In 2021, America became transfixed by the brutal murder of Gabby Petito. Developing within the age of true crime podcasts and travel YouTube accounts, young adults quickly got sucked into this case. Their attempts at becoming detectives themselves manifested in widespread conspiracy theories, tips posted online, and even a community of YouTubers coming together to find the evidence that helped solve the case. Technology played a significant role in this story’s publicity, and now, it’s even changing the way it’s told four years later.
“American Murder: Gabby Petito,” the three-part Netflix docu-series released on Feb. 17th, 2025, paints the full picture of Petito’s murder by her fiancè, Brian Laundrie, in the middle of 2021. At the time of her death, the couple had been taking a cross-country road trip to fulfill Petito’s dream of becoming a prominent travel YouTuber. The show included testimonies from friends, family members, and even eyewitnesses who had seen the couple right before Petito was reported missing. These interviews, along with police body-cam footage and recovered text messages between Petito and Laundrie helped piece together the puzzle of what happened between the couple before tragedy struck. Audiences got to watch the two of them interacting with police officers just a few weeks before Gabby’s disappearance and could determine in simulated real-time some clear warning signs.
Notably, the series used AI technology to recreate Petito’s voice. Her generated “voice” read text messages with Laundrie and other family members and journal entries written during the road trip. While this is not the first time a documentary has used AI for voice recreation, the practice is not too common and has sparked ethical debates among viewers. Some say they felt “uneasy” while watching the show, while others claim the use of AI in this context is “outright creepy.”
Regardless of how viewers perceive this decision, AI’s place in this series demonstrates the future of true-crime content as we know it. As AI technology continues to develop, the way these stories are told could completely evolve. In addition to voice recreation, AI can potentially reproduce real events through deepfakes. Viewers may feel much more immersed in the world of these events and have a deeper connection to the details than ever before.
Personally, I didn’t love the use of AI within the narrative. Part of it was the unsettled feeling left in my stomach, but it was also in part due to the AI’s impact on the series itself, with the voice recreation taking away from the real focus of the show. I wasn’t listening to Petito’s words, but instead to the way her voice sounded eerie and real. The ingenuity, while novel, diluted the authenticity of the documentary.
Aside from the unnecessary use of AI, it was an incredibly well-made documentary. The layout revealed details in creative ways, bringing the audience to the edge of their seat. At one point, they used solely the body cam footage from the police to show their interaction with Petito and Laundrie after an altercation, with none of the usual interview interjections. Keeping the footage interruption-free created a true feeling of suspense for audiences, as they felt like they were watching the events unfold in real-time.
It was incredibly informative, from someone who wasn’t aware of Petito’s story before. Additionally, each episode ended on the perfect cliffhanger: for example, Episode 2 ended with the reveal of a letter that Laundrie’s mother wrote to him, titled “Burn After Reading,” exposing that she would help Brian “bury a body no matter the circumstances.” The shock value of the Laundries and their true role in this crime was quite high; the cinematographic choices were astounding and exemplary of true crime suspense.
The body-cam footage was also useful in showcasing Laundrie’s parents, Christopher and Roberta, and their antagonistic attitude towards law enforcement. The documentary explained that the Laundries were uncooperative with law enforcement and had hired an attorney before Petito’s body was found, leading many to call out their suspicious behavior on social media. The Laundries’ behavior was unknown before the release of the documentary, so the couple’s reaction to the police questioning provided a completely new context for the case. The Laundries have since spoken out against the docu-series, saying it is an inaccurate and one-sided portrayal. But, since we haven’t heard much from them about Petito’s case otherwise, it’s hard to know if that statement is true.
Regardless, showing Laundrie’s parents within the framework of the case was incredibly valuable. It allowed audiences to have a deeper understanding of what was going on behind the scenes as this case unfolded. Sometimes, cases like this are over sensationalized in the media, to the point where audiences over-fixate on certain elements over others. Having the parents and their stories in the documentary—even without an official interview—elaborated and bestowed additional perspectives that made this one more well-rounded compared to others in the genre.
The documentary’s attempt to depict the role the media played in finding Petito and spreading her story was admirable.
The “van community” of YouTube spread information about Petito’s murder and where she was last spotted. Jenn and Kyle Bethune, who run the “Red White & Bethune” YouTube channel, happened to have filmed a video in Grand Teton National Park that showed Petito and Laundrie’s van in the background, which, once shared, helped the police locate Petito’s body. The Bethunes spoke about their experience within the docu-series, and audiences were able to directly see the footage, connecting them more to the concrete evidence in the case.
The documentary also had a large focus on the use of social media itself, including specific videos and posts made about Petito and how these may have impacted investigations. In fact, Petito received unparalleled media coverage compared to other missing persons cases in 2021, showing up on all major news channels and going viral on TikTok. Users shared their theories about what happened to Gabby and helped pick out details for the law enforcement case.
This focus on social media is another testament to how the nature of true crime is changing in the modern day. Without social media and the rapid spread of Petito’s story, the police may not have been able to find her body and charge Laundrie with murder. Although social media can sometimes be misleading, this documentary demonstrated how social media can be used to find valuable information related to the case. It is safe to say that crimes from now on will be much more publicized.
When addressing Petito’s near sensational publicity, though, the documentary acknowledged that she was a unique case. Many women, particularly women of color, who had gone missing that past year received little media attention, and unfortunately were never found. Petito’s parents even mentioned that she was privileged to have gotten the attention she did, and they regret that other young women never received that. While this doesn’t undo the neglect of many missing women of color, the documentary did take the opportunity to acknowledge this neglect and bring it to the attention of over 31 million viewers worldwide who tuned into Petito’s story.
The docu-series did fall flat in some aspects, though. There could have been a sharper focus on the domestic violence Petito experienced in the months leading up to her death. While it was used as a plot point to explain why some friends and family believed she may have been in danger, it was never properly addressed. The documentary did provide a hotline for those who are experiencing domestic violence at the end, but that isn’t nearly enough for such a central part of the crime, considering how generally significant the issue is for young women especially.
It is a missed opportunity for high visibility. The directors should have spent more time with the families reflecting on what signs they might have seen and demonstrating how people can address domestic violence if they feel someone may be experiencing it. There was a chance to tackle an important topic with care and diligence, yet it felt instead that the documentary only focused on it because it needed to keep the story going.
Ultimately, “American Murder: Gabby Petito” did a great job of respectfully laying out the story of Petito’s murder through diverse forms of evidence, demonstrating the power of social media and AI technology in sensationalizing true crime. It kept audiences engaged and captivated in suspense but failed to take the opportunity to highlight the extreme repercussions of domestic violence and spread awareness of what could be done to prevent future cases. Documentaries are responsible for authentically exploring the facts of cases and treating the victims with the respect they deserve. As true crime stories continue to develop, we can only hope that directors will give these sensitive topics the time and care necessary to create a meaningful portrayal of such heartbreaking stories and give audiences a tangible lesson to walk away with.
