The Van Life Murder: Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie, and the Lie That Went Viral

Most people think they understand abuse—until they see how softly it whispers behind the camera lens. Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie were America’s “van life” couple: smiling, adventurous, perfectly filtered. But behind the hashtags was a harrowing truth. Gabby didn’t just vanish—she was silenced, gaslit, and left for dead. Why did police ignore the 911 call that reported her being slapped? Why did Brian come home without her, refuse to speak, and then vanish into the swamp? And why are so many still mislabeling her murder a tragedy instead of what it really was—control taken to its fatal extreme?Would you have believed her cries for help? Or been fooled by his charm?