Rainbows For Gabby Petito: Social Media Followers Remember Her

BLUE POINT, NY — Gabby Petito's legacy lives on with her story continuing to inspire and help people, as her parents had hoped following her slaying one year ago.

On Monday, the anniversary of her death well-wishers from around the world remembered her on social media by posting photographs of rainbows and poignant messages marking her tragic death at the hands of her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in a Wyoming park.

One poster wrote: "Sending love and prayers to her family on this difficult day. We [love] you, Gabby!"

Petito and her family will always remain in one person's heart, they wrote, adding, "My heart hurts so much, this story resonates with me. Just 11 months prior, I got away from an abusive relationship that could have turned deadly."

"We still feel ya, sister," Another person wrote.

Others just posted their feelings.

"Wishing so much peace to her family," one poster wrote. "It's a good time to also remind the world that #DomesticViolence can be hidden with a smile."

One woman shared a gif of a flickering candle captioned with: "For #GabbyPetito and all of the #MissingPersons & #DomesticViolence victims."

In another post, a vlogger: "One year later #GabbyPetito today we honor Gabby by remembering to always be the good in the world, be there to help others, help the MISSING, those that are going through DV, and to never let the bad tear you apart, “Let it be.”

It featured a photo of Petito with angel wings sitting on a bench looking down from a patch of clouds, appearing as though she is in heaven looking down.

In a Facebook post by Petito's namesake domestic violence advocacy organization, The Gabby Petito Foundation, her parents noted that one year ago they "found out there was no chance" of her "coming home safe."

They asked that to honor her legacy, followers continue sharing missing person flyers, and to "keep sharing your brave stories of domestic violence, continue supporting survivors of domestic violence with non-judgmental love and kindness."

"We thank you for your much-needed continued support of our foundation, it helps us continue to be able to aid organizations that directly assist families and survivors," the post concluded.

The post was shared with a photo of Petito wearing a shawl and pulling her hair back.

Petito's mother, Nichole Schmidt, shared a similar post with the photo and encouraged spreading awareness.

"Always be kind because you never know what someone is going through," she said. "Tomorrow is never promised — live life to the fullest!"

Petito, of Blue Point, was reported missing on Sept. 11, 2021, by Schmidt in her hometown of Suffolk County after she had not had contact with her for several weeks while on a cross-country trip in a camper van with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie.

Laundrie, with whom Petito she had a tumultuous relationship, returned to his parents' Florida home with her van but without her around that same time.

After an exhaustive search for Petito that included multiple law enforcement agencies, spanning several states, her remains were found near Grand Teton National Park. It is believed that she was killed about two weeks after a very physical, and public fight she had with Laundrie in Utah and it resulted in police separating the couple for the night.

Laundrie was later found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Florida swamp.

In a notebook recovered by investigators, he claimed responsibility for Petito's death, writing that he strangled her to death because she was in so much pain from falling near their campsite when they were returning home in the dark.

Petito's father, Joseph Petito, also individually thanked everyone for the love and support that they have shown our families and he credited followers, saying that because of them his family was able to bring their daughter home.

He said the anniversary was "particularly hard" before asking followers to share missing person flyers.

"Every story deserves the same attention," he said.

The story of Petito's disappearance drew international media attention, and in the wake of her death, her parents formed The Gabby Petito Foundation to help families of missing persons and also people living with domestic violence.

Marking the first anniversary on Monday, one Twitter follower wrote: "The grace of this family is amazing; this family turns their grief into a light for the people who are in the dark to help to guide them to see the light again."

If you believe you or anyone you know is in danger due to domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or go to thehotline.org to chat.

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