Nancy Grace from CrimeOnline conducted a live recording of her show “Crime Stories” during CrimeCon in Denver on Saturday. She was joined by special guests including Joseph Petito, his wife Tara Petito, and crime specialists Joseph Scott Morgan and Sheryl “Mac” McCollum.
Joseph, the father of the murdered blogger Gabby Petito, is making impactful progress in supporting victims of domestic violence. Together with his wife, he is currently concentrating on creating new protective initiatives for domestic violence victims in Laramie, Wyoming, the state where Gabby was found dead in 2021.
Joseph and Nicole have both pledged their continuous dedication to supporting those suffering from domestic abuse, especially following accusations against Gabby’s boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, of abusing her.
The effort in Laramie is part of a larger mission to provide extra protection for victims. It reflects the goals of the Gabby Petito Foundation, which is dedicated to offering safe shelters for those in crisis, irrespective of where they are.
Joseph Petito also discussed the legal changes that have taken place since he began his advocacy journey, particularly regarding the reporting of missing persons in various states and the manner in which law enforcement addresses domestic violence cases.
“[We] were instrumental in reforming the laws in Utah and Florida concerning the reporting of missing persons,” he mentioned, noting that his efforts have been pivotal in altering “five laws in four years.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Gabby vanished in August 2021 while on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. Her remains were found at a campsite in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on September 19, 2021.
Authorities concluded that she died by manual strangulation.
After murdering Petito, Laundrie is believed to have driven the van the couple was traveling in back to his parents’ home in North Port, Florida, where he arrived on September 1 alone.
Laundrie later drove to a nearby nature reserve in Florida about 10 minutes from his parents’ home, where he committed suicide. Investigators recovered what appeared to be a written confession by Laundrie that he murdered Gabby.
Members of the Laundrie and Petito families have been questioned in depositions over the past years, as part of the civil case filed against the Laundrie couple in 2022.
Those lawsuits have since been settled.
Meanwhile, the Petito family vows to continue their fight for justice and advocacy for those in need.
For more details and information on how you can assist, visit the official Gabby Petito Foundation website.
[Feature Photo: Gabby Petito/Instagram]
