A newly released Netflix documentary has shed light on a phone call between Gabby Petito and her ex-boyfriend that took place before her tragic death.
The three-part documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito, revisits her harrowing story, bringing fresh attention to the case.
Gabby, an aspiring YouTuber, set out on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in 2021. However, the dream adventure took a dark turn when she went missing, and her parents stopped receiving messages from her.
Authorities launched an investigation, during which Brian also vanished after returning home to Florida. Gabby’s remains were discovered on September 19 in Wyoming’s Spread Creek camping area. An autopsy later confirmed she had died from “blunt-force injuries” to her head and neck, along with “manual strangulation.”
A month later, Brian’s body was found in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, where examiners determined he had died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Beside him, police found a notebook in which he confessed to Gabby’s murder.
The documentary also reveals that during her fateful trip, Gabby had reached out to her ex-boyfriend, Jackson, in a call that now takes on chilling significance.
On August 22, Gabby Petito sent a desperate message to her ex-boyfriend, Jackson, saying:
“Hi, I’m sure I’m the last person on the planet you want to hear from. I would really love to talk to you. I’m only alone until tomorrow.”
The two later spoke on the phone, a conversation Jackson described as a “cry for help.”
“I think she wanted to get away but just didn’t know how to do it,” he recalled. “I think she wasn’t sure what he would do, or what he could do.”
Sensing her distress, Jackson reassured her that she could reach out again if she needed support.
“I got the vibe that she may still need somebody to talk to after we hung up, so I was like, ‘Hey, if you do need to talk again, let me know, it’s okay, I’m okay with that,'” he said.
According to Jackson, Gabby hinted at a recent argument with Brian and seemed determined to leave him.
“She kind of hinted that they had gotten into an argument,” Jackson recalled. “She said, ‘I have a plan, I think I want to leave him. I’m gonna do it, I just have to figure out when.'”
From the tone of her voice, Jackson sensed uncertainty and fear. “I think she wasn’t sure what he would do or what he could do. I think she wanted to get away but just didn’t know how,” he added.
On August 27, Gabby tried to call Jackson again and also sent him a Snapchat revealing she was in Wyoming. However, he was unable to answer due to work commitments.
“I think back on the fact that maybe if I had answered that phone call, I could have helped, or there could have been a different outcome,” he reflected (via The Independent).
The documentary, American Murder: Gabby Petito, is now streaming on Netflix.
