How Did Gabby Petito's Mom React When She Saw The Original Police Cam Footage Of Her Daughter?

As federal agents continue their search for Brian Laundrie — who as of this report has allegedly continued to evade authorities following the disappearance of his fiancée, Gabby Petito, in September and the subsequent discovery of her remains weeks later — those closest to Petito are still looking for answers. Nothing made that clearer than an October "60 Minutes Australia" interview with Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt. In the interview, Schmidt spoke out publicly regarding her reaction to seeing some of the last video ever taken of her daughter — video which was recorded under heartbreaking circumstances.

The footage referred to in the interview was of then 22-year-old Petito and her 23-year-old fiancé after both were approached by members of law enforcement near Moab, Utah in August, two weeks before Petito vanished, per People. Captured via police body cam, the video showed officers speaking to Petito and Laundrie separately for well over an hour, which resulted in both spending the night apart. As the magazine noted, many later disparaged the officers on the scene for mishandling the situation for not correctly identifying it as a situation involving domestic violence and handling it accordingly. But for Schmidt, it resonated more deeply.

As Gabby Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, later said in an interview with "60 Minutes Australia" (via People), the footage of her daughter taken by officers two weeks before she disappeared was "hard to watch." Describing the experience, Schmidt said she "wanted to jump through the screen and rescue" her daughter. "I saw a young girl that needed someone to just hug her and keep her safe. I just felt so bad for her," she explained, adding, "I wish that she reached out to me."

Schmidt's thoughts about the love she had for her daughter are very much in the vein of other mothers of missing children — a discussion which coverage of Petito's murder has sparked, especially in relation to other missing persons cases involving Black and Indigenous people (namely women), people of color in general, and/or those a part of the LGBTQ+ community. In the weeks following the initial news of Petito's disappearance, discourse over "missing white woman syndrome" has led to renewed interest in cases similar to Petito's. Among them was that of 30-year-old Lauren Cho, a native of New Jersey who went missing while traveling in California in June. Her remains were reportedly found earlier this month, per CNN.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.