NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Joseph Ferlazzo had abruptly returned without his wife from what was supposed to be a Vermont camping trip to mark their first wedding anniversary.
At 41, he informed his in-laws that he had a disagreement with his wife, 22-year-old Emily Schwarz Ferlazzo, and mentioned she had returned to New Hampshire.
Emily’s mother and stepfather weren’t buying it.
Emily Ferlazzo was a passionate singer, her family tells Fox News Digital. (Investigation Discovery)
Adrienne Bass was hopeful that her daughter had managed to finally escape her tumultuous marriage without telling anyone.
That hope quickly faded.
“Once he departed, I pondered over three possibilities,” recounted Bass. “Either she was kidnapped, she inexplicably lost her memory, or, tragically, she is no longer with us.”
You can see a young Emily Schwarz Ferlazzo in the photo. Her mother, Adrienne Bass, shared with Fox News Digital her attempts to caution her daughter about Joseph Ferlazzo prior to their ill-fated anniversary journey. (Investigation Discovery)
“I finally let it out,” she said. “I cried and just let the moment hit me.”
Prosecutor Sarah George later said that because Gabby Petito’s investigation had just happened, police were quicker to investigate Ferlazzo, CourtTV.com reported.
Like Emily, Petito’s case started as a search for a missing person after her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, returned from a road trip in a converted van without her. A police video showing Petito crying after a physical altercation with Laundrie raised questions about domestic violence.
Petito, 22, was found strangled to death near a Wyoming campground site weeks later. Laundrie was a person of interest. After he went missing for over a month, his remains were found in a Florida park that October.
With the police closing in, Ferlazzo confessed.
Ferlazzo told investigators he and his wife had been arguing inside their camper, and it turned into a physical altercation. A few minutes later, he took out a handgun and shot her twice in the head, according to the affidavit.
Juanita Schwarz, Emily Schwarz Ferlazzo’s grandmother, said she had met Joseph Ferlazzo once. When she heard her granddaughter had gone missing, she feared the worst. (Investigation Discovery)
The following morning, Ferlazzo said he took the camper from Bolton to a friend’s house in St. Albans. About 12 to 15 hours after the shooting, he dismembered Emily and placed her remains in garbage bags, which stayed in the camper and were found by police. The weapons believed to have been used in the killing were also retrieved by investigators.
Gabby Petito’s case helped raise awareness on Emily Ferlazzo’s murder. (North Port Police)
Fighting back tears, Adrienne Bass said it was “excruciating and nauseating” listening to the horrifying details in court.
A jury convicted Ferlazzo of first-degree murder in December, CourtTV.com reported. In April, a judge sentenced him to 42.5 years to life in prison.
Emily Ferlazzo’s killer was sentenced to 42.5 years to life in prison. (Vermont Police)
Emily’s family has been trying to heal. They take comfort in listening to recordings of Emily singing. Music was her true love.
“Emily would want to be known as a singer,” said David Bass. “She loved singing. She loved performing. Her voice is the most important thing. She would be incredibly upset at what had happened to her and Gabby Petito.”
Today, Adrienne Bass hopes that in sharing her daughter’s story, victims will be compelled to seek help before it’s too late.
Emily Schwarz Ferlazzo’s family are urging women to speak out about any abuse they may be enduring before it’s too late. (Investigation Discovery)
“Try to listen to your gut,” she said. “If they don’t feel it’s safe to get out, wait until they find the time to try to find someone that they can trust to confide in. It doesn’t matter how old you are. . . . Anyone could be a victim of domestic violence. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with them as a person.”
“If you’re being abused in your relationship, call a crisis center, make a plan, talk to an expert,” urged David Bass. “Help is out there. You’re not alone.”
The “Fatal Destination” episode “Where’s Emily?” airs June 10 at 10 p.m. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
