Photo: Twitter
Hopefully the Petito family can have some sort of closure.
By Dan O'Reilly — Written on Oct 18, 2021
As the search goes on for Brian Laundrie, the only person of interest in the death of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito, her family is finally getting a moment to lay their daughter to rest.
Last week the Teton County Coroner completed his investigation into the cause and manner of Gabby Petito’s death. The cause was strangulation and the manner was homicide.
Gabby’s body was then returned to her family who had previously held a memorial for their daughter.
In the flurry of media attention both the murder and the search are receiving, a post from Joseph Petito, Gabby’s father, serves as a sobering reminder of the human cost of this story and an indication of where Gabby’s ashes might have been scattered.
Where were Gabby Petito's ashes scattered?
Joe's post included an image of Jenny Lake, Wyoming — which is located in Grand Teton National Park.
In the heartfelt post, Joseph Petito shares a picture and his grief, saying that Gabby will be able to enjoy the beautiful view from now on. This has led readers to conclude that that was where her ashes were scattered.
A faint hearth-shape can be seen in the mountain which some supporters have suggested may be a sign from the late-vlogger.
Gabby was reported missing following a trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie back in September. Ever since her death, Gabby has been afforded no rest.
Her name has become familiar in households all over America as parents and peers everywhere wish to see justice done for Gabby.
Since then law enforcement agencies and private individuals have followed and weighed in on the case and the search for Brian.
Most recently Gabby’s parents discussed how they, like everyone else, were fooled by the friendly facade put on by Brian. Never once did they feel that anything like this could ever happen.
This is the sad truth for many victims of abuse.
Abusers might appear ordinary, or even friendly to outsiders looking in right up until it's too late.
Hopefully, Gabby’s family will be able to move on in some capacity from this tragedy after experiencing some level of closure after her body was returned to them and her ashes spread at Grand Teton National Park.
For many others, Gabby’s story is all too familiar and the news coverage, disproportionate. Gabby’s disappearance made national headlines in a way that few missing person cases do.
For example, hundreds of indigenous women have gone missing in Wyoming as well in recent years, and yet, few of them even made local headlines, let alone national ones. It isn’t wrong to continue to comb over Gabby’s case, but there are so many others whose disappearances have, comparatively, gone unnoticed by the wider public.
The outcry of support for Gabby’s family and the calls for justice are needed by many more families and missing persons and Gabby’s family seem to be aware of that.
Gabby’s father tweeted about the Gabby Petito Foundation at the beginning of the month. In the foundation’s mission statement, it says, ”The mission of the foundation is to address the needs of organizations who support locating missing persons and to provide aid to organizations who assist victims of domestic violence situations, through education, awareness, and prevention strategies.”
Gabby’s family has taken the tragedy and the publicity and directed it toward creating positive change helping victims and their families.
Dan O'Reilly is a writer who covers news, politics and social justice. Follow him on Twitter.