Gabby Petito's family keeps memory alive through foundation that raises awareness of domestic violence

Gabby Petito’s family sees signs of her every day.

Whether it’s a rainbow, lucky numbers or a gust of wind on a sunny day Friday at Willow Creek Golf Course in Mount Sinai, her parents and family members said Gabby’s spirit pushes them to tell her story and attempt to thwart the domestic violence that took her life in 2021.

The family hopes to raise awareness and money through the Gabby Petito Foundation, aimed at assisting victims of domestic violence and helping in the search for missing persons. They hosted the second annual Change the World golf outing and dinner Friday in Mount Sinai, which they hoped would raise $50,000.

"We were able to find Gabby and bring her home. A lot of families don't have that ... we try to help survivors and we try to prevent domestic violence," Petito’s mother, Nichole Schmidt, said. "That's what keeps us going.  It's really the legacy, it's Gabby's platform, and we're just going to do whatever we can." 

Petito, 22, was reported missing in August 2021 after driving across the country in a van with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. She was found dead by manual strangulation on Sept. 19, 2021, in Wyoming after Laundrie had returned home to his parents in Florida.

Laundrie died by suicide later and admitted killing her in his diary.

Petito’s family said at the golf tournament Friday that the best way to honor her legacy is to let others know warning signs to look for in domestic violence. They were joined by actress Heather Locklear, who has donated to the foundation.

At each tee box at Willow Creek, the foundation posted informational signs about domestic violence, including that abuse can start subtly and escalate over time with controlling behavior.

Gabby’s stepmother, Tara Petito, said her daughter likely didn’t know the danger she was in.

"Domestic violence is not just a single process. It happens over time, and it's not always visible right from the beginning," she said. "There's a lot of manipulation and gaslighting. There could be financial abuse. It shows different signs, and sometimes you don't even realize it."

The family is encouraging law enforcement and domestic violence organizations to use for training purposes the August 2021 police bodycam footage of Gabby Petito and Laundrie in Moab, Utah, Petito said. A 911 caller had reported seeing the couple having a physical altercation in their van, and they were later stopped and separated by police.

The family has partnered with groups like the Light The Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project, which posted missing persons posters at Willow Creek of 29 families around the country who have reported loved ones missing.

Gabby’s father, Joe Petito, has also gone to lawmakers in Florida and Albany to advocate for changing laws to require an assessment on domestic violence calls with a series of 12 questions to determine if a victim is in danger.

Family members say there is little to ease the pain of losing her, but working with the foundation on events through the years gives them purpose.

"It's hard as the years pass. It doesn't get any easier. I think what helps us through it is doing events like this, knowing that we're making a difference and that Gabby's voice has a really big impact," Schmidt said. "We remind people to take the pictures and the videos and to spend every day like tomorrow's not promised, because if you live in fear and you don't live your life, then you'll regret it."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.