A new docuseries about the murder of social media influencer Gabby Petito by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie in 2021 revealed that Petito texted an ex-boyfriend, Jackson, that she wanted to leave Laundrie but was afraid of what he would do.
The docuseries, which was recently released to Netflix, "American Murder: Gabby Petito," contains previously unseen text messages from Petito, Laundrie and her mother Roberta.
It also has new interviews with family members and friends, including Jackson.
"She wasn’t sure of what he would do, or what he could do," he told docuseries directors/producers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro.
Besides the text messages to Jackson, Petito also texted her mother just before the murder to say she thought she might do better vlogging on her own without Laundrie.
Petito's parents cooperated with the docuseries as well as creating a foundation to help other domestic violence victims.
"Looking at her text messages with Brian for the first time, knowing that he had murdered her was haunting because it was like the manipulation… was very subtle.," Nason said. "And I think that we're hoping that this series can show the subtlety of intimate partner abuse, especially among young people."
On the day authorities believe Gabby was murdered, Laundrie argued with the staff at a Tex-Mex restaurant where he and Petito ate after she said she felt sick and believed the food was responsible.
Hours later, Petito was seen alive for the last time on surveillance camera outside a Whole Foods in Wyoming.
She reportedly tried to call Jackson, but he was working and missed the call.
In a last text message to her mother, she said Laundrie had agreed to sleep outside that night while she slept in the van they were camping in.
Laundrie was never arrested for Petito's murder because police did not find the body until after he had killed himself.
The Gabby Petito Foundation is already getting feedback that people have gotten out of abusive relationships after hearing her story.
"This is how the foundation is helping," Gasparro said. "They've become a resource for people like this."
