. The parents believe the police intentionally overlooked crucial facts. A 911 caller had reported seeing Laundrie strike Gabby outside a market, but the police labelled it a "mental health crisis."
Weeks later, Laundrie took Gabby's life.Her parents are now fighting for a change.
“This is why we are fighting so hard to make changes,” her parents wrote in the email. “We firmly believe if the cops did their job correctly, protected Gabby, and offered her the necessary domestic violence resources, she would be alive today.”
They firmly believe that if the police had acted appropriately, protected Gabby, and provided domestic violence resources, she would have been alive today.
In addition to the lawsuit, Gabby's parents started the Gabby Petito Foundation to locate missing persons and assist domestic violence victims. They hope sharing Gabby's story will save lives and combat the epidemic of domestic violence in our society.