American Murder: Gabby Petito

8.0 stars.

I started the first episode and didn't get out of my seat until it was all over. This is a riveting and engrossing documentary. I have to say this story resonates, because there is so much evidence: documentation, pictures, video, texts, and phone calls. We are living in an information age that is on steroids.

This is the type of crime he could not get away with, and this young man floundered so badly that there was no way out. My opinion is that he missed her so dearly, that he took his own life. He went home for several days to say goodbye to his parents, but I'm sure his parents did not have any hint of his motivations, which were to return to the woods and end his life.

After the crime, he drove the van back home and his parents had called the lawyer immediately after he told them some thing that happened. There was absolutely no way he was getting away with this crime, but again, I don't think that's the primary reason why he took his life. He was codependent on this woman and his identity was wrapped up in her. We can see that he loved her too much. This is what happens when a person becomes too dependent on another person, and he likely already had a certain level of pre existing psychological issues. She had issues too, and she likely had broken up with him right before the act.

But my point is that this documentary is very captivating.

Gabby Petito and her boyfriend Brian set off in their van for a road trip, a chance to spend quality time together, and show the world, through social media how much in love they are. Sadly Petito is dating a monster.

I have seen this particular story featured in other documentaries, but this one did introduce some further details and more interviews, so even if you know what happened, I'd suggest it's still worth seeing.

The story still manages to shock, and even now I'm still unsure as to who the real monsters are, Brian or his parents. The videos are sad to watch, the encounter with The Police in particular is truly sickening, she was failed badly by the authorities.

It could perhaps have been condensed down a bit, although I think the third episode was done as a mark of hope, with Gabby's friends and families doing their best to move on and look to the future.

Definitely worth seeing.

8/10.

Emotionally heavy exploration of a heartbreaking case. It raises awareness about domestic violence while honoring the victim, rather than exploiting her story. The three-episode format is well-paced, providing a thorough but respectful retelling.

One of the most striking aspects is the contrast between Gabby's adventurous spirit and her tragic fate. The documentary bravely acknowledges the media's focus on her due to race and includes voices from those close to her, adding depth to the story. Seeing such a recent crime in HD footage makes it feel disturbingly real.

A particularly powerful moment is when Gabby's friend explains how abusers manipulate their victims-alternating cruelty with kindness to make them blame themselves. Women worldwide experience this cycle, and in Gabby's case, it cost her life.

As a society, we need to raise our daughters with love and self-worth so they don't seek validation from abusive men. But we also need to focus on raising boys differently-too many entitled, narcissistic men grow up without accountability. The documentary also highlights Brian's unsettling relationship with his mother, which adds another layer to his behavior.

Overall, this documentary is informative, heartbreaking, and necessary. DV is no joke, and more people need to see that.

As Episode 1 of "American Murder: Gabby Petito" (2025 release; 3 episodes ranging 39 to 48 min) opens, it is "August 12, 2021, Moab, Utah", and based on an anonymous tip, Utah police pulls over a van to question a couple. Turns out to be Brian and Gabby, a young couple on a cross-country road trip. When Gabby is questioned outside the van and away from Brian, she crumbles. We then go back to "March 19,1999, Long Island, NY", when Gabby is born, and we get to know her background an upbringing. At this point we are 10 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: I was vaguely familiar with these events, but to now see it laid out as clearly and as detailed as this documentary mini-series does, only brought a sense of immense sadness and a disgust of the cruelty with which one person murders another, and for what? The mini-series is helped immensely by the fact that so much footage was filmed by Gabby in particular (she was prepping to start a vlog about their cross-country travels). This mini-series also focuses on the role of Brian's parents in all of this. How these people sleep at night, I have no clue.

"American Murder: Gabby Petito" has just started streaming on Netflix. Not sure why this is presented in 3 short episodes, as opposed to a feature-length documentary. I watched this in a single setting, and I suspect I will not be the only one. If you are interested in true crime documentaries, I readily recommend you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

This 3 part documentary will bring tears to your eyes.

And make you hate not just another coward killer, but hate that cowards parents as well. You will witness the sorrow and anguish as these well filmed documentaries elicit way too well. What makes it sadder is as you watch it, you begin to wonder why the coward killers despicable mother and father where never charged for their part in this murder case. You will wish those maggots a painful experience. But also makes you wonder about the fragility of life of all ethnicities of the many thousands of missing people who never got the same coverage. The overall feeling will leave you hating so many people but also make you wonder about people around you.